Consistent with the Australian Government's commitment to develop a National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), networks of Commonwealth Marine Reserves have been proclaimed for Commonwealth waters across the South-west, North-west, North, Coral Sea and Temperate East Marine Regions. These networks build on previous Marine Protected Area proclamations, including the South-east network declared in 2007.\\n\\nThis dataset is released under Creative Commons by Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Australia (CC BY-NC 3.0).\\n\\nIMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MARINE USERS\\nTransitional arrangements apply to the South-west, North-west, North and Temperate East Networks and the Coral Sea reserve, until management plans come into effect. These arrangements involve NO CHANGES ON THE WATER for marine users. Note, there are no changes to management arrangements in the marine reserves that existed prior to the establishment of the new reserves, that is, the same restrictions on activities will continue to apply even where those reserves have been incorporated into new reserves. The South-east Network of Commonwealth Marine Reserves is managed under the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network Management Plan 2013-23, in place from 1 July 2013. More information is available at www.environment.gov.au/marinereserves \\n\\nThis data contains spatial and contextual information about Commonwealth Marine Reserves under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth governments Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, which are managed by the Australian Government Department of the Environment. It does not include data on MPA's in other Australian jurisdictions (e.g. the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, State/Territory parks), or Terrestrial Protected Areas with marine components (eg Pulu Keeling National Park).

Key ecological features are the parts of the marine ecosystem that are considered to be of importance for a marine region's biodiversity or ecosystem function and integrity. Key ecological features (KEFs) meet one or more of the following criteria: 1. a species, group of species, or a community with a regionally important ecological role (e.g. a predator, prey that affects a large biomass or number of other marine species); 2. a species, group of species, or a community that is nationally or regionally important for biodiversity; 3. an area or habitat that is nationally or regionally important for: a) enhanced or high productivity (such as predictable upwellings - an upwelling occurs when cold nutrient-rich waters from the bottom of the ocean rise to the surface); b) aggregations of marine life (such as feeding, resting, breeding or nursery areas); c) biodiversity and endemism (species which only occur in a specific area); or 4. a unique seafloor feature, with known or presumed ecological properties of regional significance. KEFs have been identified by the Australian Government on the basis of advice from scientists about the ecological processes and characteristics of the area. A workshop held in Darwin in 2007 also contributed to this scientific advice and helped to underpin the identification of key ecological features. As new information becomes available, the spatial representations of identified key ecological features will continue to be refined and updated. Sixteen KEFs have been identified in the South-west Marine Region: 1. Commonwealth marine environment surrounding the Houtman Abrolhos Islands 2. Perth Canyon and adjacent shelf break, and other west coast canyons 3. Commonwealth marine environment within and adjacent to the west coast inshore lagoons 4. Commonwealth marine environment within and adjacent to Geographe Bay 5. Cape Mentelle upwelling 6. Naturaliste Plateau 7. Diamantina Fracture Zone 8. Albany Canyons group and adjacent shelf break 9. Commonwealth marine environment surrounding the Recherche Archipelago 10. Ancient coastline at 90-120 m depth 11. Kangaroo Island Pool, canyons and adjacent shelf break, and Eyre Peninsula upwellings. 12. Meso-scale eddies (points). 13. Western demersal slope and associated fish communities. 14. Western rock lobster. 15. Benthic invertebrate communities of the eastern Great Australian Bight. No spatial representation available. 16. Small pelagic fish of the South-west Marine Region. No spatial representation available. Thirteen KEFs have been identified in the North-west Marine Region: 1. Ancient coastline at 125 m depth contour 2. Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island and surrounding Commonwealth waters 3. Canyons linking the Argo Abyssal Plain and Scott Plateau 4. Canyons linking the Cuvier Abyssal Plain and the Cape Range Peninsula 5. Carbonate bank and terrace system of the Sahul Shelf 6. Commonwealth waters adjacent to Ningaloo Reef 7. Continental Slope Demersal Fish Communities 8. Exmouth Plateau 9. Glomar Shoals 10. Mermaid Reed and Commonwealth waters surrounding the Rowley Shoals 11. Pinnacles of the Bonaparte Basin 12. Seringapatam Reef and Commonwealth waters in the Scott Reef Complex 13. Wallaby Saddle Eight KEFs have been identified in the North Marine Region: 1. Carbonate bank and terrace system of the Van Diemen Rise 2. Shelf break and slope of the Arafura Shelf 3. Tributary canyons of the Arafura Depression 4. Gulf of Carpentaria basin 5. Gulf of Carpentaria coastal zone 6. Plateaux and saddle north-west of the Wellesley Islands 7. Pinnacles of the Bonaparte Basin 8. Submerged coral reefs of the Gulf of Carpentaria Three KEFs have been identified in the Coral Sea: 1. Tasmantid seamount chain 2. Reefs, cays and hebivorous fish of the Queensland Plateau 3. Reefs, cays and hebivorous fish of the Marion Plateau Eight KEFs were identified in the Temperate East marine Region: 1. Tasmantid seamount chain 2. Lord Howe seamount chain 3. Norfolk Ridge 4. Canyons on the eastern continental slope 5. Shelf rocky reefs 6. Elizabeth and Middleton reefs 7. Upwelling off Fraser Island 8. Tasman Front and eddy field Eight KEFs were identified in the South-east Marine Region. 1. Seamounts, east and south of Tasmania 2. West Tasmanian canyons 3. Bonney coast upwelling 4. Upwelling east of Eden 5. Big Horseshoe canyon 6. East Tasmania tropical convergence zone. No spatial representation available 7. Bass cascade. No spatial representation available 8. Shelf rocky reefs and hard substrate. No spatial representation available In order to create a spatial representation of KEFs for each Marine Region, some interpretation of the information was required. DSEWPaC has made every effort to use the best available spatial information and best judgement on how to spatially represent the features based on the scientific advice provided. This does not preclude others from making their own interpretation of available information.

The Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2014 provides both spatial and text information about government, indigenous and privately protected areas for continental Australia. State and Territory conservation agencies supplied data current to 30 June 2014. This is the ninth version of the database, with previous versions released in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. The Department also publishes protected areas data for the marine environment. "CAPAD 2014-marine" contains spatial and text information about offshore protected areas, for both State and Commonwealth waters. Previous versions of CAPAD marine information have been published in 1997, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2012. CAPAD provides a snapshot of protected areas that meet the IUCN definition of a protected area: "A protected area is an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means" (IUCN 1994). The department publishes a summary of the CAPAD data biennially on its website at http://www.environment.gov.au/capad/ This version of CAPAD 2014 is a public and downloadable version of CAPAD 2014 data, available for use through the CC-BY licencing model. Main attributes in the full version of CAPAD 2014 include: PA_ID: The protected area ID code. Created from RES_NUMBER if unique, otherwise it is a DoE generated number. NAME: the name of the protected area. Gazetted PAs with no name are flagged as "Unnamed" with a reserve number. TYPE: the type of protected area according to the protected area establishment mechanism. TYPE_ABBR: the abbreviation of the TYPE. AA Aboriginal Area ACCP Conservation Covenant ASMA Antarctic Specially Managed Area ASPA Antarctic Specially Protected Area BG Botanic Gardens CA Conservation Area CCA Coordinated Conservation Area CCAZ1 CCA Zone 1 National Park CCAZ3 CCA Zone 3 State Conservation Area COR Coastal Reserve CP Conservation Park CR Coastal Reserve FLR Flora Reserve FR Forest Reserve GR Game Reserve HA Heritage Agreement HIR Historical Reserve HPOT Biodiversity Hotspot HR Heritage River HS Historic Site HTR Hunting Reserve IPA Indigenous Protected Area KCR Karst Conservation Reserve MA Management Agreement MAA Management Agreement Area MCP National Parks Act Schedule 4 park or reserve MNP Marine National Park MR Miscellaneous Reserve MS Marine Sanctuary NAP Nature Park NCA Natural Catchment Area NCR Nature Conservation Reserve NFR Natural Features Reserve NP National Park NPA National Park Aboriginal NPC National Park (Commonwealth) NR Nature Reserve NRA Nature Recreation Area NREF Nature Refuge NRS NRS Addition - Gazettal in Progress OCA Other Conservation Area OCA/NAP Other Conservation Area / Nature Park OP Other PA Protected Area PNPA Proposed National Parks Act park or park addition PNR Private Nature Reserve PPP Permanent Park Preserve PS Private Sanctuary RA Reference Area REP Regional Park RNA Remote and Natural Area - not scheduled under NPA/Remote and Natural Area - Schedule 6, National Parks Act (Abbreviated as Remote and Natural Area - not scheduled under Nat Parks Act) RP Recreation Park RR Regional Reserve S5G 5(1)(g) Reserve S5H 5(1)(h) Reserve SCA State Conservation Area SP State Park SR State Reserve WPA Wilderness Protection Area WP Wilderness Park WZ Wilderness Zone IUCN: the IUCN protected area management category ascribed by the Managing authority, as outlined in the publication: CNPPA/WCMC "Guidelines for Protected Area management categories". Gland: IUCN, 1994. (ISBN: 2-8317-0201-1). Definitions include: IA Strict Nature Reserve: managed mainly for science; IB Wilderness Area: managed mainly for wilderness protection; II National Park: managed mainly for ecosystem protection; III Natural Monument: managed mainly for conservation of specific natural features; IV Habitat / Species Management Area: managed mainly for conservation through management intervention; V Protected Landscape / Seascape: managed mainly for landscape/seascape conservation and recreation; VI Managed Resource Protected Area: managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural ecosystems. GAZ_AREA: area in hectares as described in the nomination document (e.g. parliamentary gazettal), to the nearest hectare. Some protected areas do not have a specific area in the designation. GIS_AREA: area in hectares based on current spatial data and an Albers equal area projection for Australia. Where protected area consists of multiple polygons (parts) the GIS_AREA is the sum of all the polygons with the same name, type, state and IUCN category. It is this field that is used to calculate the statistics provided in spreadsheets at: www.environment.gov.au/capad/ REPT_AREA is the same with GIS_AREA (previously REPT_AREA is in hectares from the GAZ_AREA attribute and if this is a null value then the GIS_AREA is used. For Protected areas with multiple records, REPT_AREA is a calculated by dividing GAZ_AREA by GIS_AREA of the total then applying this factor to the GIS_AREA of the record). Due to the fact that not all received data have REPT_AREA, it is incomplete and inconsistent if REPT_AREA is used for analysis. GAZ_DATE: the first gazettal or proclamation date that established any protected area at this site. LATEST_GAZ: the date of the most recent gazettal or proclamation to add land to the protected area. It can be the same date as the GAZ_AREA. NRS_PA: This attribute indicates the status of the protected area as part of the National Reserve System (NRS). "Y" = Yes. A protected area located within the State and Territory jurisdiction "I" = an interim protected area - in the process of being gazetted/established. "N" = No. A protected area that does not meet the NRS criteria. "ND" = No Data. A protected area that does not meet NRS criteria, but compliments the NRS with sympathetic management. STATE: The state is the state that the protected area is located in. EXT= protected areas located in Australian external territories. AUTHORITY: The Authority responsible for the management of the protected area mechanism. AAD Australian Antarctic Division AC_SA Alexandrina Council ACT_TAMSD ACT Territory and Municipal Services Directorate AWC Australian Wildlife Conservancy AWC & BA Australian Wildlife Conservancy & Birds Australia BBT Bookmark Biosphere Trust BHA Bush Heritage Australia CCC_QLD Caloundra City Council CR PTY LTD Conservation Reserves PTY LTD DOE Australian Government, Department of the Environment EAC_QLD Ewamian Aboriginal Corporation EL Inc._NSW Enduring Landscapes Inc. FC_NSW Forestry Commission of NSW FPR Inc. Friends of the Porongurup Range (Inc) GCC_NSW Gosford City Council HCR_CMA Hunter - Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority ILC_NT Indigenous Land Corporation IMG Indigenous management group IMG, LILC Indigenous management group and Local Indigenous Land Council KRGC_NSW Ku-ring-gai Council LHI_Board Lord Howe Island Board LILC Local Indigenous Land Council LVRC_Q_EPA Lockyer Valley Regional Council and QLD EPA MINCA_QLD Magnetic Island Nature Care Association NF SA Inc. Nature Foundation SA Inc NSC_QLD Noosa Shire Council NSW_OEH NSW Office of Environment and Heritage NT_PWCNT Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT QLD_DERM Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management QLD_EHP Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection QLD_EPA Queensland Environment Protection Agency QLD_NPRSR Queensland Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing SA_DEH South Australian Department of Environment and Heritage SA_DEWNR South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources F_SA Forestry South Australia SCRC_QLD Sunshine Coast Regional Council TAS_DPIPWE Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment TAS_WPMT Wellington Park Management Trust Tasmania TFN_VIC Trust for Nature (Victoria) TLC Inc_TAS Tasmanian Land Conservancy Inc. TSRA Torres Strait Regional Authority TTTN The Trustee for the Trust for Nature U. Ballarat University of Ballarat VIC_DEPI Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries WA_DPAW Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife WAC Winangakirri Aboriginal Corporation WEC Worlds End Conservation Pty Ltd DATASOURCE: Describes the source of the data for the protected area, values are: AAD Australian Antarctic Division ACT_TAMSD ACT Territory and Municipal Services Directorate DOE Australian Government, Department of the Environment DOE_NRSP Australian Government, Department of the Environment - National Reserve System Program F_SA Forestry South Australia FC_NSW Forestry Commission of NSW LHI_Board Lord Howe Island Board NSW_OEH NSW Office of Environment and Heritage NT_PWCNT Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT QLD_EHP Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection QLD_NPRSR Queensland Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing SA_DEWNR South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources TAS_DPIPWE Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment VIC_DEPI Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries WA_DPAW Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife GOVERNANCE: Records the type of governance that has management and decision making responsibility. G = Government, C = Community (conserved areas including indigenous peoples or local communities), J = Joint or P = Privately managed. ENVIRON: A protected area gazetted as terrestrial may have a marine component and vice versa. A protected area can be 'T' terrestrial, marine 'M' and both 'B'. Terrestrial CAPAD 2014 contains 'T' and 'B'. Marine CAPAD 2014 contains 'M'. OVERLAP: Shows whether or not the protected area is overlapped by another. Protected areas with a value of '1' are the primary protected area in that area. A protected area with a value of '2' is completely overlapped by another protected area. X_COORD: is the longitude in decimal degrees east within the object closest to the centre of the object using the Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994. Y_COORD: is the latitude in decimal degrees south within the object closest to the centre of the object using the Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994. MGT_PLAN: The code of the status of the management plan for the protected area. Definitions Include: P - In Preparation - Some form of management document was being prepared. D - Draft - A draft management document was released for comment by the public, management board or equivalent. S - Statutory - Enabling legislation establishes the management of a protected area and separate management document is not required. I - Management Intent - A formal statement of management intent has been prepared that clearly sets out the management objectives for the protected area but includes little else. M - Management Plan - A formally adopted management plan that has been through consultation and contains strategies and actions for implementation for this protected area. R - Regional Plan - A formally adopted management plan has been through consultation and contains general strategies and actions for implementation over a group of protected areas. N - Unknown - No form of management document could be found. RES_NUMBER: The reserve number (if declared) as used by the controlling authority. OBJECTID *, Shape *, SHAPE.AREA and SHAPE.LEN are automatically generated ESRI attributes

This dataset details the Declared Indigenous Protected Areas (IPA) across Australia through the implementation of the Indigenous Protected Areas Programme. These boundaries are not legally binding. An Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) is an area of Indigenous-owned land or sea where traditional Indigenous owners have entered into an agreement with the Australian Government to promote biodiversity and cultural resource conservation. The Indigenous Protected Areas element of the Caring for our Country initiative supports Indigenous communities to manage their land as IPAs, contributing to the National Reserve System. Further information can be found at the website below. http://www.environment.gov.au/indigenous/ipa/index.html Declared IPAs in order of gazettal date: Nantawarrina Preminghana Risdon Cove putalina Deen Maar Yalata Warul Kawa Watarru Walalkara Mount Chappell Island Badger Island Dhimurru Guanaba Wattleridge Mount Willoughby Paruku Ngaanyatjarra Tyrendarra Toogimbie Anindilyakwa Laynhapuy - Stage 1 Ninghan North Tanami Warlu Jilajaa Jumu Kaanju Ngaachi Great Dog Island Babel Island lungatalanana Angas Downs Pulu Islet Tarriwa Kurrukun Warddeken Djelk Jamba Dhandan Duringala Kurtonitj Framlingham Forest Kalka - Pipalyatjara Boorabee and The Willows Lake Condah Marri-Jabin (Thamurrurr - Stage 1) Brewarrina Ngemba Billabong Uunguu - Stage 1 Apara - Makiri - Punti Antara - Sandy Bore Dorodong Weilmoringle Yanyuwa (Barni - Wardimantha Awara) Minyumai Gumma Mandingalbay Yidinji Southern Tanami Angkum - Stage 1 Ngunya Jargoon Birriliburu Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bardi Jawi Girringun Wilinggin Dambimangari Balanggarra Thuwathu/Bujimulla Yappala Wardaman - Stage 1 Karajarri - Stage 1 Nijinda Durlga - Stage 1

A regionalisation of Australian waters (excluding waters adjacent to the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and waters adjacent to the Australian Antarctic Territory) derived from deep-water demersal fish assemblages. A total of 41 onshelf and offshelf provincial bioregions were identified for IMCRA v4.0. Onshelf provincial bioregions are based on the 17 IMCRA v3.3 demersal provinces and biotones identified in 1997. Offshelf provincial bioregions were defined in 2004 as part of a program run by Geoscience Australia, CSIRO Marine Research and the National Oceans Office. They represent units that contain broad patterns in biodiversity, as represented by deep-water demersal fish assemblages, based on the assumption that the demersal fish distributions are a surrogate of marine faunal distributions. Below 2,000 m water depth, the boundaries of the benthic provincial bioregions are defined solely by the NMB (National Marine Bioregionalisation) geomorphic features data set. A total of 24 offshelf benthic provincial bioregions were defined on this basis, including 15 core bioregions representing areas of endemism, and 9 transition zones representing areas of faunal mixing. For IMCRA v4.0 the coastline was replaced with the national 100k coastline to provide greater consistency. The Australian EEZ limit was sourced from AMB v2. Based on a decision by the Bioregionalisation Working Group, the shelf break from IMCRA v3.3 was largely retained, although in some instances the shelf break from the NMB (National Marine Bioregionalisation) provincial bioregions was used.

An inshore regionalisation of Australian waters derived from biological and physical data, including the distribution of demersal fishes, marine plants and invertebrates, sea floor geomorphology and sediments, and oceanographic data.\\n\\nThe meso-scale regionalisation was compiled from information supplied to the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage by the relevant State, Northern Territory and Commonwealth marine research and management agencies.\\n\\nThe seaward extent for the meso-scale IMCRA coverage is defined by the 200m isobath except where this boundary extends beyond the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (AEEZ).