Protected areas of Victoria explained

Victoria is the smallest mainland state in Australia. it contained separate protected areas with a total land area of 4012888ha (17.64% of the state's area).^[1]

The parks are managed by Parks Victoria, a state government agency. There are also many smaller state areas which are subject to commercial activity such as logging.

Main parks

National parks

National parks provide the highest level of protection to diverse natural areas. They usually contain the best and most unique examples of our natural values and biodiversity. There are 45 national parks in Victoria,^[2] totalling 2910738ha (72.53% of the state's protected areas).

National parks of Victoria

Order	National park name	Area		Declared	Notes
		ha	acre
1		3022ha	^[3]
2		662354ha		Includes the former Tingaringy NP, Wabonga Plateau SP, Bogong NP, Wonnangatta–Moroka NP, Cobberas–Tingaringy NP
3		28490ha		Proclaimed in 1987
4		12784ha
5		8881ha
6		8571ha		Formerly known as Mount Eccles National Park. UNESCO World Heritage listing from 2019
7		18965ha
8		21665ha		Proclaimed in 1980 ; and in 1997
9		272ha		Formerly known as Dandenong National Park
10		18553ha
11		38513ha		Proclaimed in 1979
12		88516ha		Includes the former Wingan Inlet NP, Mallacoota Inlet NP, Captain James Cook NP
13		3534ha		Proclaimed in 1928
14		43144ha
15		10318ha		Proclaimed in 1984
16		168277ha
17		110412ha		Includes the former Melba Gully SP, Otway NP, Angahook–Lorne SP, Carlisle SP
18		17575ha		Includes the former Whipstick SP, Kamarooka SP
19		9317ha
20		49983ha		Proclaimed in 1960
21		12693ha
22		13982ha		Proclaimed in 1984 ; Formerly known as St Arnaud Range National Park
23		23126ha
24		27822ha		Includes the former Fraser NP, Eildon SP
25		1370ha	^[4]
26		131607ha
27		26451ha
28		9321ha
29		14402ha		Proclaimed in 1963
30		2682ha		Includes the former Cape Schanck Coastal Park, and part of Nepean SP; Formerly known as Point Nepean National Park
31		565ha
32		27484ha
33		1738ha
34		665694ha		Proclaimed in 1979
35		153ha
36		540ha
37		2429ha
38		114729ha
39		2028ha		Includes the former Tarra Valley NP, Bulga NP
40		6388ha		Proclaimed in 1988
41		2407ha
42		14708ha		Proclaimed in 1975
43		48202ha
44		359855ha
45		77229ha

State parks

State parks help protect the state's natural values. They are very similar to national parks, however, the conservation values and landscapes they protect are smaller or less diverse. There are 26 state parks in Victoria, totalling 158043ha (3.94% of the state's protected areas).

State parks of Victoria

Order	State park name	Area		Declared	Notes
		ha	acre
1		566ha		Includes part of the former Nepean State Park
2		11731ha
3		1010ha
4		16647ha
5		229ha
6		3599ha
7		10886ha
8		4323ha
9		10746ha
10		11455ha
11		8684ha
12		3043ha
13		2045ha
14		20545ha
15		6362ha
16		7457ha
17		2499ha
18		6164ha
19		13366ha
20		2939ha
21		7445ha
22		1032ha
23		2015ha
24		2005ha
25		687ha
26		563ha

Regional parks

Regional parks are found close to urban centres or major tourist routes. While still places of natural beauty, visitor recreation is the primary purpose of regional parks.

Metropolitan parks

Metropolitan parks are very similar to regional parks, however, are located in metropolitan Melbourne.

Indigenous Protected Areas

Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) are "areas of land and sea managed by Indigenous groups as protected areas for biodiversity conservation through voluntary agreements with the Australian Government".^[5]

There are 5 indigenous protected areas in Victoria, totalling 3888ha (0.1% of the state's protected areas). The following IPAs have been declared in Victoria:^{[6] [7] [8]}

• Budj Bim
  • Kurtonitj
  • Lake Condah
  • Tyrendarra
• Deen Maar
• Framlingham Forest

Historic and heritage

Parks Victoria is responsible for the largest and most diverse collection of heritage places on public land in Victoria. They manage more than 3,000 historic assets including cultural landscapes, buildings, infrastructure, significant trees, objects and artefacts, archaeological sites, and shipwrecks.

Historic and heritage parks

Historic or heritage parks are significant historic cultural landscapes of heritage value. There are 6 historic and heritage parks in Victoria^[9]

Historic and heritage areas

There are 75 historic and heritage areas in Victoria including:

Heritage River

There are 18 heritage rivers in Victoria, totalling 158783ha (3.96% of the state's protected areas). These are defined under the Heritage Rivers Act 1992 as parts of rivers and river catchment areas that have significant nature conservation, recreation, scenic or cultural heritage values

Marine protected areas

Victoria is the first jurisdiction in the world to create an entire system of highly protected marine national parks at the same time.^[10] Victoria contained separate marine protected areas with a total area of 121242ha (11.87% of the state's coastal waters). Marine national parks and sanctuaries contain important marine habitats and species, or encompass areas of significant natural features; and are highly protected areas in which no fishing, extractive or damaging activities are permitted.

Marine national parks

There are 13 marine national parks in Victoria, totalling 52191ha (43.05% of the state's protected waters).

Marine national parks of Victoria

Order	Marine national park name	Area		Declared
		ha	acre
1		2048ha
2		4078ha
3		670ha
4		1414ha
5		2790ha
6		2980ha
7		2652ha
8		4419ha
9		3803ha
10		3473ha
11		7502ha
12		15586ha
13		776ha

Marine sanctuaries

There are 11 marine sanctuaries in Victoria, totalling 864ha (0.71% of the state's protected waters).

Marine sanctuaries of Victoria

Order	Marine sanctuaries name	Area		Declared
		ha	acre
1		16ha
2		220ha
3		18ha
4		30ha
5		13ha
6		29ha
7		57ha
8		292ha
9		22ha
10		121ha
11		48ha

Coastal and marine parks

Coastal Parks and Marine Parks protect areas of coastal, intertidal or subtidal land. There are 6 marine (or marine & coastal) parks in Victoria, totalling 68187ha (56.24% of the state's protected waters). There are also 5 coastal parks in Victoria, totalling 45284ha (1.13% of the state's protected land areas).

Marine parks of Victoria

Order	Marine park name	Area		Declared	Notes
		ha	acre
1		935ha		Coastal park
2		1260ha		Marine & coastal park
3		11576ha		Coastal park
4		4327ha		Coastal park
5		28567ha		Marine & coastal park
6		10643ha		Coastal park
7		17803ha		Coastal park
8		30200ha		Marine & coastal park
9		1972ha		Marine & coastal park
10		6187ha		Marine park & marine reserve

• The former Point Cook Coastal Park (proclaimed in 1978) became part of the Point Cooke Marine Sanctuary.
• The former Cape Schanck Coastal Park (proclaimed on 1 December 1975) became part of the old Point Nepean National Park in 1988.

Reference areas

Reference areas are tracts of public land containing viable samples of one or more land types that are relatively undisturbed. There are 144 reference areas in Victoria, totalling 112628ha (2.81% of the state's protected areas) and all but 23032ha are located inside other protected areas including:

Other nature areas

Wilderness and Nature parks

Wilderness parks are large areas with native plant and animal communities that are relatively unaffected by humans. They are managed for conservation, with no facilities provided for visitors and no vehicles are permitted. There are 3 wilderness parks in Victoria, totalling 200699ha (5% of the state's protected areas).

There is 1 nature park in Victoria, totalling 1925ha (0.05% of the state's protected areas).

Wilderness & Nature parks of Victoria

Order	Park name	Area		Declared	Notes
		ha	acre
1		39566ha		Wilderness park
2		141713ha		Wilderness park
3		1925ha		Nature park
4		19395ha		Wilderness park

Wilderness zones

There are 19 wilderness zones in Victoria, totalling 641441ha (15.98% of the state's protected areas) and all but 131ha are located inside other protected areas.

• Bowen
• Buchan Headwaters
• Cape Howe
• Chinaman Flat
• Cobberas
• Galpunga
• Genoa
• Indi
• Minook
• Mount Cowra
• Mount Darling - Snowy Bluff
• North Wyperfeld
• Razor-Viking
• Sandpatch
• Snowy River
• South Wyperfeld
• Sunset
• Tingaringy
• Wilsons Promontory

Natural catchment area

There are 25 natural catchment areas in Victoria, totalling 151368ha (3.77% of the state's protected areas).

Remote and natural area

There are 24 remote and natural areas in Victoria, totalling 302990ha (7.55% of the state's protected areas).

Other reserves

In Victoria, there are a total of 2776 nature reserves, totalling 467092ha (11.64% of the state's protected areas) divided is the following different groups:

Bushland ReserveThere are 1592 bushland reserves in Victoria, totalling 45305ha (1.13% of the state's protected areas).

Cave ReserveThere are 9 cave reserves in Victoria, totalling 532ha (0.01% of the state's protected areas).

Conservation park / reserveThere are 13 conservation parks / conservation reserves in Victoria, totalling 20994ha (0.52% of the state's protected areas).

Flora & Fauna ReserveThere are a total of 186 flora and/or fauna reserves in Victoria, totalling 119632ha (2.98% of the state's protected areas).

Geological ReserveThere are 14 geological reserves in Victoria, totalling 436ha (0.01% of the state's protected areas).

Gippsland Lakes ReserveThere are 39 gippsland lakes reserves in Victoria, totalling 7129ha (0.18% of the state's protected areas).

Nature Conservation ReserveThere are 263 nature conservation reserves in Victoria, totalling 136909ha (3.41% of the state's protected areas).

Natural Features and Scenic ReserveThere are 49 natural features reserves in Victoria, totalling 10402ha (0.26% of the state's protected areas).
There are 50 scenic reserves in Victoria, totalling 9649ha (0.24% of the state's protected areas).
There are 24 combined natural features and scenic reserves in Victoria, totalling 19799ha (0.49% of the state's protected areas).

Streamside ReserveThere are 259 streamside reserves in Victoria, totalling 7895ha (0.2% of the state's protected areas).

Tall Trees ReserveThere is 1 tall trees reserve in Victoria, totalling 14ha.

Wildlife ReserveThere are 277 wildlife reserves in Victoria, totalling 88396ha (2.2% of the state's protected areas).

Some of the nature reserves include:

• Deep Lead Nature Conservation Reserve
• Jackass Flat Nature Conservation Reserve
• Long Forest Flora & Fauna Reserve
• Marble Gully - Mount Tambo Nature Conservation Reserve
• Mount Elizabeth Nature Conservation Reserve
• Mount Hope Nature Conservation Reserve
• Mullinger Swamp Wildlife Reserve
• The Spit Wildlife Reserve
• Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve

See also

• Protected areas of Australia
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne

External links

• Parks Victoria
• Victoria National Parks
• Travel Victoria - National & state parks
• Travel Victoria - Metropolitan parks
• Travel Victoria - Coastal & marine parks

Notes and References

1. Web site: Collaborative Australian Protected Area Database. Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water. Commonwealth of Australia. 2022. 1 June 2023.
2. Web site: What we manage . Parks Victoria . 8 May 2023 . en.
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20190501152404/https://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/639857/Creation-of-Parks.pdf Parks Victoria: Creation of Parks.pdf
4. Parks Victoria, Lind and Alfred National Parks management plan (August 1998), p. 2.
5. Web site: Indigenous Protected Areas . Australian Government. Dept of Agriculture, Water and the Environment . 18 February 2019 . 5 April 2020.
6. Web site: Declared Indigenous Protected Areas in Victoria. Department of the Environment. 26 May 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20180410005454/http://www.environment.gov.au/indigenous/ipa/declared/vic.html. 10 April 2018. live.
7. Web site: Indigenous land and sea management projects . National Indigenous Australians Agency . 26 October 2015 . 5 April 2020.
8. Web site: Framlingham Forest IPA . National Indigenous Australians AgencyVic Projects . 10 December 2015 . 5 April 2020.
9. Web site: Parks Victoria . Parks Victoria . 8 May 2023 . en.
10. Web site: Victoria's System of Marine National Parks and Marine Sanctuaries. Management Strategy 2003 - 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20120401011640/http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/313348/Marine-National-Parks-and-Marine-Sanctuaries-Strategy-2003-2010.pdf . 2012-04-01 . live. PDF. Parks Victoria. Government of Victoria. 2003. 4 February 2012 .