The Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2012 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 31 December 2012. This is the eighth version of the database, with previous versions released in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. CAPAD - Marine, provides both spatial and text information about off-shore protected areas in both state and commonwealth waters. State and Territory conservation agencies supplied data current for 31 December 2012. This is the sixth version of the CAPAD- Marine database, with previous versions published in 1997, 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2010. 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 Australian Government Department of the Environment (DOE) publishes a summary of the CAPAD data biennially on its website at http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/land/national-reserve-system/science-maps-and-data/capad-protected-area-data This version of CAPAD 2012-Marine is a public version of CAPAD 2012-Marine- data ("CAPAD 2012-Marine-external") is available for non-commercial use through the CC-BY licencing model. It DOES NOT contain protected area data from Victoria - due to the licencing arrangements currently in place.The "CAPAD 2012-Marine-external-restricted" dataset is available to non-commercial users (eg. NGO's, university researchers, private indivduals) and is password protected. The password can be provided by contacting parks.metadata@environment.gov.au and stating what the data will be used for. If commercial users wish to access the "CAPAD 2012-Marine-external-restricted" dataset an approach needs to be made to the individual data suppliers. CAPAD 2012-Marine-external-restricted and CAPAD 2012-Marine-external spatial data are available download from the Discover Information Geographically (DIG) website: http://www.environment.gov.au/metadataexplorer/explorer.jsp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MARINE USERS – TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS The process for developing management plans has been completed for the five Commonwealth marine reserve networks declared around Australia and the Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve. Until the new management plans come into effect transitional management arrangements are in place. Under these transitional arrangements, there are no changes "on the water" for users in the new areas added to the Commonwealth marine reserve estate. If people hold an existing approval to undertake activities within Commonwealth marine reserves or the now-revoked Coral Sea Conservation Zone, they are able to continue to operate under the terms of the existing approval. No additional administrative requirements apply. The management plan for the South-east Network came into effect on 1 July 2013 with the management plans for the South-west, North-west, North and Temperate East Networks and the Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve coming into effect on 1 July 2014. More information is available at http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/marine/marine-reserves ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Main attributes in the database include: NAME: the name of the protected area. TYPE: the type of protected area according to the protected area establishment mechanism. TYPE_ABBR: the abbreviation of the TYPE. TYPE abbreviations include: AQR = Aquatic Reserve CMR = Commonwealth Marine Reserve DPAA = Dugong Protection Area (A) DPAB = Dugong Protection Area (B) DS = Dolphin Sanctuary

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