Australia got its first two conserved areas – and they're both in Queensland

What is a conserved area?

Put simply, a conserved area (also known as an Other Effective area-based Conservation Measure, or OECM) is a site that helps protect biodiversity long-term – even if conservation isn’t the main reason it’s being managed.

A conserved area could look like water catchments, travelling stock routes, university-owned bushland, or privately owned land that supports important biodiversity values, like threatened species. If the site is being looked after in a way that keeps the native plants and animals thriving, it might just qualify.

In 2024, the Australian Government released the National OECMs Framework to kickstart the formal recognition of these kinds of areas on land and inland waters. While the program doesn’t yet apply to marine areas, it’s a big step towards achieving our national target of protecting 30% of land by 2030.

What’s the difference between protected areas and conserved areas?

Good question! There are already places in Queensland like nature refuges and properties with Conservation Agreements that protect important ecological areas on private lands – so why introduce conserved areas as well?

The short answer: they’re designed to complement each other, not compete.

We had some great questions come up when we posted about the conserved areas announcement on our Queensland Environment Facebook page, so we’re here to break it down for you.

Nature refuges

Nature refuges are a type of protected area. They’re primarily managed for biodiversity conservation but can also support other compatible land uses. To become a nature refuge, a property needs high conservation value and a landholder willing to commit to a voluntary, binding Conservation Agreement under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. This agreement ensures strong, long-term legal protection for the property’s unique natural values – often making it the best option for land with very high biodiversity.

Nature refuge landholders may also be eligible for support through programs like NatureAssist (to help expand the private protected area network) and Nature Refuge Landholder Grants (for on-ground conservation work).

Conserved areas

Conserved areas, on the other hand, offer a more flexible approach. They can be managed with biodiversity conservation as a primary goal, a secondary aim, or even as an incidental benefit of other land uses – like a water catchment area that also happens to provide habitat for threatened species. They’re recognised under the National OECMs Framework we mentioned earlier. This recognition is particularly useful when formal protected area designation (like a nature refuge) isn’t possible, appropriate, or supported.

How the categories work together

Conserved areas don’t replace protected areas – they work alongside them to broaden the number of safe spaces for nature. A property recognised as a conserved area can still transition to a protected area in the future if the landholder chooses and the property meets the requirements. In some cases, a covenant might also be used to help secure long-term protection for a conserved area.

Think of it this way:

• Public protected areas (like national parks) = highest level of legal security for conservation.

• Private protected areas (like nature refuges) = a moderate level of legal security for conservation.

• Conserved areas = more flexible recognition that still contributes to national and global biodiversity targets.

Queensland’s first conserved area

Enter Weranga Scarps: a 48-hectare property west of Dalby that’s now officially Australia’s first conserved area.

Owned by the not-for-profit Wildlife Land Fund Limited, the site is a shining example of how private land can play a vital role in nature conservation. Its woodlands – full of eucalypts and cypress – provide crucial habitat for threatened species like the koala, yakka skink, and glossy black cockatoo.

Its significance to vulnerable animals is just the beginning. More than 120 bird species call the area home, including the speckled warbler and red-capped robin, alongside mammals like the sugar glider, yellow-footed antechinus, and inland brushtail possum. Amphibians like broad-palmed rocket frog and emerald spotted treefrog thrive after rain.

Weranga Scarps will be dedicated entirely to wildlife conservation – and it’s helping Australia meet international biodiversity goals under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.