Freshwater wetland systems within protected areas
Key Finding
Almost 10% of ‘natural’ or ‘low modified’ freshwater wetlands in Queensland are within protected areas. The majority are palustrine systems and are within national parks.
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Queensland
Freshwater wetlands improve water quality, provide water for stock and irrigation, and provide habitat for many dependent native species.
Protected areas offer freshwater wetlands one of the best conservation measures, as the human pressures on the systems are limited by legislative protection. Protected areas, listed under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, include:
- national parks
- national parks (scientific)
- national park (Cape York Aboriginal land)
- conservation parks
- resources reserve
- nature refuges.
Queensland has 605,700 hectares (ha) of freshwater wetlands within protected areas. This represents 9.8% of all 6.162 million hectares of ‘natural’ or ‘low-modified’ freshwater wetlands in Queensland.
Of these freshwater wetland systems in protected areas, 346,400ha (57%) are palustrine wetlands, amounting to 11% of all palustrine wetlands in Queensland. In protected areas, lacustrine and riverine wetlands are represented with 11% and 32% respectively.
The national park protected area type contains the majority (46%) of freshwater wetland systems in protected areas, with 277,400ha included. These are mostly palustrine wetlands (59%). Riverine (31%) and lacustrine (9%) make up the rest in national parks.
Around 5.555 million hectares of freshwater wetlands are not in protected areas. This breaks down as:
- 2.786 million hectares of palustrine wetlands
- 2.287 million hectares of riverine wetlands
- 483,300ha of lacustrine systems.
* Figures provided are rounded to the nearest 100ha.
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
Bulloo
In the Bulloo drainage division, 115,400ha of freshwater wetlands are in protected areas. This equates to 30% of freshwater wetlands in the division and 1.9% across Queensland. Proportionally, it is the most protected drainage division in the state.
Freshwater wetlands are only represented as nature refuges in Bulloo. None are in other protected areas.
The most represented wetland system in protected areas are palustrine (96,900ha, or 84%). Next are lacustrine wetlands, with 16%. The least represented wetlands are riverine systems, with less than 1% protected.
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
Gulf
In the Gulf drainage division, only 103,600ha—or 7%—of freshwater wetlands are within protected areas.
Of the freshwater wetlands in protected areas:
- 50% are represented in nature refuges
- 32% are in national parks
- 14% are in national parks (Cape York Aboriginal land)
- 4% are in resources reserves
- less than 1% are in conservation parks.
Palustrine wetlands account for 50% of protected freshwater wetland in the Gulf. Riverine wetlands make up 49% and lacustrine wetlands less than 1%.
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
Lake Eyre
The Lake Eyre drainage division has the largest area of freshwater wetlands in Queensland, comprising 3.125 million hectares. Of this, only 6% (181,500ha) is within protected areas.
Of the freshwater wetlands in protected areas, 62% (111,600ha) is contained within national parks, with most of remainder contained in nature refuges (69,800ha).
In protected areas in the Lake Eyre drainage division, the best represented wetland systems are riverine (96,700ha, or 53%), followed by palustrine (58,600ha, or 32%) and lacustrine (26,100ha, or 14%).
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
Murray Darling
The Murray Darling drainage division has 380,400ha of freshwater wetlands of which 11% (42,400ha) is within protected areas.
The majority (79%) of freshwater wetlands that are in protected areas are contained within national parks. The rest are within nature refuges (21%).
Both lacustrine and palustrine wetlands are represented in protected areas, at 34% and 60% respectively. Just over 6% of riverine wetlands are contained within protected areas.
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
North East Coast (GBR)
The North East Coast (GBR) drainage division comprises almost the entire eastern Queensland coast, apart from the southeast. Given the variety of conflicting land uses in the North East coast (GBR) division, human-induced pressures on freshwater wetlands in this area is high.
Of the 1.092 million hectares of freshwater wetlands in the GBR drainage division, 10% (106,000ha) is within a protected area.
Of the freshwater wetlands in protected areas in this division:
- 44% are contained in national parks (46,300ha)
- 15% are in nature refuges (16,400ha)
- 36% are in national parks that are Cape York Aboriginal land (38,300ha)
- 5% are in national park (scientific), conservation park and resource reserve areas.
Palustrine wetlands are the best represented freshwater wetland system within this drainage division’s protected areas at 58%. Protected riverine wetlands account for 38% and lacustrine wetland areas make up less than 4%.
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
North East Coast (Non GBR)
The North East Coast (non-GBR) drainage division contains the entire southeast coast of Queensland. Given that the largest proportion of Queensland’s population live here, freshwater wetlands in this area face significantly more human-induced pressures.
This drainage division has 119,400ha of freshwater wetlands of which 27,500ha (23%) are within a protected area.
- 91% of protected freshwater wetlands in this division are located within a national park.
Palustrine wetlands are the most represented freshwater wetland type, with 24,800ha (90%) in a protected area. Riverine and lacustrine wetlands are less represented (2,500ha, or 9%, and 200ha, or 1%, respectively).
Disclaimer: The State of the Environment report 2020 (SoE2020) wetlands statistics are not comparable with previous SoE report figures. The SoE2020 statistics are based on the most recently available wetlands and other updated data. The different versions of the wetlands mapping (e.g. 2017 – v4; 2020 – v5) and other datasets are not comparable due to a number of factors such as updated source data, improved data capture methods. Therefore differences between SoE reports do not reflect an actual wetland extent change on-ground and only statistics within each SoE report should be compared.
More information:
Relevant Sustainable Development Goals’ targets
Download data from Queensland Government data
Metadata
The proportion of freshwater wetlands that are within protected areas. Protected areas are those within the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Data is based on the latest Queensland Wetland Mapping (version 5, 2017) and the most current Protected Area mapping (2020).