Policies and Guidelines

Policy

Policy is the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority�s (GBRMPA) statement of intent about an issue. It works within the law and interprets the law for the particular circumstances. A clear outline of intent can provide guidance and predictable management for both officers of the managing agencies and users of the Marine Park.

Formal policy lies between legislation and organisational practice. The policies specific to tourism and recreation include:

Cruise Shipping Policy for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park [Adobe Acrobat Format 125KB]
Managing Tourism Permissions to Operate in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (including Allocation, Latency & Tenure)
Policy on Managing Bareboat Operations in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park [Adobe Acrobat Format 530KB]
Policy on Moorings in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park [Adobe Acrobat Format 487KB]
View all GBRMPA policies.

Interim arrangements and position statements also give direction as to how the GBRMPA regards current tourism and recreational issues.

Guidelines

Guidelines provide a working framework for consistent application and management of particular activities or issues. They can also help people understand the processes that are followed in making decisions, and provide information for applicants for permits.

The GBRMPA has guidelines on many management matters on the Great Barrier Reef. Below are some of the guidelines that the Tourism and Recreation Group manage. These guidelines have been developed by using the best available information, practices and practical examples. As part of our commitment to best environmental management we are happy to receive your comments: tourrec@gbrmpa.gov.au

To improve public access to information, we are in the process of making more guidelines available online.

Coral Transplantation (October 2004)
For coral transplantation to be considered the original cause of the coral decline at a site must be established. The recovery of coral reefs should be, as far as practical, a natural process. If the coral decline is related to impacts from the applicant or other manageable changes, then those matters need to be managed before coral transplantation is considered.

Management of Commercial Jet Ski Operations Around Magnetic Island (September 2004)
This Information Bulletin outlines the current situation with regard to the management of commercial jet skis around Magnetic Island and our intended response to any future applications to increase this activity.

Indigenous Participation in Tourism and its Management (September 2005)
This position statement provides a joint vision for enhancing Indigenous participation in tourism and its management. It identifies GBRMPA�s role in a partnership that includes Indigenous groups, Tourism Queensland, Environmental Protection Agency, other government agencies and tourism operators.

Permits Information Bulletin - No Structure Sub-zones (March 2006)
No Structure Sub-zones were first introduced into the Marine Park in 1992 through the former Cairns Section Zoning Plan, to ensure that some areas of the Marine Park remained free from installations such as pontoons and other structures. In 2003, the Cairns Section Zoning Plan was replaced by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan. To help keep the new Zoning Plan simple, it was decided that the No Structure Sub-zones would be implemented through other mechanisms. If required, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority will consider listing each of the No Structure Sub-zones as Special Management Areas under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations 1983.