The Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2010 provides both spatial and text information about government, Indigenous and privately protected areas for continental Australia. State and Territory conservation agencies supplied data current for various dates between June 2010 and January 2011. This is the eighth version of the database, with previous versions released in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. CAPAD provides a snapshot of protected areas that meet the IUCN definition of a protected area:

"A protected area is an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means" (IUCN 1994).

The department publishes a summary of the CAPAD data biannually on its website at http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs/science/capad/index.html.

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This version of CAPAD contains Commonwealth data and all data supplied by ACT, NSW, WA, NT, QLD, TAS and some SA data. SA Forests data and all data supplied by VIC can be found in the CAPAD 2010 - restricted dataset (available for non-commercial users only).

CAPAD 2010 - external spatial data is available for download from the Discover Information Geographically (DIG) website: http://www.environment.gov.au/metadataexplorer/explorer.jsp.

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Main attributes in the database include:

PA_ID: The protected area ID code. Created from RES_NUMBER if unique, otherwise it is a DSEWPaC generated number.

NAME: the name of the protected area. Gazetted PAs with no name are flagged as "Unnamed" with a reserve number.

TYPE: the type of protected area according to the protected area establishment mechanism.

TYPE_ABBR: the abbreviation of the TYPE.

AA Aboriginal Area

ACCP Conservation Covenant

ASMA Antarctic Specially Managed Areas

ASPA Antarctic Specially Protected Areas

BG Botanic Gardens (Commonwealth)

CA Conservation Area

CCA Coordinated Conservation Area

CCAZ1 CCA Zone 1 National Park

CCAZ2 CCA Zone 2 Aboriginal Area

CCAZ3 CCA Zone 3 State Conservation Area

COR Coastal Reserve

CP Conservation Park

CR Conservation Reserve

FLR Flora Reserve

FR Forest Reserve

GR Game Reserve

HA Heritage Agreement

HIR Historical Reserve

HR Heritage River

HS Historic Site

HTR Hunting Reserve

IPA Indigenous Protected Area

KCR Karst Conservation Reserve

MAA Management Agreement

MCP National Parks Act Schedule 4 park or reserve

MNP Marine National Park

MR Commonwealth Land Managed for Conservation

MS Marine Sanctuary

NAP Nature Park

NAPA Nature Park (Aboriginal)

NCA Natural Catchment Area

NCR Nature Conservation Reserve

NFR Natural Features Reserve

NP National Park

NPA National Park Aboriginal

NPC National Park (Commonwealth)

NPR National Park (Recovery)

NR Nature Reserve

NRA Nature Recreation Area

NREF Nature Refuge

NRS NRS Addition - Gazettal in Progress

NS National Park (Scientific)

OCA Other Conservation Area

OCA/NP Other Conservation Area / Nature Park

OP Other

PA Protected Area

PNPA Proposed National Parks Act park or park addition

PNR Private Nature Reserve

PPP Permanent Park Preserve

PS Private Sanctuary

RA Reference Area

RNA Remote and Natural Area

RP Recreation Park

RR Regional Reserve

S5G 5(1)(g) Reserve

S5H 5(1)(h) Reserve

SCA State Conservation Area

SP State Park

SR State Reserve

TR Timber Reserve

WA Wilderness Protection Area

WP Wilderness Park

WZ Wilderness Zone

IUCN: the IUCN protected area management category ascribed by the Managing authority, as outlined in the publication: CNPPA/WCMC "Guidelines for Protected Area management categories". Gland: IUCN, 1994. (ISBN: 2-8317-0201-1).

Definitions include:

IA Strict Nature Reserve: managed mainly for science;

IB Wilderness Area: managed mainly for wilderness protection;

II National Park: managed mainly for ecosystem protection;

III Natural Monument: managed mainly for conservation of specific natural features;

IV Habitat / Species Management Area: managed mainly for conservation through management intervention;

V Protected Landscape / Seascape: managed mainly for landscape/seascape conservation and recreation;

VI Managed Resource Protected Area: managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural ecosystems.

GAZ_AREA: area in hectares as described in the nomination document (e.g. parliamentary gazettal), to the nearest hectare. Some protected areas do not have a specific area in the designation.

GIS_AREA: area in hectares based on current spatial data and an Albers equal area projection for Australia. Where protected area consists of multiple polygons (parts) the GIS_AREA is the sum of all the polygons with the same name, type, state and IUCN category.

REPT_AREA: area in hectares from the GAZ_AREA attribute and if this is a null value then the GIS_AREA is used. For Protected areas with multiple records, REPT_AREA is a calculated by dividing GAZ_AREA by GIS_AREA of the total then applying this factor to the GIS_AREA of the record.

GAZ_DATE: the first gazettal or proclamation date that established any protected area at this site.

LATEST_GAZ: the date of the most recent gazettal or proclamation to add land to the protected area. It can be the same date as the GAZ_AREA.

NRS_PA: This attribute indicates the status of the protected area as part of the National Reserve System (NRS). "Y" = a protected area located within the State and Territory jurisdiction "I" = an interim protected area - in the process of being gazetted/established. "N" = a protected area that does not meet the NRS criteria. "ND" = a protected area that does not meet NRS criteria, but compliments the NRS with sympathetic management.

STATE: The state is the state that the protected area is located in. COM = protected areas located in Australian external territories.

AUTHORITY: The Authority responsible for the management of the protected area mechanism.

AAD - Australian Antarctic Division

ACT_TAMS - ACT Territory and Municipal Services

WA_DEC - WA Department of Environment and Conservation

QLD_DERM - Qld Department of Environment and Resource Management

VIC_DSE - Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment

DSEWPAC - Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

Forests NSW - Forests NSW

IMG - Indigenous Management Group

LHI Board - Lord Howe Island Board

NT_PWS - NT Parks and Wildlife Service

NSW_OEH - NSW Office of Environment and Heritage

SA_DENR - SA Department of Environment and Natural Resources

SA_FRST - Forestry SA

TAS_DPIPWE - Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment

TAS_FRST - Forestry Tasmania

TAS_MVC - Tasmanian Meander Valley Council

TAS_DC - Tasmanian Dorset Council

TAS_PWS - TAS Parks and Wildlife Service

TAS_WPMT - Wellington Park Management Trust

STATE_MAA - Management Agreement Area

DATASOURCE: Describes the source of the data for the protected area, values are:

ACT_TAMS: ACT - Territory and Municipal Services

DSEWPAC: Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

DSEWPAC_NRSP: Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities National Reserve System Program

NRETAS: NT Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport

NSW_OEH: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage

NSW_SF: NSW Forests

QLD_DERM: Qld Department of Environment and Resource Management

SA_DENR: SA Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources

TAS_DPIPWE: Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment

VIC_DSE: Department of Environment and Sustainability

WA_GOV: Department of Environment and Conservation

GOVERNANCE: Determines if the protected area is government, Indigenous, joint or privately managed.

ENVIRON: A protected area gazetted as terrestrial may have a marine component and vice versa. A PROTECTED AREA can be 'T' terrestrial, marine 'M' and both 'B'. Terrestrial CAPAD 2010 contains ?T? and ?B?. Marine CAPAD 2010 contains ?M?.

OVERLAP: Shows whether or not the protected area is overlapped by another. Protected areas with a value of '1' are the primary protected area in that area. A protected area with a value of '2' is completely overlapped by another protected area.

X_COORD: is the longitude in decimal degrees east within the object closest to the centre of the object using the Gecentric Datum of Australia 1994.

Y_COORD: is the latitude in decimal degrees south within the object closest to the centre of the object using the Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994.

MGT_PLAN: The code of the status of the management plan for the protected area.

Definitions Include:

P ? In Preparation ? Some form of management document was being prepared.

D ? Draft ? A draft management document was released for comment by the public, management board or equivalent.

S ? Statutory ? Enabling legislation establishes the management of a protected area and separate management document is not required.

I ? Management Intent ? A formal statement of management intent has been prepared that clearly sets out the management objectives for the protected area but includes little else.

M ? Management Plan ? A formally adopted management plan that has been through consultation and contains strategies and actions for implementation for this protected area.

R ? Regional Plan ? A formally adopted management plan has been through consultation and contains general strategies and actions for implementation over a group of protected areas.

N ? Unknown ? No form of management document could be found.

RES_NUMBER: The reserve number (if declared) as used by the controlling authority.

OBJECTID *, Shape *, SHAPE.AREA and SHAPE.LEN are automatically generated ESRI attributes