Australia's Biosphere Reserves
What is a Biosphere Reserve?
A biosphere reserve is a unique concept which includes one or more protected areas and surrounding lands that are managed to combine both conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.
- Each biosphere reserve conserves examples of characteristic ecosystems of one of the world's natural regions, managed for their protection and study.
- It is a land and/or coastal/marine area in which people are an integral component, and which is managed for objectives ranging from complete protection to intensive yet sustainable production.
- It is a regional centre for monitoring, research, education and training on natural and managed ecosystems.
- It is a place where government decision makers, scientists, managers and local people cooperate in developing a model program for managing land and water to meet human needs while conserving natural processes and biological resources.
- Finally, each biosphere reserve is a symbol of voluntary cooperation to conserve and use resources for the well being of people everywhere.
International Significance
'Biosphere Reserve' is an international designation made by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO ) on the basis of nominations submitted by countries participating in the Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) .
MAB was launched in 1971 to catalyse a greater understanding and provision of knowledge and skills to support sustainable relationships between people and their environment. Biosphere Reserves act as a keystone of MAB by providing a global network of sites for cooperative research toward this end. They also aim to demonstrate the sustainable use goals of the World Conservation Strategy.
Biosphere Reserves in Australia
Australia currently has fourteen Biosphere Reserves:
- Barkindji Biosphere Reserve, New South Wales
- Croajingolong National Park, Victoria
- Fitzgerald River National Park, Wester Australia
- Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, Victoria
- Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales
- Macquarie Island World Heritage Area, Tasmania
- Mornington Peninsula and Western Port, Victoria
- Mamungari Conservation Park, South Australia
(Previously "Unnamed Conservation Reserve") - Noosa Biosphere Reserve, Queensland
- Prince Regent Nature Reserve, Western Australia
- Riverland Biosphere Reserve, South Australia
- Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory
- Wilsons Promontory Marine Park & Marine Reserve, Victoria
- Yathong Nature Reserve, New South Wales
The Department of the Environment and Water Resources - Focal Point
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and Regulations were introduced on 16 July 2000. The EPBC Act includes provisions for the development of cooperative arrangements between the Commonwealth, states and territories in the development of biosphere reserves. The Department of the Environment and Water through Parks Australia continues to act as the national focal point for biosphere reserves in Australia while the Australian National Commission for UNESCO still retains overall responsibility for UNESCO activities in Australia.
inter alia, allows the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources to cooperate with a State or self-governing Territory on Biosphere Reserves while the EPBC Regulations contain principles for the management of Biosphere Reserves.
The Director of National Parks is responsible for the management of Calperum and Taylorville Stations, areas of open mallee bushland and Murray River floodplain which form part of the Riverland Biosphere Reserve, near Renmark in South Australia and and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (as the Uluru-Kata Tjuta biosphere reserve).
