,', The Outstanding Universal Value of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area P.H.C. Lucas, T. Webb, P.S. Valentine lit H. Marsh The Outstanding Universal Value of the . Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area P.H.C. lucas, -----1---------- T. Webb, --­ P.s. Valentine & H. Marsh i-;~ Environment .. Australia Department - --- ~ Environment Australian and World of GREAT BARRIER REEF Huitafl' Groap QUHNSlAND MARINE• PARK AlrrHORITY GOVERNMENT Published May 1997 by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Reprinted April 1998 © Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and James Cook University of North Queeensiand 1997 Disclaimer: This report was compiled by independent writers. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories, the Queensland Department of Environment or the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data: The outstanding universal value of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Bibliography. ISBN 0 642 23028 5. 1. Marine parks and reserves - Queensland - Great Barrier Reef - Management. 2. Conservation of natural resources - Queensland - Great Barrier Reef. 3. Great Barrier Reef (Qld.). I. Lucas, P. H. C. (Percy Hylton C.), 1925- . II. Australia. Dept. of the Environment, Sport and Territories. III. Queensland. Dept. of Environment. IV. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Australia). 333.78209943 Acknowledgments Bernd von Droste and John Whitehouse in reviewing We wish to express our gratitude to the many drafts of this document. individuals who gave their time and expertise to The financial support of the project by the assist in the completion of this project. It was evident Commonwealth Government through the Great from the outset that without the considerable Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the World assistance from a range of experts this report would Heritage Unit, and by the Queensland Government have been lacking. Accordingly more than 60 through the Department of Environment is individuals assisted in providing information and gratefully acknowledged. examples for this report. These experts provided the backbone of this report. We thank them for their Our gratitude goes to Corryn Costello, Cathy Everett accessibility and willingness to be involved in this and Michelle Warrington, for their administrative project. Their names are included in Appendix 2. and finance skills when our manual and intellectual dexterity could not cope with facsimile machines, Members of the steering committee for the project manual typewriters, binding machines and the gave invaluable input and direction at an initial University accounting system. workshop and an interim results presentation. This group included Dominique Benzaken, Barbara Thanks go to Barbara Pannach, Jasper Taylor and Curnow, Deirdre Howard, Prue Keen, Geoff Kelly, Bevan Williamson for their assistance in negotiating Peter McGinnity, Geoff Mercer, Warren Nicholls and contract details. Colin Trinder. While acknowledging the many contributions, we We gratefully acknowledge the effort taken by Paul take full responSibility for all views expressed and Dingwall, Graeme Kelleher, Richard Kenchington, for the quality of the report. PO Box 1379 Townsville GREAT BARRIER REEF Queensland 481 0 MARINE PARK AUTHORITY Telephone: +61 77 500 700 • Facsimile: +61 77 726 093 The Great Barrier Reef is an immense, unique environment of global aesthetic and scientific significance comparable to any of the largest reef structures that have existed in the last 450 million years of the geological past ... (Hopley & Davies 1986:7) C'ontents Summary ix Recommendations xiii Abbreviations xiv Chapter One: Introduction 1 1.1 International Significance of the Great Barrier Reef 3 1.2 International Conventions and the Great Barrier Reef 3 1.3 Terms of Reference for the Consultancy 3 1 .4 Rationale for the Consultancy 4 1.5 Approach Adopted in the Consultancy 5 1.6 The Consultancy Team 5 1.7 Cultural Heritage and this Consultancy 5 1.8 Outline of this Report 6 Chapter Two: The World Heritage Convention beginnings and practice 7 2.1 The Nature of the World Heritage Convention 9 2.1 .1 The Birth of the World Heritage Convention 9 2.1.2 The World Heritage Concept 10 2.1.3 World Heritage Value and Values 11 2.2 The World Heritage Convention at a Glance 12 2.2.1 The World Heritage Committee 12 2.2.2 The World Heritage List 13 2.2.3 Nomination and Assessment of Properties for Inscription on the World Heritage List 14 2.2.4 The List of World Heritage in Danger 1 7 2.2.5 The World Heritage Fund 19 2.3 Obligations of States Parties 19 2.4 Evolution of World Heritage Practice 21 2.4.1 Site Identification 21 2.4.2 Evolution of Criteria 22 2.4.3 Increased Rigour in the Evaluation of Nominations 23 2.4.4 Public Involvement in World Heritage 23 2.4.5 Indigenous Involvement in World Heritage 24 2.5 The Contemporary Implementation of the World Heritage Convention 24 2.5.1 Impacts upon World Heritage Areas 24 2.5.2 The Development/Protection Debate 25 2.5.3 Monitoring of World Heritage Sites 26 2.6 Australia's Response to the Convention 27 2.7 Summary 30 Chapter Three: The Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Area 31 3.1 Genesis of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area 33 3.2 The Nomination of the Great Barrier Reef to the World Heritage List 34 3.3 The IUCN Review of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Nomination 35 3.4 Management Regime for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area 36 3.5 Complexities of the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Area 37 3.5.1 Areas, Regions and Parks 37 3.5.2 Jurisdictions and Boundaries 38 3.5.3 Scale 39 3.5.4 The Timing of the Inscription 39 3.6 Subsequent Developments in the Management of the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Area 40 3.6.1 Emerging Recognition of Australia's Obligations to Protect the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area 40 3.6.2 The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area Strategic Plan 41 Chapter Four: Natural Heritage Attributes that justify the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Area 43 4.1 Approach 45 4.2 Phenomena of World Class Importance 46 4.2.1 Scale 47 4.2.2 Effective Conservation Management 48 4.2.3 The World Heritage Value of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area 48 4.3 Information Gaps 48 4.4 Location of Values 49 4.5 Justification for Listing the Great Barrier Reef According to Specific Criteria 50 4.5.1 Natural Attributes Which Match Criterion (i) 50 4.5.2 Natural Attributes Which Match Criterion (ii) 51 4.5.3 Natural Attributes Which Match Criterion (iii) 52 4.5.4 Natural Attributes Which Match Criterion (iv) 53 Chapter Five: Future Management of the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Area 55 5.1 Approaches to World Heritage Management Elsewhere 57 5.1 .1 Introduction 57 5.1.2 Natural/Cultural Site Examples 57 5.1.2.1 Canada 57 5.1 .2.2 The United States 59 5.1 .2.3 France 60 5.1 .2.4 Egypt 60 5.1.2.5 United Kingdom 60 5.1 .2.6 World Heritage Cities 60 5.1.3 Citizen Involvement in World Heritage 61 5.1.4 World Heritage 'a key material consideration' for the City of Bath 62 5.1.5 Summary 64 5.2 Activities with the Potential to Impact on the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site 64 5.2.1 The Global Context of Threats to World Heritage Areas 64 5.2.2 Threats and Concerns Within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area 65 5.3 Spatial Options for the Future Management of the World Heritage Area 67 5.3.1 World Heritage Value 67 5.3.2 Integrity issues: the IUCN Marine Protected Area Guidelines 68 5.3.3 Technical Issues: the World Heritage Operational Guidelines 68 5.3.4 Ease of Management 69 5.3.5 Community Support for Boundary Review 69 5.3.6 Conclusions 70 5.4 Suggested Procedures for Managing the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area 71 5.4.1 Education 71 5.4.2 Conservation 71 5.4.3 Legislation 72 5.4.4 Monitoring 72 5.4.5 Issues Identified by the Strategic Plan as 'in continuance' 72 5.4.6 Jurisdictional Issues 73 5.5 Australia's Global Responsibility 73 Chapter Six: Obligations to the Cultural Attributes of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area 7S 6.1 General Obligations to Cultural Heritage Under the Convention 77 6.2 Cultural Values in a Natural World Heritage Site 77 6.3 Cultural Values in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area 78 6.4 Treatment of Cultural Values in the Strategic Plan 79 6.5 Conclusion 81 Chapter Seven: Conclusion 83 7.1 Issues of Scale 85 7.2 Current Boundaries 85 7.3 Refuge Australia 86 7.4 Information Gaps 86 7.5 Cultural Attributes 86 7.6 Implementing the Plan 86 7.7 Australia's Leadership 87 References 89 Appendixes 97 Appendix 1: Boundaries of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area 99 Appendix 2: Individuals Interviewed or Consulted 100 Appendix 3: Natural Heritage Attributes of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area in the Original Nomination 102 Appendix 4: Natural Heritage Attribute Summary Papers 103 Natural Heritage Attribute: Aesthetics 103 Natural Heritage Attribute: Algae 108 Natural Heritage Attribute: Ascidians 110 Natural Heritage Attribute: Birds 112 Natural Heritage Attribute: Bryozoans 118 Natural Heritage Attribute: Butterflies 121 Natural Heritage Attribute: Crocodiles and Terrestrial Reptiles 124 Natural Heritage Attribute: Crustaceans 126 Natural Heritage Attribute: Echinoderms 128 Natural Heritage Attribute: Fishes 131 Natural Heritage Attribute: Flatworms 135 Natural Heritage Attribute: Fringing Reefs 137 Natural Heritage Attribute: Geological and Geomorphological Aspects 140 Natural