REPORT ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF MARINE PARK ZONING PLAN 2003 Further Information For further information on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003 or the management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, please refer to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority website www.gbrmpa.gov.au or contact one of the following offices: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2-68 Flinders Street John Gorton Building King Edward Terrace TOWNSVILLE QLD 4810 PARKES ACT 2600 PO Box 1379 PO Box 791 TOWNSVILLE QLD 4810 CANBERRA ACT 2601 Phone: 07 4750 0700 Phone: 02 6274 1922 Facsimile: 07 4772 6093 Facsimile: 02 6274 1509 Freecall: 1800 990 177 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - Regional Offices Cairns Mackay Rockhampton 51 The Esplanade 43 River Street 130 Victoria Parade CAIRNS QLD 4870 MACKAY QLD 4740 ROCKHAMPTON QLD 4700 PO Box 6091 PO Box 94 PO Box 6091 CAIRNS QLD 4870 MACKAY QLD 4740 ROCKHAMPTON QLD 4702 Phone: 07 4051 7132 Phone: 07 4951 3454 Phone: 07 4921 4055 Facsimile: 07 4051 9744 Facsimile: 07 4951 3487 Facsimile: 07 4921 4034 Pre-proofed version, November 2005 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Report on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan. Bibliography. ISBN 1 876945 37 0. 1. Zoning - Queensland - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. 2. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Qld.). I. Title. 333.916409943 ii Foreword This document provides an overview of the preparation and information that assisted the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to make the decisions that resulted in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003. It includes a summary of the issues raised during both formal Community Participation phases (7 May - 7 August 2002 and 2 June - 4 August 2003) on the proposal to rezone the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. All submissions received during these periods were considered in accordance with Section 32 of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975. Following the consideration of all submissions received and preparation of the revised Plan in light of those submissions, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003 was made by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and submitted to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, who accepted and tabled the document in both Houses of the Federal Parliament on 3 December 2003. The Zoning Plan passed through both Houses of Federal Parliament and came into effect on Thursday 1 July 2004. I am particularly proud of the efforts of all of the staff of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority who were involved in the development of the Zoning Plan which will play a major role in ensuring that the Great Barrier Reef remains GREAT for future generations. I would also like to thank all those individuals who contributed significantly to the development of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003, including users of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, traditional owners, interested members of the public, researchers and departmental officers. Hon Virginia Chadwick AO Chairman November 2005 iii Table of Contents Foreword ................................................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents .................................................................................................................. iv 1. Summary ......................................................................................................................1 2. Introduction .................................................................................................................3 2.1. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.....................................................................3 2.2. Statement of management intent..........................................................................5 2.3. Rezoning the Marine Park .....................................................................................6 2.3.1. Planning and management of the Marine Park..........................................6 2.3.2. Reviewing previous Zoning Plans and zoning the new coastal Sections of the Marine Park ..........................................................................................................6 2.3.3. The process for rezoning the Marine Park ..................................................7 2.3.4. The amalgamated Great Barrier Reef Section.............................................8 3. Guiding principles for the Representative Areas Program ................................11 3.1. Bioregions...............................................................................................................11 3.2. Biophysical Operational Principles ....................................................................12 3.3. Social, Economic, Cultural and Management Feasibility Operational Principles............................................................................................................................13 3.4. Submissions ...........................................................................................................13 3.5. Known uses............................................................................................................13 4. The Zoning Plan........................................................................................................14 4.1. Zones.......................................................................................................................14 4.2. Zone objectives ......................................................................................................14 4.3. Activities allowed in zones..................................................................................16 4.4. Definitions..............................................................................................................17 4.5. Zone boundaries ...................................................................................................17 4.6. Providing for activities within, and protection of, the Marine Park .............18 4.6.1. Biodiversity conservation ............................................................................18 4.6.2. Recreational fishing activities......................................................................20 4.6.3. Commercial fishing activities......................................................................21 4.6.4. Tourism Activities.........................................................................................23 4.6.5. Scientific research..........................................................................................24 4.6.6. Traditional use of marine resources...........................................................25 4.6.7. Shipping .........................................................................................................26 4.6.8. Low impact activities (other than extractive activities)...........................27 4.6.9. Remote Natural Area and No Structures Sub-zone.................................27 4.6.10. Designated Areas ..........................................................................................28 4.6.11. Additional purposes for uses and entry....................................................32 5. Overview of submissions and other sources of information..............................33 5.1. Comparison between previous and current zoning processes ......................33 5.2. Community Participation process......................................................................33 5.2.1. Community Participation 1 (CP1) ..............................................................33 5.2.2. Community Participation 2 (CP2) ..............................................................34 5.3. Methods of analysis ..............................................................................................35 iv 5.4. Origin of submissions...........................................................................................36 5.5. Other sources of information ..............................................................................37 6. Issues...........................................................................................................................39 6.1. Conservation..........................................................................................................39 6.1.1. Summary of submissions.............................................................................39 6.1.2. Response and outcomes...............................................................................39 6.2. Recreational fishing ..............................................................................................40 6.2.1. Summary of submissions.............................................................................40 6.2.2. Response and outcomes...............................................................................41 6.3. Commercial fishing...............................................................................................42 6.3.1. Summary of submissions.............................................................................42 6.3.2. Response and Outcomes..............................................................................43 6.4. Indigenous .............................................................................................................44 6.4.1. Summary of submissions.............................................................................44 6.4.2. Response and outcomes...............................................................................45