Great Australian Bight Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters)
Management
The Great Australian Bight Marine Park includes Commonwealth and State components. Commonwealth and State agencies responsible for administering the Marine Parks have established a cooperative arrangement to ensure that day-to-day management of the Marine Parks is consistent across jurisdictional boundaries and to provide for stakeholder involvement.
Australian sea lions
A cross-jurisdictional steering committee provides a forum for relevant government agencies to jointly resolve issues of management. A consultative committee has also been established to provide for community input into management. A park manager based in South Australia supports these committees in delivering on ground management programs for the Commonwealth and State agencies responsible for administering the Marine Parks.
The Commonwealth component of the Marine Park was declared to:
- protect the endangered southern right whale and Australian sea lion; and
- conserve a representative area of the unique sea-floor (benthic) environment in line with the development of a National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas.
The park is divided into two management zones:
- The Marine Mammal Protection Zone (MMPZ), which lies along the coastline of the Great Australian Bight and protects the southern right whale and Australian sea lion and their habitats. The MMPZ is closed to all access from 1 May to 31 October inclusive each year. (Determination under the EPBC Regulations)
- The Benthic Protection Zone (BPZ), which is roughly perpendicular to the coastline of the Great Australian Bight and protects a cross-shelf transect as a representative strip of the sea-floor environment of the Great Australian Bight.
Each zone is assigned to IUCN category VI - managed resource protected area.
Interim management arrangements
The Great Australian Bight Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters) is a Commonwealth reserve under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The Marine Park extends to 1000 metres below the seabed.
The Management Plan regulating activities in the Park ceased to have effect on 16 May 2012.
Until a new management plan is developed and comes into operation for the proposed South West Marine Reserves Network, interim management arrangements apply to activities within the Marine Park. The interim management arrangements provide for exising use consistent with the previous management plan (see Activity Table).
Commercial and recreational fishing and commercial transiting will be allowed in accordance with a general approval given by the Director of National Parks under the EPBC Act. It will not be necessary for persons conducting these activities to apply individually to be authorised. Other commercial activities, mining operations and research that involves killing, injuring, taking, trading, keeping or moving native species will need to be individually approved by the Director of National Parks.
Other activities that are prohibited in the Great Australian Bight Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters) by the regulations under the EPBC Act may continue to be authorised by a permit from the Director.
What is an approval?
An approval is a form of authorisation that can be given under the EPBC Act by the Director of National Parks for certain activities that would be otherwise prohibited by the Act from being done in a Commonwealth reserve during periods when a management plan is not in operation. An approval can be given subject to conditions.
Legal framework
A range of activities that may be carried on in Commonwealth reserves are covered by provisions of the EPBC Act and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 (EPBC Regulations) under the Act as outlined below:
- certain activities, including commercial operations, taking native species (including fish) and mining operations must generally be carried on in accordance with a management plan for a reserve (sections 354, 354A, 355 and 355A). A management plan sets out how a Commonwealth reserve will be managed, what activities will be allowed within the reserve, and how they must be carried on. A management plan has effect for up to 10 years;
- when a management plan is not in operation the Director of National Parks may give approval under section 359B of the Act for these activities and operations to continue until a management plan takes effect; and
- a number of other activities - such as use of vessels, waste disposal and fishing - are subject to the EPBC Regulations and may require a permit under the Regulations or can be controlled by the Director of National Parks through determinations, prohibitions, or restrictions made under the Regulations.
Who needs to seek an approval under the interim management arrangements?
Scientific researchers who wish to take native species, mining operators and commercial operators (other than for commercial fishing and vessel transit) who wish to operate within the Great Australian Bight Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters) will need to apply for an approval. People carrying on commercial and recreational fishing and commercial vessel transit will be covered by a general approval and will not need to individually apply.
Approval and permit conditions
Approval and permits to undertake activities may be given subject to conditions to be observed when operating in the Great Australian Bight Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters). Failure to comply with conditions may result in variation, or revocation of the approval or permit and/or enforcement action for contravention of the EPBC Act or Regulations.
How to apply for approval
Activities allowed under general approval
How do I get further assistance?
For further assistance please contact the Commonwealth Marine Reserves Operations Section on:
Email: mpa@environment.gov.au
Phone: 02 6274 1111
Fax: 02 6274 1771
Management plan
The 2nd management plan for the Commonwealth component of the Marine Park came into effect on 17 May 2005 and expired on 16 May 2012. From this date the Marine Park will be managed under interim management arrangements (see above).
Also in this section
Existing Commonwealth reserves under the EPBC Act
Marine protected areas
Temperate East Marine Region
- Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve
- Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters)
- Lord Howe Island Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters)
- Cod Grounds Commonwealth Marine Reserve
Coral Sea
- Coral Sea Conservation Zone
- Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve
- Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve
North-west Marine Region
- Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve
and
Cartier Island Marine Reserve - Mermaid Reef Marine National Nature Reserve
- Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters)