26 March 2012: The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) has announced that the Government of Australia has consolidated and expanded its Kakadu Ramsar Site.

According to Ramsar, Australia first designated a significant part of the Kakadu National Park and World Heritage natural and cultural site in the Northern Territory as a Ramsar site in 1980. Another large part was added in 1989. The two Kakadu Ramsar Sites have now been consolidated into one and extended by an additional 600,000 hectares to conform fully to the boundaries of the National Park, now covering 1,979,766 hectares.

Australia’s extension contributes to one of the goals contained in the Ramsar Convention’s Strategic Plan for 2009-2015, which is to reach a protected area of 250 million hectares by 2015. [Annotated Ramsar List: Australia]