Five iconic sites in Australia have had their statuses downgraded, including the Great Barrier Reef which is rated "critical" for the first time.
| Good | The site's values are in good condition and are likely to be maintained for the forseaable future, provided current conservation measures are maintained. | |
| Good with some concerns | While some concerns exist, with minor additional conservation measures the site's values are likely to be essentially maintained in the long term. | |
| Significant concern | The site's values are threatened and/or are showing signs of deterioration. Significant additional conservation measures are needed to maintain and/or restore values over the medium to long term. | Critical | The site's values are severely threatened and/or deteriorating. Immediate large-scale additional consevation measures are needed to maintain and/or restore the site's values over the short to medium term or the values may be lost. |
| World Heritage site | Year inscribed | 2014 rating | 2017 rating | 2020 rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Barrier Reef | 1981 | |||
| Kakadu National Park | 1981 | |||
| Willandra Lakes Region | 1981 | |||
| Lord Howe Island Group | 1982 | |||
| Tasmanian Wilderness | 1982/89 | |||
| Gondwana Rainforests of Australia | 1986/94 | |||
| Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 1987/94 | |||
| Wet Tropics of Queensland | 1988 | |||
| Shark Bay, Western Australia | 1991 | |||
| Fraser Island | 1992 | |||
| Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte) | 1994 | |||
| Heard and McDonald Islands | 1997 | |||
| Macquarie Island | 1997 | |||
| Greater Blue Mountains Area | 2000 | |||
| Purnululu National Park | 2003 | |||
| Ningaloo Coast | 2011 |
