North-west Marine Region
The North-west Marine Region covers some 1.07 million square kilometres of ocean adjacent to the north-west of Australia. The region includes only the Commonwealth waters extending from the Western Australian - Northern Territory border to Kalbarri, south of Shark Bay. The North-west Marine Region encompasses the marine habitats of the expansive and shallow northwest shelf to the depths of the Cuvier and Argo abyssal plains dropping to around 5 kilometres in depth.
About the North-west Marine Region
About the region
Staying up to date
Map of the North-west Marine Region
About the North-west Marine Region
The North-west Marine Region covers some 1.07 million square kilometres of ocean adjacent to the north-west of Australia. The region includes only the Commonwealth waters extending from the Western Australian - Northern Territory border to Kalbarri south of Shark Bay. The North-west Marine Region encompasses the marine habitats of the expansive and shallow northwest shelf to the depths of the Cuvier and Argo abyssal plains dropping to around 5 kilometres in depth.
The North-west Marine Region stretches from the Western Australian - Northern Territory border to Shark Bay in Western Australia. It includes both tropical and sub-tropical environments and covers only Commonwealth waters - the area of Australian jurisdiction that starts outside Western Australian waters (usually 3 nautical miles or 5.5 kilometres from the coast) and extends to the outer limits of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone some 200 nautical miles (about 370km) from the shore.
The North-west Marine Region is characterised by the large area of continental shelf and continental slope that lie offshore from the Pilbara and Kimberley, and it is dominated by highly variable tidal regimes and numerous cyclones. The region is also influenced by a complex system of ocean currents that vary significantly in behaviour between seasons and between years. The Indonesian Throughflow current dominates the North-west Marine Region bringing warm tropical waters from the western Pacific and Indian Oceans into Australian areas of the Timor Sea.
The region is also characterised by high species diversity and is home to globally significant populations of internationally threatened species such as the humpback whale, flatback turtle and the world's largest fish, the whale shark.
Background
The North-west Bioregional Profile, released in November 2008, was the starting point for developing a Marine Bioregional Plan for the North-west Marine Region. The Profile brought together, for the first time, the best available information on the marine environment of the region. It focused on natural assets and described the ecological characteristics, conservation values, and human activities that take place in the region. The Profile also explained how new marine reserves were identified. A number of information resources were developed to prepare the bioregional profile.
In November 2009, Areas for Further Assessment were identified in the North-west Marine Region. Areas for Further Assessment are large marine areas which encompass a wide range of habitats, features and conservation values. Areas for Further Assessment were not the proposed boundaries for new marine reserves. They were areas that were identified to aid detailed analysis of information and assist in the design of new marine reserves.
A draft Marine Bioregional Plan and Commonwealth marine reserve network proposal for the North-west Marine Region were released in August 2011 for a 90 day consultation period which closed on the 28th of November 2011.
A range of documents and information resources were developed which supported the public consultation period.
Submissions received are currently being considered, and the draft Plan and Commonwealth marine reserve network proposal may be altered in response to information provided through the formal consultation period. Public submissions will be made available on this website, unless the department agrees to an author's specific request for their submission to remain confidential.
Contact
The Director
North-west Marine Region, Marine Division
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
Edgar Waite Building
203 Channel Highway
Kingston TAS 7050
or
Email: Northwest.MarinePlan@environment.gov.au
Public consultation
North-west Marine Region
The public consultation period on the draft North-west Marine Bioregional Plan and Commonwealth marine reserves network proposal has now closed.
About marine bioregional planning
Marine bioregional planning is being implemented in five large marine regions.