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New Parks and Park Additions

Wetlands were purchased at Lake St Clair in the South East to protect endangered ecosystems.

Wetlands were purchased at Lake St Clair in the South East to protect endangered ecosystems.
Photo: Tim Bond

Introduction

In South Australia, we currently manages over 300 national parks, regional reserves, conservation reserves, conservation parks, game reserves, recreation parks, and wilderness protection areas (300Kb PDF). We are continuously assessing and purchasing new land to add to South Australia's reserve system under the National Reserve System (NRS) Program. Many of these new parks have been purchased with the assistance of grants and donations.

National Reserve System (NRS) Program

The National Reserve System (NRS) represents the collective efforts of the States, Territories, Commonwealth and non-government organisations to achieve an Australian protected area system.

The NRS program was established in 1996 and provides the Natural Heritage Trust funding to assist with the purchase and establishment of protected areas. The goal of the NRS is to establish a comprehensive, adequate and representative reserve system of protected areas which will contribute to the conservation of Australia's native biodiversity.

For more information regarding the National Reserve System visit the Environment Australia website.

CARRS Program

Strong public support was shown for the opening of additions to Mt Remarkable National Park.

Strong public support was shown for the opening of additions to Mt Remarkable National Park.
Photo: Tim Bond

The Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative Reserve System (CARRS) of protected areas is the foundation of conserving biodiversity. They provide access to nature and its biological resources to future generations and add to our community's spiritual and material wealth. Managed effectively they provide opportunities for nature-based tourism and recreation and guarantee better water, indigenous people's access to homelands and a store of biodiversity assets. Effective long-term protection allows us to pass this legacy from one generation to another.

Our system of protected areas covers more than 21 million ha, but it remains incomplete.

New areas need to be protected to help ensure the ongoing conservation of South Australia's native biodiversity. The Natural Heritage Trust, Nature Foundation of South Australia Inc., Native Vegetation Council, Planning Development Fund, Coast Protection Board and Friends of Parks Inc. have assisted through grants and donations to purchase 174,000 ha of land worth more that $7.2 million over the past 5 years. These purchases have been guided by the Australian Guidelines for Establishing the National Reserve System (ANZECC, 1999). 

Biological surveys are undertaken at new parks once acquired to better understand their natural values

Biological surveys are undertaken at new parks once acquired to better understand their natural values
Photo: Tim Bond

We are developing the CARRS program, which aims to assist establishing a CARRS of protected areas to conserve South Australia's native biodiversity. It will allow for the special needs of rare or threatened species, communities or ecosystems, cater for special groups of organisms that have complex habitat requirements, are mobile or migratory species and include significant areas that may have high species diversity, act as natural refugia or are places for species evolution.

A strategy and action plan is being prepared to provide information, guidance and assistance to the public, stakeholders and government on the way forward for establishing a CARR system of protected areas. It will focus on the conservation of native biodiversity in terrestrial, marine, coastal, and inland aquatic ecosystems over all forms of land ownership. It is intended to provide the capacity to develop coordinated and integrated programs at a state, regional and local level. It is not intended to change existing programs like NatureLinks, Heritage Agreements and the Marine Protected Areas Program. The strategy will provide overarching principles that facilitate integration and coordination.

CARRS forms the South Australian portion of the National Reserve System and assists the establishment of the core of protected areas in the NatureLinks program.

NatureLinks

Eucapyptus landsdowneana spp landsdowneana is rated as rare under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1972

Eucapyptus landsdowneana spp landsdowneana is rated as rare under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1972
Photo: Tim Bond

The NatureLinks Program, developed by us in 2002, provides a vision for the conservation of biodiversity in South Australia. The goal of the NatureLinks program is 'to enable South Australian species and ecosystems to survive, evolve and adapt to environmental change'. This is achieved by connecting habitats across South Australia, which will facilitate ecological flows across land and sea.

By proclamation of new protected areas in South Australia, we will be adding to the connectedness of habitats which will contribute to ensuring species will continue to survive and evolve.

 

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