Australia has already exceeded the international 30×30 target if you simply measure the area designated as marine protected. The remaining challenge is how much of those marine parks are highly protected (no-take or sanctuary zones).
Here’s the current picture.
| Measure | Current status | 2030 target | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine protected areas (all protection levels) | 52% of Australian waters | 30% | Already exceeded by 22 percentage points |
| Highly protected (“no-take”) marine areas | 24% of Australian waters | 30% | 6 percentage points remaining |
1. How much of Australian waters are marine parks?
Australia has one of the world’s largest marine protected area networks.
- 52% of Australian marine waters are designated as marine protected areas.
- This covers approximately 4.6 million km².
These marine parks include a range of protection levels—from areas where commercial fishing is permitted under management plans to fully protected sanctuary zones.
2. How much is highly protected?
Currently:
- 24% of Australian waters
- approximately 2.2 million km²
are classified as highly protected (often called no-take or sanctuary zones), where extractive activities such as commercial fishing and mining are prohibited.
3. What is needed to reach the 30×30 plan?
This depends on which target is being discussed.
Target 1: 30% protected marine area
Australia has already achieved and exceeded this target.
- Current: 52%
- Target: 30%
No additional marine park area is required to satisfy the international CBD commitment.
Target 2: 30% highly protected marine area
In June 2025, the Australian Government announced a new commitment to have 30% of Australia’s marine waters in highly protected areas by 2030.
Current status:
- Current highly protected: 24%
- Target: 30%
That means Australia needs an additional:
- 6 percentage points of Australian waters
- approximately 550,000 km² (about the size of France)
to be upgraded from lower-protection zones to highly protected sanctuary zones.
Where will the extra protection come from?
The Government has indicated it does not expect to create an entirely new network of marine parks. Instead, it is reviewing the management plans for 44 existing Australian Marine Parks to increase the proportion of highly protected sanctuary zones within them. This involves changing zoning rather than substantially expanding the overall marine park estate.
Important to note:
Under the current Federal 30×30 review—which evaluates management plans for 44 Australian Marine Parks—specifically covers Commonwealth waters (stretching from 3 nautical miles to the edge of the Exclusive Economic Zone). State marine parks (like the Batemans, Port Stephens-Great Lakes, and Cape Byron marine parks) are not included as a part of the the federal review process.
Summary
- ✅ 52% of Australian waters are already marine protected.
- ✅ Australia has already surpassed the international 30% marine protection target.
- ✅ 24% of Australian waters are currently highly protected.
- 🎯 The Government’s current goal is to increase this to 30% by 2030, requiring about 550,000 km² of additional highly protected (no-take) marine areas.
The distinction between “protected” and “highly protected” is central to current marine conservation policy: Australia has already met the former target, and current policy focuses on strengthening the level of protection within the existing marine park network.