The Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2010 provides both spatial and text information about government, Indigenous and privately protected areas for continental Australia. State and Territory conservation agencies supplied data current for various dates between June 2010 and January 2011. This is the eighth version of the database, with previous versions released in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. 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
CAPAD 2010 spatial data is available for download from the Find Environmental Data (FED) website: http://intspat01.ris.environment.gov.au/fed/catalog/main/home.page
Main attributes in the database include:
PA_ID: The protected area ID code. Created from RES_NUMBER if unique, otherwise it is a DSEWPaC 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 Areas
ASPA Antarctic Specially Protected Areas
BG Botanic Gardens (Commonwealth)
CA Conservation Area
CCA Coordinated Conservation Area
CCAZ1 CCA Zone 1 National Park
CCAZ2 CCA Zone 2 Aboriginal Area
CCAZ3 CCA Zone 3 State Conservation Area
COR Coastal Reserve
CP Conservation Park
CR Conservation Reserve
FLR Flora Reserve
FR Forest Reserve
GR Game Reserve
HA Heritage Agreement
HIR Historical Reserve
HR Heritage River
HS Historic Site
HTR Hunting Reserve
IPA Indigenous Protected Area
KCR Karst Conservation Reserve
MAA Management Agreement
MCP National Parks Act Schedule 4 park or reserve
MNP Marine National Park
MR Commonwealth Land Managed for Conservation
MS Marine Sanctuary
NAP Nature Park
NAPA Nature Park (Aboriginal)
NCA Natural Catchment Area
NCR Nature Conservation Reserve
NFR Natural Features Reserve
NP National Park
NPA National Park Aboriginal
NPC National Park (Commonwealth)
NPR National Park (Recovery)
NR Nature Reserve
NRA Nature Recreation Area
NREF Nature Refuge
NRS NRS Addition - Gazettal in Progress
NS National Park (Scientific)
OCA Other Conservation Area
OCA/NP 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
RNA Remote and Natural Area
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
TR Timber Reserve
WA 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.
REPT_AREA: area 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.
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" = a protected area located within the State and Territory jurisdiction "I" = an interim protected area - in the process of being gazetted/established. "N" = a protected area that does not meet the NRS criteria. "ND" = 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. COM = protected areas located in Australian external territories.
AUTHORITY: The Authority responsible for the management of the protected area mechanism.
AAD - Australian Antarctic Division
ACT_TAMS - ACT Territory and Municipal Services
WA_DEC - WA Department of Environment and Conservation
QLD_DERM - Qld Department of Environment and Resource Management
VIC_DSE - Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment
DSEWPAC - Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy
Forests NSW - Forests NSW
IMG - Indigenous Management Group
LHI Board - Lord Howe Island Board
NT_PWS - NT Parks and Wildlife Service
NSW_OEH - NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
SA_DENR - SA Department of Environment and Natural Resources
SA_FRST - Forestry SA
TAS_DPIPWE - Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment
TAS_FRST - Forestry Tasmania
TAS_MVC - Tasmanian Meander Valley Council
TAS_DC - Tasmanian Dorset Council
TAS_PWS - TAS Parks and Wildlife Service
TAS_WPMT - Wellington Park Management Trust
STATE_MAA - Management Agreement Area
ABHF - Australian Bush Heritage Fund
AC_SA - Alexandrina Council
AWC - Australian Wildlife Conservancy
AWC & BA - Australian Wildlife Conservancy & Birds Australia
BBT - Bookmark Biosphere Trust
BHA - Bush Heritage Australia
CCC_QLD - Caloundra City Council
EL - Enduring Landscapes Inc.
FOTPR - Friends of the Porongurup Range (Inc)
GCCC_QLD - Gold Coast City Council - SEQ Pilot Partnership
GCC_NSW - Gosford City Council
HCC_TAS - Hobart City Council
HCR_CMA - Hunter - Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority
ILC_NT - Indigenous Land Corporation
KRGC_NSW - Ku-ring-gai Council
LCC_QLD - Logan City Council
LVRC_DERM_QLD - Lockyer Valley Regional Council and QLD DERM
MINCA_QLD - Magnetic Island Nature Care Association
NF_SA - Nature Foundation SA Inc
NSC_QLD - Noosa Shire Council
SCRC_QLD - Sunshine Coast Regional Council
TFN_VIC - Trust for Nature (Victoria)
TIFT - The Trustee for TERRI IRWIN FAMILY TRUST
UNIB - University of Ballarat
WEC - Worlds End Conservation Pty Ltd
DATASOURCE: Describes the source of the data for the protected area, values are:
ACT_TAMS: ACT - Territory and Municipal Services
DSEWPAC: Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy
DSEWPAC_NRSP: Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy National Reserve System Program
NRETAS: NT Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport
NSW_OEH: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
NSW_SF: NSW Forests
QLD_DERM: Qld Department of Environment and Resource Management
SA_DENR: SA Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources
TAS_DPIPWE: Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment
VIC_DSE: Department of Environment and Sustainability
WA_GOV: Department of Environment and Conservation
GOVERNANCE: Determines if the protected area is government, Indigenous, joint or 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 2010 contains 'T' and 'B'. Marine CAPAD 2010 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 data has been licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence. More information can be found at http://www.ausgoal.gov.au/creative-commons.
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.
The CAPAD data is supplied to the Commonwealth for compilation over a 6-12 month time frame and many months may pass before it is published and thus 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 National Reserve System Section within Parks Australia can advise in which bioregions this is likely to be an issue.
Licence type changed to Creative Commons By Attribution on 9 June 2016
© Commonwealth of Australia (Department of the Environment and Energy) 2014
