Western Australia (VK6)

Western Australia, abbreviated as WA, is a State occupying the entire western third of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east. Western Australia is Australia's largest state with a total land area of 2,529,875 square km (976,790 sq miles). The state has approximately 2.5 million inhabitants. The capital city is Perth.

Western Australia’s conservation lands and waters (including national parks, marine parks, nature reserves and State forests) extend over more than 28 million hectares (an area roughly equal to Victoria and Tasmania combined) and encompass stunning coastlines, expansive coral reefs, sweeping ranges, magnificent gorges and stately forests.

Western Australia fauna emblem

Numbat

Western Australia flora emblem

Kangaroo Paw

State flag of Western Australia.

Western Australia Coat of Arms.

Department of Parks and Wildlife

The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) protects and conserves Western Australia’s natural environment on behalf of the people of Western Australia. The department was established on 1 July 2013, when the former Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) was split into the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Department of Environment Regulation.

The Department provides support to the Conservation and Parks Commission (formerly the Conservation Commission and the Marine Parks Reserve Authority) to carry out its functions.

The DPaW logo design is a stylised representation of a bottlebrush, or Callistemon, a group of native plants including some found only in Western Australia. The orange colour also references the Western Australian Christmas tree, or Nuytsia.

More information on DPaW can be found on their website at.....

https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/

Types of parks in Western Australia.

Not all parks in Western Australia come under the IUCN category system.

Parks in Western Australia include the following.....

National Parks (IUCN Cat II and III)
- "National Parks are areas that have national significance for scenic, cultural or biological values, and can accomodate recreation that is consistent with maintaining these values."
Conservation Parks (IUCN Cat II and III)
- "Conservation Parks have mostly regional or local, rather than national significance."
Nature Reserves (IUCN Cat 1A)
- "Nature reserves have high conservation value because they represent natural exosystems and because they contain or provide habitat for particular species of plants or animals."
Biodiversity Hotspots
Indigenous Protected Areas
Miscellaneous Reserves
Marine Parks
- "Marine Parks are created to protect natural features and aesthetic values while allowing recreational and commercial uses that do not compromise conservation values."
Marine Management Areas
- "Marine management areas provide an integrated management structure over areas that have high conservation value and intensive multiple-use."
Marine Nature Reserves
- "Marine nature reserves are ‘look but don't take' areas created primarily for conservation and scientific research and are designed to protect a particular significant ecosystem or habitat."
Regional Parks (not IUCN categorised)
- "Regional Parks are open spaces identified as having regionally significant value for conservation, landscape and recreation".
State Forests
- "State forest containing indigeneous vegetation is managed for purposes that include recreation and nature conservation, the protection of water catchments, and the production of a sustainable harvest of timber."
Timber Reserves

CAPAD data (as of 2016)

Every two years, the Australian Government collects information on protected areas from state and territory Governments and other protected area managers. This information is published in the Collaborative Australian Protected Area Database (CAPAD).

More information can be found at.....

https://www.environment.gov.au/land/nrs/science/capad

Qualifying parks in Western Australia

Currently there are 179 qualifying references in Western Australia.

All of Western Australia's 100 National Parks qualify for the WWFF program. Also included are 14 x Marine Parks, 34 Conservation Parks, and 31 Nature Reserves.

Extra information.

Beedelup National Park VKFF-0021 - this park has been deleted. The park is now known as the Greater Beedelup National Park VKFF-1224
Beelu National Park VKFF-0632 - this was formerly called Mundaring National Park, which was established in 1995. The name of the park changed to Beelu NP in 2008 as acknowledgement to the traditional owners. The word Beelu is derived from the Noongar word for river or stream.
Greater Beedelup National Park VKFF-1224 - Formerly Beedelup National Park, it was created from the incorporation of former areas of state forest .
Greater Hawke National Park VKFF-0641- was formerly known as Cleave
Karlamilyi National Park VKFF-0436 - formerly known as Rudall River National Park. Name changed in mid 2008 to acknowledge the traditional owners.
Korung National Park VKFF-0716 - formerly known as Pickering Brook National Park.
Mirima National Park, VKFF-0234 - the correct name of this park is Mirima National Park. However it is also commonly referred to as the "Hidden Valley".
Murujuga National Park VKFF-1226 - this park which was created in January 2013 is freehold land leased back to the State for 99 years and managed as a National Park under the CALM Act.
Nambung National Park, VKFF-0378 - also referred to as the Pinnacles.
Purnulu National Park, VKFF-0424 - also referred to as Bungle Bungles.