South-west Marine Region
Public consultation
In May 2011 the department released the draft plan and proposed Commonwealth marine reserves network for public consultation. The 90 day public submissions period closed on 8 August 2011.
A range of supporting publications were made available to provide information on the draft plan and proposed reserves network.
Overview of consultation activities and feedback
The department arranged meetings with stakeholder groups and held public events throughout coastal areas of Western Australia and South Australia during the public consultation period. This included holding multi-sector information sessions in Perth and Adelaide and a range of sector meetings and 'open house' information sessions in regional coastal areas.
Stakeholders were invited to provide feedback on the consultation documents online via the department's website; via email to a dedicated South-west region submissions email address; or in hard copy posted free of charge to the department.
- Marine Bioregional Planning in the South-west Marine Region - Overview of Public Consultation (PDF - 1325KB) | HTML
Submissions received by the department are being considered in the finalisation of the South-west Marine Bioregional Plan and Commonwealth marine reserves network.
Submissions received
The department received 39 266 submissions providing feedback on the draft plan and proposed reserves network. The largest proportion of the submissions received (99 per cent) were campaign submissions received via email and post. These submissions were generated through organised campaigns and contained various standardised text provided through templates or postcards.
The department would like to thank all those who provided submissions.
Consultation documents
The 90 day public consultation period for the South-west draft Marine Bioregional Plan and Commonwealth marine reserves network proposal closed on the 8th of August 2011.
South-west Plan - consultation draft
The consultation period for this document closed on 8 August 2011.
The draft South-west Marine Bioregional Plan presented information on the marine environment and conservation values (protected species, protected places and key ecological features) of the South-west Marine Region.
The draft South-west Plan set broad objectives for conservation, identified priorities and outlined strategies and actions to achieve them. Specific advice on environmental assessments and referrals to assist people who wish to undertake activities that may impact on the marine environment in Commonwealth waters and other matters of national environmental significance was also presented in the draft Plan.
Download the draft Plan
- Marine bioregional plan for the South-west Marine Region - Consultation draft (PDF - 1595KB) | HTML
- Schedule 1 (PDF - 776 KB) | (Word - 759 KB)
- Schedule 2 (PDF - 6571 KB) | (Word - 1721 KB)
- Overview of marine bioregional plans (PDF - 731KB) | HTML
- Developing Marine Reserves and marine bioregional planning in Australia's South-west (PDF - 3635 KB)
Information tools
A range of information resources were developed to support the implementation of the South-west Marine Bioregional Plan. Two main information tools are the:
Conservation Value Report Cards
The Conservation Value Report Cards for the South-west marine region present a summary of the most up-to-date scientific information on the distribution, conservation status and pressures on the conservation values in the region including the Commonwealth marine environment, existing heritage places, whales, seals, seabirds, reptiles, sharks and rays, and fish. They also present information about existing management arrangements.
The Conservation Values Atlas is an interactive web-based tool made up of maps and other data that show the location and area of important marine habitats, ecological features, known breeding and feeding areas for protected species and other conservation values within the South-west Marine Region.
- Commonwealth marine environment report card (PDF - 446KB) | (Word - 5747KB)
- Heritage places report card (PDF - 446KB) | (Word - 1638KB)
- Species group report card - bony fish (PDF - 446KB) | (Word - 2902KB)
- Species group report card - cetaceans (PDF - 446KB) | (Word - 3094KB)
- Species group report card - pinnipeds (PDF - 446KB) | (Word - 2677KB)
- Species group report card - reptiles (PDF - 446KB) | (Word - 2958KB)
- Species group report card - seabirds (PDF - 446KB) | (Word - 2544KB)
- Species group report card - sharks (PDF - 446KB) | (Word - 3064KB)
Conservation Values Atlas
The Conservation Values Atlas is an interactive web-based tool made up of maps and other data that show the location and area of important marine habitats, ecological features, known breeding and feeding areas for protected species and other conservation values within the South-west marine region.
Commonwealth marine reserve network proposal for the South-west Marine Region
The marine bioregional planning process is being used by the Australian Government to establish new marine reserves that will represent and protect examples of all the different marine ecosystems and habitats found in the oceans around Australia. A Commonwealth marine reserve network proposal for the South-west Marine Region was released in May 2011 for a consultation period of 90 days which closed on 8 August 2011.
About the draft proposal
The marine reserves in the South-west Marine Region and all other new Commonwealth marine reserves will be located in Commonwealth waters, which start beyond the limits of state/ territory waters (ie. 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.
Identification of new Commonwealth marine reserves is being guided by the Goals and Principles for Establishment of the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas in Commonwealth Waters. The Goals and Principles direct that, where possible, new Commonwealth marine reserves should be designed in such a way that they are located to minimise adverse impacts on people who use and enjoy marine resources while also ensuring good conservation outcomes.
The South-west marine reserve network comprises eight proposed marine reserves including an extension of the existing Great Australian Bight Marine Park:
- Proposed Abrolhos Commonwealth marine reserve
- Proposed Jurien Commonwealth marine reserve
- Proposed Perth Canyon Commonwealth marine reserve
- Proposed South-west Corner Commonwealth marine reserve
- Proposed Eastern Recherche Commonwealth marine reserve
- Proposed Great Australian Bight (extension) Commonwealth marine reserve
- Proposed Western Eyre Commonwealth marine reserve
- Proposed Western Kangaroo Island Commonwealth marine reserve
Download the draft proposal and associated documents
Detailed information on the South-west Commonwealth marine reserve network proposal is provided in the documents listed below.
- Proposal for the South-west Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network - Consultation paper (PDF - 2789KB) | HTML
- Developing Marine Reserves and marine bioregional planning in Australias South-west (PDF - 3635 KB)
- Proposed Network - Shapefiles
- Detailed analysis of the proposed South-west Marine Region Network (PDF - 2249KB) | (Word - 6899 KB)
- Discussion Paper - Assessment of risks that commercial fishing methods may pose to conservation values of the South-west Marine Region (PDF - 767KB) | (Word - 1698KB)
- Detailed Tables - Assessment of risks that commercial fishing methods may pose to conservation values of the South-west Marine Region (PDF - 767KB)
Fact sheets
- Proposed South-west Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network (PDF - 1 MB) | (Word - 1.3 MB)
- Proposed Abrolhos Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 307 KB) | (Word - 637 KB)
- Proposed Jurien Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 242 KB) | (Word - 504 KB)
- Proposed Perth Canyon Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 252 KB) | (Word - 577 KB)
- Proposed South-west Corner Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 307 KB) | (Word - 652 KB)
- Proposed Eastern Recherche Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 246 KB) | (Word - 491 KB)
- Proposed Great Australian Bight (extension) Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 304 KB) | (Word - 547 KB)
- Proposed Western Eyre Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 313 KB) | (Word - 589 KB)
- Proposed Western Kangaroo Island Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 257 KB) | (Word - 580 KB)
Find out more
For more information on the South-west marine bioregional planning process please contact:
Email: Southwest.MarinePlan@environment.gov.au
Phone: 1800 069 352
About marine bioregional planning
Marine bioregional planning is being implemented in five large marine regions.
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