Araucaria heterophylla has a naturally limited extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO). While there has been a significant past reduction in population size, the extent of this reduction is very difficult to quantify. However, its restricted distribution and continued dependence on continued conservation programmes to limit the impacts of invasive species indicate that the previous assessment of Vulnerable (Thomas 2011) is still warranted. If those programmes were halted, the species could very quickly become Critically Endangered in a relatively short time.

Endemic to Norfolk Island (Australia) and two nearby islands. On Norfolk Island itself, natural forests are largely restricted to the Mt Pitt (316 m) area of the Norfolk Island National Park. It also occurs on Phillip Island, a 4 km² small island 6 km south of Norfolk Island. The natural vegetation on this island was largely destroyed by rabbits and other introduced animals by the 1970s and almost all Araucarias were lost. There are also historical records of its presence on the tiny limestone islet of Nepean (10.5 ha) off the south coast of Norfolk Island. In the early 1790s, about 200 mature trees grew there but by 1840 these had been reduced to one live and one dead tree; these appear to have persisted in some state until the late 1930s (Norfolk Island Parks and Forestry Service 2003). Currently there are no Araucarias on this islet.

The total EOO is less than 100 km². The main natural stands on Mt Pitt cover an area of less than 400 hectares giving a minimum AOO (using standard IUCN 4 km² grid cells) of 4 km². Fragments of natural stands also occur in other parts of the island so that the total AOO would be more than 10 km². However, it cannot be more than 38 km² as this is the combined total area of both Norfolk Island and Phillip Island.

Prior to the arrival of European settlers in 1788, Araucaria dominated forests occurred in almost all parts of Norfolk, Nepean and Phillip Islands. Over the last two centuries the vast majority of the native vegetation has been cleared or degraded so that less than 10% remains. However, this does not equate to a similar reduction in the size of the Araucaria population as during this period, sporadic natural regeneration has occurred in areas not subject to grazing. Additionally many trees and groves have been planted and some of these have become self maintaining (e.g. Hundred Acres Reserve).

The original vegetation on Norfolk Island was an evergreen subtropical forest with angiosperm trees and tree ferns 10–20 m high, over which Araucaria heterophylla emerged at least 30 m and occasionally taller. The really large trees have all been felled, but evidence of trees with a diameter at breast height (dbh) of around 3 m still existed in the 1920s and large trees have now again reached in excess of 1 m dbh and 35–40 m height. Common angiosperm trees are (were) Olea apetala Vahl (Oleaceae), Elaeodendron curtipendulum Endl. (Celastraceae), Celtis paniculata (Endl.) Planch. (Ulmaceae), Streblus pendulinus (Endl.) F.Muell. (Moraceae), Lagunaria patersonia (Andrews) G.Don (Malvaceae), Acronychia simplicifolia (Endl.) Steud. and Zanthoxylum blackburnia Benth.  (Rutaceae), Rhopalostylis baueri H.Wendl. & Drude (Arecaceae), Meryta angustifolia (Araliaceae), Baloghia inophylla (G.Forst.) P.S.Green (Euphorbiaceae) and Dysoxylum patersoni F.Muell. (Meliaceae) as well as the tree ferns Cyathea australis (R.Br.) Domin and C. brownii Domin (Cyatheaceae). This type of forest is now fragmented and very restricted in its distribution on Norfolk Island. Araucaria heterophylla also persists as solitary trees on coastal headlands or in groves with a low undergrowth of mostly grasses or of open scrub, with many introduced species.

Logging has been a threat in the past. Land clearance and grazing have also been significant threats in the past but are now less problematic. The impact of introduced invasive species has been significant: rabbits, goats and pigs were responsible for the loss of almost all vegetation on Phillip Island while exotic trees such as Psidium cattleianum and Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata have colonised many areas on Norfolk Island itself to form dense impenetrable thickets. In the 1970s many Araucarias suffered from a dieback that was associated with habitat degradation and adverse environmental conditions. Improvements in land management practices, the introduction of a biological control and the removal of invasive species have led to a lessening of this problem although invasive species are still a major and ongoing threat.

Historically heavily exploited at a local level for construction. Natural populations are no longer exploited. Widely cultivated in many parts of the world, particularly coastal areas.

The majority of the remaining natural stands are within the Norfolk Island National Park. A range of public and private restoration activities is being undertaken that is aimed at increasing the extent of the natural vegetation through replanting and invasive species control and removal. The natural vegetation of Phillip Island is slowly recovering following the elimination of goats and pigs in the 1920s and the more recent removal of rabbits. The species is in many ex situ collections (BGCI 2024).