Temperate East Marine Region
Public consultation
In November 2011 the department released the draft plan and proposed Commonwealth marine reserves network for public consultation. The 90 day public submissions period closed on 21 February 2012.
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 New South Wales, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island during the public consultation period. This included holding 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 submissions email address; or in hard copy posted free of charge to the department.
Submissions received by the department are being considered in the finalisation of the Temperate East Marine Bioregional Plan and Commonwealth marine reserves network.
Submissions received
The department received 7 113 submissions providing feedback on the draft plan and proposed reserves network. The largest proportion of the submissions received (96.8 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 Temperate East Commonwealth marine reserves network proposal and the draft Marine Bioregional Plan closed on the 21 February 2012.
Temperate East Commonwealth marine reserves network proposal
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 reserves network proposal for the Temperate East Marine Region was released in November 2011 for a consultation period of 90 days which closed on 21 February 2012.
About the draft proposal
The marine reserves in the Temperate East 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 Temperate East Commonwealth marine reserves network proposal comprises nine marine reserves:
- Jervis Commonwealth marine reserve
- Hunter Commonwealth marine reserve
- Cod Ground Commonwealth marine reserve (existing reserve with boundary adjustment and zone name change)
- Solitary Islands Commonwealth marine reserve (Commonwealth waters) (existing reserve with boundary adjustment to Pimpernel Rock and zone name change)
- Clarence Commonwealth marine reserve
- Tasmantid Commonwealth marine reserve
- Gifford Commonwealth marine reserve
- Lord Howe Commonwealth marine reserve (includes existing reserve Lord Howe Island Marine Park (Commonwealth waters), existing Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs marine national nature reserve and proposed new areas and zone name change)
- Norfolk Commonwealth marine reserve
For the purposes of the Temperate East Marine Reserves Network proposal, the following provides further detail on the type of dropline that would be considered compatible with Multiple Use and Habitat Protection Zones.
Dropline that would be compatible with Multiple Use and Habitat Protection Zones would be a dropline that is:
- A line that is vertically set or suspended in the water column
- With no more than a single anchor point in contact with the seabed or substrate; and
- Not operated with or as a trotline.
Download the reserves network proposal and associated documents
Detailed information on the Temperate East Commonwealth marine reserves network proposal is provided in the documents listed below.
- Proposal for the Temperate East Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network - Consultation paper (PDF - 2789KB) | HTML
- Developing Marine Reserves and marine bioregional planning in Australia's Temperate East (PDF - 3635 KB) | (Word - 3635 KB)
- Detailed analysis of the proposed Temperate East Marine Region Network (PDF - 6.2 MB) | (Word - 9.3 MB)
Maps
- Download Proposed Temperate East Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network map (PDF - 1.9 MB)
- Nautical maps
- Proposed network - Shape files
- Maps with co-ordinates are available in the individual reserve fact sheets below.
Fact sheets (including maps with co-ordinates)
- Jervis Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 241 KB) | (Word - 405 KB)
- Hunter Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 287 KB) | (Word - 603 KB)
- Cod Ground Commonwealth marine reserve (existing reserve with boundary adjustment and zone name change) (PDF - 267 KB) | (Word - 728 KB)
- Solitary Islands Commonwealth marine reserve (Commonwealth waters) (existing reserve with boundary adjustment to Pimpernel Rock and zone name change) (PDF - 265 KB) | (Word - 647 KB)
- Clarence Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 276 KB) | (Word - 686 KB)
- Tasmantid Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 271 KB) | (Word - 756 KB)
- Gifford Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 257 KB) | (Word - 641 KB)
- Lord Howe Commonwealth marine reserve (includes existing reserve Lord Howe (PDF - 266 KB) | (Word -859 KB)
- Norfolk Commonwealth marine reserve (PDF - 278 KB) | (Word - 484 KB)
- Commercial fishing - Socio-economic assessment of proposed Commonwealth marine reserves (PDF - 337 KB) | (Word - 687 KB)
Temperate East Marine Bioregional Plan - consultation draft
The consultation period for this document closed on 21 February 2012.
This draft Temperate East Marine Bioregional Plan presented information on the marine environment and conservation values (protected species, protected places and key ecological features) of the Temperate East Marine Region.
The draft Temperate East 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 is also presented in the draft Plan.
Draft Marine Bioregional Plan and associated documents
- Overview of marine bioregional plans (PDF - 731KB) | HTML
- Marine Bioregional Plan for the Temperate East Marine Region - Draft for Consultation (PDF - 1251KB) | HTML
- Schedule 1 (PDF - 709 KB) | (Word - 546 KB)
- Schedule 2 (PDF - 8491 KB) | (Word - 4919 KB)
- Developing Marine Reserves and marine bioregional planning in Australia's Temperate East (PDF - 3635 KB) | (Word - 3635 KB)
Information tools
A range of information resources have been developed to support the implementation of the Temperate East Marine Bioregional Plan. Two main information tools are the:
Conservation Value Report Cards
The Conservation Value Report Cards for the Temperate East 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, bony fish, cetaceans, reptiles, seabirds and sharks. They also present information about existing management arrangements.
- 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 - 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 Temperate East Marine Region.
About marine bioregional planning
Marine bioregional planning is being implemented in five large marine regions.