This dataset is indicative of the surface water upstream catchment areas of Australia's internationally significant wetlands (listed under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands). These data are used as reporting layer in the Protected Matters Search Tool and assists in assessing proposed activities (EPBC referrals) for potential downstream impacts against Ramsar wetlands.

Polygons defining Ramsar wetland areas in Victoria. The Ramsar Convention of Wetlands of International Importance, to which Australia is a signatory, requires contracting parties to designate wetlands of international significance within their territory for listing under the convention. This layer is based on RAMSAR100 but has been realigned and updated to improve its accuracy. It has been updated to match current VICMAP parcel, road, hydro and water area data as well as using high-resolution digital aerial photography to improve its precision to 1:25 000.

The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts maintains the Australian Wetlands Database with information from State and Territory conservation agencies. This provides online access to the most recent information on Australia's Ramsar sites and Directory wetlands, our internationally and nationally important wetlands respectively. Information and spatial data for Australia's Ramsar sites are supplied by State and Territory conservation departments. The reports generated from the database follow the categories of the Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS), which document the character and values of each Ramsar site. The latest RIS updates are included. The Directory is compiled with the cooperation of conservation agencies and other resource managers in all jurisdictions. It is a valuable tool for managers and others interested in Australia's important wetlands. The database holds descriptions of more than 850 Directory wetlands, including those listed since publication of the third edition in 2001. Users should note that there are gaps in the knowledge of some sites and some fields may be blank. Inventory is ongoing and many wetlands remain to be assessed or recognised as internationally or nationally important. Wetlands data have been received from: * Environment ACT - ACT references * NSW Department of Conservation and Environment - NSW references * NT Department of Infrastructure Planning and Environment - NT references * Qld Environmental Protection Agency - Qld references * SA Department of Environment and Heritage - SA references * Tas Department of Primary Industries, Water and the Environment - Tas references * Vic Department of Sustainability and Environment - Vic references * WA Department of Conservation and Land Management - WA references

National dataset of Australia's Ramsar Wetlands. The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar Convention) was signed in Ramsar, Iran on 2 February 1971. The Ramsar Convention aims to halt the worldwide loss of wetlands and to conserve, through wise use and management, those that remain. The Convention encourages member countries to nominate sites containing representative, rare or unique wetlands, or that are important for conserving biological diversity, to the List of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar sites). Australia was one of the first countries to become a Contracting Party to the Convention and designated the world's first Ramsar site, Cobourg Peninsula, in 1974. This project was initiated by the Wetlands Section of the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Spatial data was sourced from the relevant State and Territory agencies and compiled into a single national coverage.