Indicator: NCH-01 Process of listing, area and distribution of identified natural heritage places
Data
World Heritage List
In the period since 2001 one natural heritage place has been added to the World Heritage List. Purnululu National Park, in the East Kimberley Region of Western Australia, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2003, for its outstanding universal natural heritage values. Purnululu has also been nominated for its rich Aboriginal cultural heritage spanning over some 20 000 years.
Distribution of World Heritage Listed Areas post and pre 2001
Source: DEH (2005) Commonwealth Heritage List database
GA(2005) Australia, Coastline and State Borders
Data used is assumed to be correct as received from the data suppliers
Map produced by ERIN
© Commonwealth of Australia 2005
Natural Places in the National Heritage List
| Number of Natural places | Total number on NHL | |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 0 | 4 |
| Victoria | 0 | 11 |
| Queensland | 1 | 1 |
| Western Australia | 0 | 1 |
| South Australia | 0 | 1 |
| Tasmania | 0 | 3 |
| Northern Territory | 0 | 0 |
| Aust. Capital Territory | 0 | 1 |
| External Territories | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 23 |
Source: Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2006
Natural places in the Commonwealth Heritage List
| Number of Natural places | Total number on CHL | |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 4 | 105 |
| Victoria | 4 | 37 |
| Queensland | 5 | 19 |
| Western Australia | 8 | 21 |
| South Australia | 1 | 7 |
| Tasmania | 1 | 15 |
| Northern Territory | 2 | 15 |
| Aust. Capital Territory | 2 | 83 |
| External Territories | 14 | 48 |
| Total | 41 | 350 |
Source: Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2006
Distribution of all places listed on the National Heritage List December 2005
Source: DEH (2005) National Heritage List database
GA (2005) Australia, Coastline and State Borders
Data used is assumed to be correct as received from the data suppliers
Historic sites, on average, are buildings or similar. They are too small to visualise at a continental scale.
Map produced by ERIN
© Commonwealth of Australia 2005
Natural Places in Register of the National Estate
| 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT | 28 | 30 | 30 |
| NSW | 408 | 453 | 488 |
| NT | 52 | 59 | 68 |
| Qld | 255 | 304 | 324 |
| SA | 360 | 385 | 391 |
| Tas | 226 | 242 | 263 |
| Vic | 200 | 239 | 254 |
| WA | 223 | 254 | 285 |
| Total registered | 1 768 | 1 984 | 2 073 |
| External Territories | 16 | 18 | 24 |
| Total interim listed | 143 | 329 | 146 |
| Total | 1 911 | 2 313 | 2 243 |
Sources: Data for 1995 and 2000 from Australian Heritage Commission 2005. Data for 2005 from Heritage Division, Department of the Environment and Heritage 2005.
Distribution of all Listed places on the Commonwealth Heritage List December 2005
Source: DEH (2005) Commonwealth Heritage List Database.
GA (2005) Australia, Coastline and State Borders.
Data used is assumed to be correct as received from the data suppliers.
Historic sites, on average, are buildings or similar. They are too small to visualise at a continental scale.
Map produced by ERIN
© Commonwealth of Australia 2005
| Number of Natural places | Total number in RNE | |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 14 | 97 |
| Victoria | 12 | 28 |
| Queensland | 9 | 16 |
| Western Australia | 24 | 29 |
| South Australia | 6 | 35 |
| Tasmania | 10 | 21 |
| Northern Territory | 8 | 25 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 0 | 43 |
| External Territories | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 83 | 297 |
Distribution of all areas listed on the Register of the National Estate December 2005
Source: DEH (2005) Register of the National Estate database
GA (2005) Australia, Coastline and State borders
Data used is assumed to be correct as received from the data suppliers
Historic sites, on average, are buildings or similar. They are too small to visualise at a continental scale
Map produced by ERIN
© Commonwealth of Australia 2005
Distribution of listed places on the Register of the National Estate added since the end of 2000
Source: DEH (2005) Register of the National Estate database
GA (2005) Australia, Coastline and State borders
Data used is assumed to be correct as received from the data suppliers
Historic sites, on average, are buildings or similar. They are too small to visualise at a continental scale
Map produced by ERIN
© Commonwealth of Australia 2005
Distribution of National places listed on the Register of the National Estate December 2005 by Statistical Sub-Division
Source: DEH (2005) Register of the National Estate databse
Statistical sub-divisions © 2005 MapData Sciences Pty Ltd, PSMA
Data used is assumed to be correct as received from the data suppliers
Map produced by ERIN
© Commonwealth of Australia 2005
Percentage increase in National places listed on the Register of the National Estate 2005 by Statistical Sub-Division
Source: DEH (2005) Register of the National Estate databse
GA (2005) Australia, Coastline and State Borders
Statistical sub-divisions © 2005 MapData Sciences Pty Ltd, PSMA
Data used is assumed to be correct as received from the data suppliers
Map produced by ERIN
© Commonwealth of Australia 2005
Percentage change in Built-up areas and distribution of Natural Places on the Register of the National Estate 2001-2005
Source: DEH (2005) Register of the National Estate databse
GA (2005) Australia, Coastline and State Borders
GA (2005) National Mapping and Information Group
Comparison and analysis of built-up area datasets was undertaken
by Geoscience Australia's National Mapping and Information Group,
September 2005.
LGA Regions: © 2005 MapData Sciences Pty Ltd, PSMA
Data used is assumed to be correct as received from the data suppliers
Map produced by ERIN
© Commonwealth of Australia 2005
Natural heritage in states / territories
Data for natural heritage places managed by state and territory governments were not collected as there are only few listings. Most natural heritage places are protected or conserved as parts of national parks or conservation areas. There is an increasing trend to list natural heritage places as ‘historic’ legislation broadens to include natural heritage places.
Surveyed areas for natural heritage
Most poorly surveyed areas in Australia
Source: Heritage Division, Department of the Environment and Heritage.
What the data mean
The numbers of natural heritage places listed on the new National Heritage List and Commonwealth Heritage List continue to increase as nominations are assessed. As of 31 December 2005 there was one natural heritage place listed on the National Heritage List and 41 natural places listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List. The rate of additions to the Register of National Estate has decreased since the inception of the two new lists. During the period 31 December 2000 and 31 December 2005, there were 83 natural places added to the Register of the National Estate (RNE); this is less than a third of the total number of places added to the RNE.
Surveyed areas for natural heritage
This map shows areas that have been poorly surveyed for natural heritage places and values, thus providing data about gaps in knowledge. It provides data for comparative assessment and significance assessment, enabling listing of natural heritage for the Commonwealth Heritage and National Heritage Lists.
Data Limitations
Despite the recent trend to include some natural heritage in heritage listing, the data has not been collected to show what these natural heritage places are or where they are. This was not collected for the 2001 State of the Environment (SoE) report so there is no trend data available.
Surveyed areas for natural heritage
This map depicts areas which have abnormally low numbers of records in species groups that are used in heritage assessment. The map is limited by digital observation and specimen information available to the Commonwealth.
Issues for which this is an indicator and why
Natural and Cultural Heritage — Knowledge of heritage - Listing processes, number and distribution of identified heritage items (places and objects)
Knowledge of heritage includes not only knowing the location of places with natural heritage values but also understanding those values. Knowledge of heritage is important for the identification, assessment and adequate representation of heritage values.
As we understand and study natural heritage places more, new places are assessed and included on protective statutory lists. This indicator provides limited trend information on numbers and distribution of natural heritage places that are listed for protection.
Other indicators for this issue:
- NCH-02 Process of listing, area and distribution of Indigenous heritage listings
- NCH-03 Process of listing, area and distribution of identified historic heritage places
- NCH-04 Process of listing, area and distribution of significant heritage objects
- IW-34 Examples of deterioration of condition of wetland vegetation
- BD-02 Conservation status of nationally significant species and ecological communities, compared with previous years
- BD-04 Listed threatened species or ecological communities for which recovery action is showing stable or increasing populations
- BD-07 Examples of Indigenous knowledge of species and ecological communities and their utilisation for management by Indigenous and non-Indigenous managers and for other purposes by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people
- IW-10 Assessment of river condition indices
Biodiversity — Landscapes - Government action on landscape protection
The process of listing of natural heritage places is an example of how governments take action on landscape protection.
Other indicators for this issue:
- BD-17 Institutional response to loss of native vegetation
- BD-19 Extent and comprehensiveness of terrestrial protected areas
- BD-24 Government investments to protect biodiversity for public good purposes
- NCH-05 Physical condition and integrity of a sample of natural heritage places
- NCH-09 Funding provided to heritage and other agencies for natural heritage places
- NCH-13 Changes in heritage legislation
- CO-34 Number and extent of Marine Protected Areas
- LD-27 Area and proportion of agricultural land under various aspects of "best practice"
- LD-28 Percentage and area of farms with planted trees
- LD-29 Area and proportion of forest under "best practice"
- LD-30 National area under plantation forestry
- LD-38 Regions with investments having a major focus on salinity
- AAT-13 Number and area of protected areas
Further Information
Source: Gill, AM, Good, R, Kirkpatrick, J, Lennon, J, Mansergh, I, Norris, R 2004, Beyond the Bushfires 2003: Environmental issues in the Australian Alps, Australian Alps Liaison Committee, Canberra, viewed 29 May 2006, http://www.australianalps.deh.gov.au/publications/fire/beyond-bushfires.html#download.
Key
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