Conserved areas
Establishing conserved areas in South Australia will be important to achieving the 30 by 30 target.
This page will help you:
- understand what’s meant by a conserved area
- discover why they are valuable
- understand how they contribute to the 30 by 30 target
- get involved if you have suitable land.
What’s the difference between a protected and a conserved area?
A protected area is designated, dedicated and managed in perpetuity through legal or other effective means, for the main purpose of biodiversity conservation. Examples of protected areas are national parks, areas under Native Vegetation Heritage Agreement, and Indigenous Protected Areas.
A conserved area is a voluntary arrangement where biodiversity conservation may not be the primary objective for land management. You might also come across the term Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECM), which is the international term for conserved area.
Conserved areas are:
- on private, government or Indigenous land.
- secured through legal or other effective means.
- under commitment to long-term or in-perpetuity biodiversity conservation.
- not a formally protected area like a national park.
Conserved areas are important to reach the 30 by 30 target
South Australia needs to protect or conserve around one million more hectares of land to achieve 30% of its land protected or conserved which would support the national 30 by 30 target (30% of Australia’s land and marine areas protected or conserved by 2030).
Recognition of conserved areas will provide an important contribution towards this target. Conserved area recognition provides an opportunity to recognise conservation actions occurring in areas that are important for biodiversity but where formal protected area designation is not possible, appropriate or supported.
The benefits of conserved areas:
- Expanding conservation beyond protected areas, incorporating working landscapes, Indigenous lands and utility managed areas (e.g. land supporting pipelines, wind farms or reservoirs).
- Strengthening wildlife and habitat corridors.
- Providing ecosystem services to the surrounding landscape, helping buffer against drought, store carbon and maintain water quality.
- Supporting cultural heritage, recreation and sustainable agriculture.
- Landholders retain control of their land while being recognised for biodiversity outcomes.
- Landholders may be able to participate in the Nature Repair Market.
South Australia is working towards conserved areas
Formally recognising conserved areas is new to South Australia. The Department for Environment and Water is currently undertaking several projects to recognise the state’s first conserved areas. It will also manage recognition for conserved areas across the state into the future.
Read about the Fleurieu Peninsula swamps conserved areas pilot project.
