Within each classification of reserve there may be a variation of IUCN categories Australia is a signatory to the Convention of Biological Diversity and as such has obligations to report the status of its National Reserve System.IUCN provides on its website a prescription for activities consistent with the categorisation system.
These changes made in addition to the already established right to access minerals means that many of the IUCN categorisations assigned to individual reserves in Tasmania are no longer fit for purpose.
All protected areas not managed by Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service or Sustainable Timber Tasmania is grouped into "other", including: formal and informal reserves on public land, reserves on private land, and Wellington Park.
[10] In total 7.9% of Tasmania's State coastal waters is reserved, however only 4.2% is in no-take areas and the majority of this is concentrated around subantarctic Macquarie Island.
[18] It is managed by the Wellington Park Management Trust established in 1993 whose members include: Hobart and Glenorchy City Councils, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, DPIPWE, TasWater and Tourism Tasmania.
[19] 'Future potential production forest land' (FPPF or FPPFL) is crown land administered by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) where, except in some circumstances for "special species timbers", no native forest harvesting can be undertaken.
[23][24] In September 2014 the Tasmanian government passed legislation[25] which reclassified the 400,000 hectares of FRL as FPPF.
After the expiration of the memorandum in April 2020, areas of FPPF can be converted to PTPZ where native forest logging can occur, subject to parliamentary approval.
[7][21][26] Sustainable Timber Tasmania is a government business enterprise owned by the Tasmanian Government which manages and operates state forest on crown land (officially classified as 'permanent timber production zone land').
[5] Informal reserves on the public production forest land cover about 121,000 ha (300,000 acres).
[10] Forest reserves are located on 'permanent timber production zone land' and may have recreation or other tourism facilities.
The sustainable use of natural resources may be permitted, such as mining, special species timber harvesting or hunting.
[18] Land with significant historic cultural heritage and is conserved for presentation of these features for public appreciation and education.
National parks serve to protect and maintain the natural and cultural values of the area of land while providing for ecologically sustainable recreation.
Nature reserves that are marine protected areas cover about 76,000 ha (190,000 acres) of state waters (includes Macquarie Island).