Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves
The Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves is a group of eleven protected areas consisting of national parks, nature reserves and one wilderness park located in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Victoria and which was listed as a "place" on the Australian National Heritage List on 7 November 2008 under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The listing which covers an area of 16,531.80 square kilometres (6,382.96 sq mi), contains the vast majority of alpine and sub-alpine environments in Australia. The listing includes the following protected areas - Alpine, Baw Baw, Brindabella, Kosciuszko, Mount Buffalo, Namadgi and Snowy River national parks; the Avon Wilderness Park, and the Bimberi, Scabby Range and Tidbinbilla nature reserves.
The Australian Alps viewed from Snowy River Road, near Suggan Buggan, Victoria.
Alpine National Park, Victoria: Mount Feathertop and Razorback, spring 2007.
Baw Baw National Park, Victoria: Looking east across Gippsland from Mt Baw Baw, autumn 2006.
Mount Buffalo National Park, Victoria: View from Porepunkah towards Mt Buffalo, winter 2003.
National Heritage List (Australia)
The Australian National Heritage List or National Heritage List (NHL) is a heritage register, a list of national heritage places deemed to be of outstanding heritage significance to Australia, established in 2003. The list includes natural and historic places, including those of cultural significance to Indigenous Australians such as Aboriginal Australian sacred sites. Having been assessed against a set list of criteria, once a place is put on the National Heritage List, the provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 apply.
Satellite image of part of the Great Barrier Reef adjacent to the Queensland coastal areas of Airlie Beach and Mackay.
Image: Carols at the Abbostford Convent 2009
Image: Rymill park
Image: Australian Academy of Science The Shine Dome