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.
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 attributesCC - Attribution (CC BY)
This dataset is available under the CC-BY data licencing model and users are required to acknowledge the Australian Government, Department of the Environment as the source of the data in any of their uses. When citing the data please use ‘Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2014, Commonwealth of Australia 2014’.
The data is supplied to the Commonwealth for compilation by States and Territories of Australia and custodianship rests with the source agencies. A list of the agencies is available in the acknowledgements section of the metadata entry.
This CAPAD data has been supplied to the Commonwealth for compilation over a 3 month time frame and has taken several months to get to publication stage. Please note that the information supplied is not up-to-date at the time of publication and release by the Commonwealth.
It is the responsibility of the person using the CAPAD dataset to always check the metadata for the currency date within each jurisdiction and if required seek advice from the individual agencies on details of more recent gazettals of protected areas.
Due to privacy issues in relation to some covenants on private lands, these data in some jurisdictions are not included in the spatial data, but are included in the published CAPAD summary statistics. The Department can advise in which bioregions this is likely to be an issue.