About marine bioregional planning
What is marine bioregional planning?
Marine bioregional planning is focused on building knowledge of Australia's oceans and improving conservation and sustainable use of our marine resources. It is also aimed at improving management of whole marine ecosystems, including the interactions of people and industry with marine environments and species. This is sometimes called an ecosystem based management approach.
Marine bioregional plans are being developed for each of Australia's marine regions. Marine bioregional plans will help improve the way decisions are made under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), particularly in relation to the protection of marine biodiversity and the sustainable use of our oceans and their resources by our marine-based industries.
As part of the marine bioregional planning process, new Commonwealth marine reserves (sometimes called marine protected areas or marine parks) are being identified. These Commonwealth marine reserves will play an important role in the long-term conservation of marine ecosystems and the biodiversity of our oceans. These new reserves will also meet Australia's international and national commitments to establish a National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA) by 2012.
The marine bioregional planning process is targeted at Commonwealth waters which start at the edge of state/ territory waters (usually 3 nautical miles from the coast) and extend to the outer limits of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) some 200 nautical miles from shore.
Planning regions
Marine bioregional planning is underway in Australia's five marine regions: - South-west, North-west, North, East (Temperate East and Coral Sea) and South-east.
Purpose of marine bioregional plans
Marine bioregional plans are being developed by the Australian Government under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act) to improve the way our oceans are managed and help them remain healthy and productive. Marine bioregional plans are being prepared under section 176 of the EPBC Act. This section of the EPBC Act requires the Commonwealth Environment Minister to have regard to a bioregional plan in making any decision under the EPBC Act for which the plan has relevance.
Very little is known about Australia's oceans compared to our terrestrial environment. Marine bioregional plans will improve our understanding of Australia's oceans by presenting a consolidated picture of the biophysical characteristics and diversity of marine life. They will describe the marine environment and conservation values of each marine region, set out broad biodiversity objectives, identify regional priorities and outline strategies and actions to address these priorities. By bringing together scientific knowledge and information from many sources marine bioregional plans will:
- assist the Commonwealth Environment Minister make strategic, consistent and informed decisions under the EPBC Act in relation to Commonwealth waters
- assist administration of the EPBC Act to promote the ecologically sustainable use of the marine environment and its resources, and
- provide a framework for strategic intervention and investment by government to meet policy objectives and statutory responsibilities.
Who will use marine bioregional plans?
Commonwealth Minister for the Environment
Decisions about the marine environment that the Environment Minister is required to make under the EPBC Act commonly include:
- assessments and approvals for proposed actions in Commonwealth waters
- fisheries export approvals and strategic assessments
- listing and recovery of species and ecological communities, and
- the protection of heritage values and places in the marine environment.
Through marine bioregional plans, the minister and government will have access to comprehensive information about each marine region, which will assist the minister and the minister's delegates to make decisions under the EPBC Act
People who wish to undertake new developments in Commonwealth waters
Information provided in marine bioregional plans and supporting information tools will assist people planning to undertake activities within a marine region to determine how to mitigate the potential environmental impacts of their proposal and/or whether their proposal should be referred in accordance with the EPBC Act.
People who have responsibility for or interest in management of marine-based activities, environment protection and marine science
Marine bioregional plans are important documents for individuals and organisations with an interest in the marine environment. Marine bioregional plans provide information that will enable people to better understand the Australian Government's marine environment protection and biodiversity conservation responsibilities, objectives and priorities.
Key elements of a marine bioregional plan
There are a number of new elements presented in marine bioregional plans that will help improve understanding of the marine environment and support better informed decision-making about future development and conservation activities. These elements are as follows:
- Conservation values are those elements of a region that are either specifically protected under the EPBC Act, are of heritage values or have been identified through the marine bioregional planning process as key ecological features.
- Key ecological features are the parts of the marine ecosystem that are considered to be of importance for a marine region's biodiversity or ecosystem function and integrity.
Example of a key ecological feature of the South-west Marine Region
Small pelagic fish are an extremely important component of the oceanic ecosystems of the South-west Marine Region. They provide a link between primary production and higher predators such as larger fish, sharks, seabirds, seals and crustaceans. Any fluctuations in their abundance have potentially serious implications for the health and productivity of the South-west marine environment. As a species group with an important ecological role, small pelagic fish have been identified as a key ecological feature of the South-west Marine Region..
More about conservation values in the South-west Marine Region
- Biologically important areas are areas where a protected species displays a biologically important behaviour such as breeding, foraging, resting and migration. These areas serve to highlight the parts of a marine region that are particularly important for the conservation of protected species.
Examples of a biologically important area in the South-west Marine Region
The western Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo Island are important breeding areas for the threatened Australian sea lion. Waters surrounding these breeding areas are important foraging grounds and are critical to the survival of Australian sea lion. The marine environment around western Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo Island is therefore considered to be a biologically important area in the South-west Marine Region.
More about conservation values in the South-west Marine Region
- Regional priorities highlight key issues that should inform decision-making about marine conservation and planning, as well as industry development and other human activities. Priorities are identified through a regional pressure analysis and take into account government policy priorities. The regional priorities provide context for implementing the government's statutory responsibilities such as recovery planning for threatened species and the development and implementation of threat abatement measures. They will also point to where future government initiatives and future investments in marine conservation, including in research and monitoring, would be best directed.
- Regional pressure analysis involves a review of current information on present and emerging pressures, their impact on conservation values, and the effectiveness of mitigation and management arrangements in place.
- Regional advice on environmental assessments and referrals will assist people who wish to undertake activities in or potentially impacting on Commonwealth waters to better understand and meet their obligations under the EPBC Act. Regional advice will also assist developers to decide whether a referral under the EPBC Act should be made, and what information is likely to be important to include as part of the referral.
Steps in the marine bioregional planning process
Australia's marine bioregional planning program is improving the way our oceans are managed to ensure that we can continue to use and enjoy them into the future. Marine bioregional plans are being prepared under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to improve the way decisions are made about the protection of marine biodiversity and the sustainable use of our oceans. New Commonwealth marine reserves (sometimes called marine protected areas or marine parks) are also being identified through the marine bioregional planning process as part of Australia's commitment to establish a National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA ) by 2012.
There are three main steps in the marine bioregional planning process:
- preparation of a bioregional profile
- release of a draft marine bioregional plan and a Commonwealth marine reserve network proposal for public consultation, and
- completion of a final marine bioregional plan and a final Commonwealth marine reserve network proposal.
Bioregional profiles have been released for the South-west, North-west, North and East (Temperate East and Coral Sea) Marine Regions. Bioregional profiles for these marine regions were developed from a range of information including scientific papers, commissioned reports, industry performance reporting, census data and expert advice. Bioregional profiles describe the ecosystems of each marine region, their conservation values and the Goals and Principles that guide the identification and design of new Commonwealth marine reserves.
Marine bioregional plans and regional marine reserve network proposals are currently being prepared across all of Australia's marine regions. As each draft marine bioregional plan and marine reserve network proposal is released, public feedback will be invited during a 90 day consultation period.
Once the final marine reserve network proposals have been released, there will be a separate process to formally establish the marine reserve networks under the EPBC Act. This is known as proclamation.
The network of marine reserves for the South-east Marine Region was established in 2007.
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About marine bioregional planning
Marine bioregional planning is being implemented in five large marine regions.