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Vernon Islands Conservation Reserve is a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
in the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
located in the locality of
Vernon Islands
Vernon Islands, also known as the Potinga Islands, is an island, island group in the Northern Territory of Australia located in the Clarence Strait (Northern Territory), Clarence Strait about north-east of the territory capital of Darwin City ...
about north-east of the territory capital of
Darwin.
The conservation reserve consists of the
Vernon Islands
Vernon Islands, also known as the Potinga Islands, is an island, island group in the Northern Territory of Australia located in the Clarence Strait (Northern Territory), Clarence Strait about north-east of the territory capital of Darwin City ...
, an island group consisting of three islands - East Vernon Island, Northwest Vernon Island and Southwest Vernon Island, and a nearby reef known as Knight Reef which is exposed at low tide.
The conservation reserve first acquired protected area status as a crown reserve declared under section 103 of the ''Crown Lands Ordinance'' on 30 April 1974 by the Australian government. In 1979, the crown reserve was renamed under the ''Territory Parks and Conservation Act'' as the ''Vernon Islands Conservation Reserve''.
The conservation reserve’s legal status has been effectively put aside because the land under protection was the subject of a claim lodged in 1978 under the ''
Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976
The ''Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976'' (ALRA) is Australian federal government legislation that provides the basis upon which Aboriginal Australian people in the Northern Territory can claim rights to land based on traditi ...
''. The claim was subsequently resolved with revised legislation being assented on 11 December 2015 and with the title of the land being given to the Mantiyupwi Tiwi people on 12 March 2018.
In early 2018, the conservation reserve was not listed on the Northern Territory Government’s official list of protected areas.
In 2016, the conservation reserve was described in a document published by the Australian government as being categorized as an
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...
Category V protected area.
See also
*
Protected areas of the Northern Territory
Protection is any measure taken to guard something against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Althoug ...
References
External links
Webpage for the Vernon Islands Conservation Reserve on the Protected Planet website
{{Protected areas of the Northern Territory, state=collapsed
Conservation reserves in the Northern Territory
Protected areas established in 1974
1974 establishments in Australia