Conservation
The Northern Territory has a relatively intact environment but our plants and animals (biodiversity) are not evenly distributed across the landscape, with only around 10% of our landscapes protected by national parks and reserves. Many threatened species are found outside parks and reserves and additional conservation efforts are required to protect biodiversity in these areas.
NRETAS has identified 67 of the most important sites for biodiversity conservation and prepared information papers for each of these sites. Each information paper provides background data and an assessment of each site as being of national or international significance for biodiversity conservation.
The identification of these sites means that that these areas contain special biodiversity values that need additional protecting. The recognition of these sites imposes no additional regulatory or legislative requirements or control on management and use of the land, over and above any particular existing requirements of the area. For example, there is already some protection afforded to locations that are critical for the survival of threatened biodiversity.
Two technical reports provide background information, such as criteria used, data sources and the community consultation process.
NRETAS will also be developing a conservation agreement program during 2008-09 to provide incentives for landholders who want to maintain and manage the conservation values on their lands.
This project was funded under the NT Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan and NT Regional Investment Strategy (2006).
