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We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the sovereign Traditional Owners of Australia and thank them for their stewardship of this Country, its lands, waters and skies. We respectfully acknowledge their culture and customary practices, and pay respect to their Ancestors, Elders and future leaders.

For the first time, the State of the Environment report includes a strong Indigenous narrative across all 12 thematic chapters, a narrative crafted through recognising the leadership, collaboration and authorship of Indigenous Australians who continue their connection as Traditional Owners to their lands, waters and skies.

Click to view the State of the Environment report

 

On 28 March 2025 the government assumed a Caretaker role. Information on websites maintained by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will be published in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions until after the conclusion of the caretaker period.

Due to technical issues, graphs, maps and tables are currently not displaying within the main content, however, are available via the chapter resources navigation bar. We are working on a solution to resolve the issue.

Graphs, maps and tables

Showing results 21 - 30 of 35
Figure 21 Priority management actions identified to improve the protection of Australia’s historic heritage
Figure 22 Australia’s World Heritage properties and National Heritage places, as of 30 June 2020
Map showing that the largest World Heritage area is the Barrier Reef, followed by a few other regions like Shark Bay and the Tasmanian Wilderness. The largest area on the National Heritage List is the Kimberley.

Notes:

  1. Australian World Heritage Properties (in order of listing): 1 – Great Barrier Reef; 2 – Kakadu National Park; 3 – Willandra Lakes Region; 4 – Lord Howe Island Group; 5 – Tasmanian Wilderness; 6 – Gondwana Rainforests of Australia; 7 – Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa National Park; 8 – Wet Tropics of Queensland; 9 – Shark Bay, Western Australia; – 10 Fraser Island; 11 – Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte); 12 – Heard Island and McDonald Islands; 13 – Macquarie Island; 14 – Greater Blue Mountains Area; 15 – Purnululu National Park; 16 – Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens; 17 – Sydney Opera House; 18 – Australian Convict Sites; 19 – The Ningaloo Coast; 20 – Budj Bim Cultural Landscape
  2. National Heritage places listed since June 2016: a – Australian Cornish Mining Sites: Burra (2017); b – Australian Cornish Mining Sites: Moonta (2017); c – Abbotsford Convent (2017); d – Kamay Botany Bay: botanical collection sites (2017); e – Parramatta Female Factory and Institutions Precinct (2017); f – Melbourne's Domain Parkland and Memorial Precinct (2018); g – Queen Victoria Market (2018); h – Centennial Park (2018); I – Quinkan Country (2018); j – Erawondoo Hill (2020); k – Parkes Observatory (2020); l – Governors’ Domain and Civic Precinct (2021)

Source: DAWE (2020a)

For more information, go toHeritage recognised under the EPBC Act
Figure 23 Climate change pressures considered to have the highest impact on Australia’s heritage, 2020
Figure 24 Pressures considered to have the greatest impact on Australian heritage, 2020
Figure 25 Stromatolites, Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay
Figure 26 Population pressures considered to have the highest impact on Australian heritage, 2020
Figure 27 Industry pressures considered to have the highest impact on Australian heritage, 2020
Figure 28 Priority management actions identified for improving the protection of Australia’s heritage
Figure 29 Staff from Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation and Parks Victoria participating in the Dyurrite cultural and environmental heritage assessment survey, November 2020
Figure 30 The original Lake Pedder, before the 1973 inundation