Ahead of the NSW state election on 25 March 2023, the NSW Government caretaker period has commenced. Limited updates will be made to this website during this period.
Marine protected areas
Marine protected areas are parts of the NSW marine estate managed to conserve marine biodiversity and support marine science, recreation and education.
The NSW system of marine protected areas includes:
- marine parks – six multiple use marine parks cover around one third (approximately 345,000 hectares) of the NSW marine estate
- aquatic reserves – 12 aquatic reserves cover around 2,000 hectares of the NSW marine estate
- national parks and nature reserves – include around 20,000 hectares of estuarine and oceanic habitats.
The Department of Primary Industries undertakes the day to day management of marine parks and aquatic reserves.
Marine protected areas are part of the broader new approach to marine estate management.
Aquatic reserves
NSW aquatic reserves are an important part of the NSW system of marine protected areas (PDF, 150 KB).
Many of the 12 aquatic reserves in NSW have been in place for over 30 years. The first was established in 1980 at Long Reef on Sydney's northern beaches.
The following table lists the aquatic reserves from north to south along the coastline of NSW.
Aquatic Reserve | Established | Region / Area | Bioregion* | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | North Coast / Tweed Heads | Tweed-Moreton | ||
2002 | Northern Sydney / Palm Beach | Hawkesbury Shelf | ||
2002 | Northern Sydney / Narrabeen | Hawkesbury Shelf | ||
1980 | Northern Sydney / Collaroy | Hawkesbury Shelf | ||
2002 | Northern Sydney / Manly | Hawkesbury Shelf | ||
1982 | Northern Sydney / Manly | Hawkesbury Shelf | ||
2002 | Eastern Sydney | Hawkesbury Shelf | ||
2002 | Eastern Sydney / La Perouse | Hawkesbury Shelf | ||
2002 | Southern Sydney / Kurnell | Hawkesbury Shelf | ||
1987 | Southern Sydney / Botany Bay | Hawkesbury Shelf | ||
1982 | Southern Sydney / Port Hacking | Hawkesbury Shelf | ||
1982 | Shellharbour / Bass Point | Batemans Shelf |
* Bioregions are areas with similar environmental features. There are six marine bioregions across the NSW marine estate, five adjoining the mainland coastline and one surrounding Lord Howe Island.
What can I do in an aquatic reserve?
An aquatic reserve notification (PDF, 220 KB) sets out the management activities prohibited in each aquatic reserve. It operates together with other legislation including NSW fishing rules and regulations such as fishing closures, bag limits and size limits.
You can enjoy a range of marine activities such as boating, scuba diving, snorkelling and swimming in aquatic reserves.
The kinds of fishing activities that are allowed in an aquatic reserve depend on the biodiversity values of the individual reserve.
Fishing is permitted in some aquatic reserves as long as bait is not collected. In other aquatic reserves, however, fishing is prohibited in all or part of the reserve to help conserve all types of marine life in that area.
Mining is prohibited in aquatic reserves. Development in or adjacent to aquatic reserves is managed according to the Marine Estate Management Act 2014, Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and other relevant Acts and policies.
A permit may be required for scientific research and fishing competitions in an aquatic reserve.
Please refer to the information on individual aquatic reserves by following the links in the previous table.
Values and management
The primary objective of aquatic reserves in NSW is to conserve the biodiversity of fish and marine vegetation.
Where consistent with this objective, aquatic reserves may also aim to:
- protect fish habitat,
- provide for species management,
- protect threatened species, populations and ecological communities,
- facilitate educational activities and scientific research.
Some reserves aim to conserve particular aspects of marine biodiversity such rocky shore habitats and species, while others aim to conserve areas of marine ecosystems more generally, such as the estuarine wetlands conserved in Botany Bay (Towra Point Aquatic Reserve), island fringing reefs (Cook Island) or small coastal bays (Cabbage Tree Bay and Bushrangers Bay) and their associated marine life.
Aquatic reserves are designed to work together with other marine and coastal management programs to ensure that marine biodiversity in NSW coastal waters is conserved and to support ecologically sustainable use of the marine environment.
Many aquatic reserves are located near urban areas, some protect key natural features of otherwise modified estuaries, and many have high levels of visitation.
Aquatic reserves are highly valued by local communities. Reserve management is coordinated with adjacent landholders, local councils, local communities and waterway managers. This allows the land-based and water-based threats to aquatic reserves to be more effectively managed. Besides local communities, key partners include local councils, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Roads and Maritime Services, and boating, conservation, fishing and research groups.
Further information
Please contact staff at the Marine Environment Program at marine.environment@dpi.nsw.gov.au.
