New parks and park additions

In South Australia, DEW currently manages over 340 national parks, regional reserves, conservation reserves, conservation parks, game reserves, recreation parks, and wilderness protection areas.

We are continually assessing and purchasing new land to add to South Australia's reserve system under the National Reserve System (NRS) Program. Many of these new parks have been purchased with the assistance of grants and donations. All additions are carefully targeted to improve the long-term sustainability of South Australia’s environment, as set out in Conserving Nature 2012-2020: A strategy for establishing a system of protected areas in South Australia.

In recent years, more than 50 parks have been created or added to. Read about ten of our most special additions to the protected area system in Parks of South Australia: celebrating our newest protected areas.

See the summary of protected areas in South Australia.

National Reserve System (NRS) Program

The National Reserve System (NRS) represents the collective efforts of the states, territories, Commonwealth and non-government organisations to achieve an Australian protected area system.

The NRS program was established in 1996 and provides funding, initially through the Natural Heritage Trust, presently via Caring for our Country. This funding assists with the purchase and establishment of protected areas. The goal of the NRS is to establish a comprehensive, adequate and representative reserve system of protected areas which will contribute to the conservation of Australia's native biodiversity.

For more information regarding the National Reserve System visit the Environment Australia website.