Victoria is the smallest mainland state in Australia. it contained separate protected areas with a total land area of (17.64% of the state's area). The parks are managed by Parks Victoria, a

state government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonom ...

agency. There are also many smaller state areas which are subject to commercial activity such as logging.

Main parks

National parks

National parks provide the highest level of protection to diverse natural areas. They usually contain the best and most unique examples of our natural values and biodiversity. There are 45 national parks in Victoria, totalling (72.53% of the state's protected areas).

State parks

State parks help protect the state's natural values. They are very similar to national parks, however, the conservation values and landscapes they protect are smaller or less diverse. There are 26 state parks in Victoria, totalling (3.94% of the state's protected areas).

Regional parks

Regional parks are found close to urban centres or major tourist routes. While still places of natural beauty, visitor recreation is the primary purpose of regional parks.

Metropolitan parks

Metropolitan parks are very similar to regional parks, however, are located in metropolitan Melbourne.

Indigenous Protected Areas

Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) are "areas of land and sea managed by Indigenous groups as protected areas for biodiversity conservation through voluntary agreements with the Australian Government". There are 5 indigenous protected areas in Victoria, totalling (0.1% of the state's protected areas). The following IPAs have been declared in Victoria: * Budj Bim ** Kurtonitj ** Lake Condah ** Tyrendarra * Deen Maar * Framlingham Forest

Historic and heritage

Parks Victoria is responsible for the largest and most diverse collection of heritage places on public land in Victoria. They manage more than 3,000 historic assets including cultural landscapes, buildings, infrastructure, significant trees, objects and artefacts, archaeological sites, and shipwrecks.

Historic and heritage parks

Historic or heritage parks are significant historic cultural landscapes of heritage value. There are 6 historic and heritage parks in Victoria

Historic and heritage areas

There are 75 historic and heritage areas in Victoria including:

Heritage River

There are 18 heritage rivers in Victoria, totalling (3.96% of the state's protected areas). These are defined under the Heritage Rivers Act 1992 as parts of rivers and river catchment areas that have significant nature conservation, recreation, scenic or cultural heritage values

Marine protected areas

Victoria is the first jurisdiction in the world to create an entire system of highly protected marine national parks at the same time. Victoria contained separate marine protected areas with a total area of (11.87% of the state's coastal waters). Marine national parks and sanctuaries contain important marine habitats and species, or encompass areas of significant natural features; and are highly protected areas in which no fishing, extractive or damaging activities are permitted.

Marine national parks

There are 13 marine national parks in Victoria, totalling (43.05% of the state's protected waters).

Marine sanctuaries

There are 11 marine sanctuaries in Victoria, totalling (0.71% of the state's protected waters).

Coastal and marine parks

Coastal Parks and Marine Parks protect areas of coastal, intertidal or subtidal land. There are 6 marine (or marine & coastal) parks in Victoria, totalling (56.24% of the state's protected waters). There are also 5 coastal parks in Victoria, totalling (1.13% of the state's protected land areas). * The former Point Cook Coastal Park (proclaimed in 1978) became part of the Point Cooke Marine Sanctuary. * The former Cape Schanck Coastal Park (proclaimed on 1 December 1975) became part of the old Point Nepean National Park in 1988.

Reference areas

Reference areas are tracts of public land containing viable samples of one or more land types that are relatively undisturbed. There are 144 reference areas in Victoria, totalling (2.81% of the state's protected areas) and all but are located inside other protected areas including:

Other nature areas

Wilderness and Nature parks

Wilderness parks are large areas with native plant and animal communities that are relatively unaffected by humans. They are managed for conservation, with no facilities provided for visitors and no vehicles are permitted. There are 3 wilderness parks in Victoria, totalling (5% of the state's protected areas). There is 1 nature park in Victoria, totalling (0.05% of the state's protected areas).

Wilderness zones

There are 19 wilderness zones in Victoria, totalling (15.98% of the state's protected areas) and all but are located inside other protected areas. * Bowen * Buchan Headwaters * Cape Howe * Chinaman Flat * Cobberas * Galpunga * Genoa * Indi * Minook * Mount Cowra * Mount Darling – Snowy Bluff * North Wyperfeld * Razor-Viking * Sandpatch * Snowy River * South Wyperfeld *

Sunset Sunset (or sundown) is the disappearance of the Sun at the end of the Sun path, below the horizon of the Earth (or any other astronomical object in the Solar System) due to its Earth's rotation, rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth, it ...

* Tingaringy *

Wilsons Promontory Wilsons Promontory is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland, located in the state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. South Point (Wilsons Promontory), South Point at is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promon ...

Natural catchment area

There are 25 natural catchment areas in Victoria, totalling (3.77% of the state's protected areas).

Remote and natural area

There are 24 remote and natural areas in Victoria, totalling (7.55% of the state's protected areas).

Other reserves

In Victoria, there are a total of 2776 nature reserves, totalling (11.64% of the state's protected areas) divided is the following different groups: ;Bushland Reserve There are 1592 bushland reserves in Victoria, totalling (1.13% of the state's protected areas). ;Cave Reserve There are 9 cave reserves in Victoria, totalling (0.01% of the state's protected areas). ;Conservation park / reserve There are 13 conservation parks / conservation reserves in Victoria, totalling (0.52% of the state's protected areas). ;Flora & Fauna Reserve There are a total of 186 flora and/or fauna reserves in Victoria, totalling (2.98% of the state's protected areas). ;Geological Reserve There are 14 geological reserves in Victoria, totalling (0.01% of the state's protected areas). ;Gippsland Lakes Reserve There are 39 gippsland lakes reserves in Victoria, totalling (0.18% of the state's protected areas). ;Nature Conservation Reserve There are 263 nature conservation reserves in Victoria, totalling (3.41% of the state's protected areas). ;Natural Features and Scenic Reserve There are 49 natural features reserves in Victoria, totalling (0.26% of the state's protected areas).
There are 50 scenic reserves in Victoria, totalling (0.24% of the state's protected areas).
There are 24 combined natural features and scenic reserves in Victoria, totalling (0.49% of the state's protected areas). ;Streamside Reserve There are 259 streamside reserves in Victoria, totalling (0.2% of the state's protected areas). ;Tall Trees Reserve There is 1 tall trees reserve in Victoria, totalling . ;Wildlife Reserve There are 277 wildlife reserves in Victoria, totalling (2.2% of the state's protected areas). ;Some of the nature reserves include: * Deep Lead Nature Conservation Reserve * Jackass Flat Nature Conservation Reserve * Long Forest Flora & Fauna Reserve * Marble Gully - Mount Tambo Nature Conservation Reserve * Mount Elizabeth Nature Conservation Reserve * Mount Hope Nature Conservation Reserve * Mullinger Swamp Wildlife Reserve * The Spit Wildlife Reserve * Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve

References

External links

Parks Victoria

Travel Victoria – National & state parks

Travel Victoria – Metropolitan parks

Travel Victoria – Coastal & marine parks
{{authority control Victoria Protected areas