Community input into management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) is advised on management issues about the Marine Park at a local level by voluntary community-based committees called Local Marine Advisory Committees (LMACs). The committees were established in 1999 to enable local communities to have effective input into the management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Marine Park).

They provide a community forum for representative interest groups, government representatives such as the Queensland Parks and Wildlife and Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and the local community, to come together to discuss issues about marine resources and their concerns. This helps the GBRMPA and other management agencies to keep in touch with marine and coastal issues at a local level and understand the use of the Marine Park. LMACs provide both an advisory and a communication role between the community and the GBRMPA.

Committees

The current 11 committees are:

• Cape York
• Douglas
• Cairns
• Cassowary Coast
  
• Hinchinbrook
• Townsville
• Whitsunday
• Mackay
• Capricorn Coast
• Gladstone
• Burnett

LMACs assist in management of the Marine Park by:

• Having representatives of local marine user and interest groups in a single forum, discussing sometimes conflicting views on issues such as habitat conservation and resource sharing
• Assisting in management processes by identifying issues to be addressed at both local and regional levels
• Encouraging the exchange of information and giving managers the opportunity to develop greater rapport with clients
• Providing a forum for other resource management agencies such as the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries to meet with the local community and address local concerns
• Encouraging the involvement of the local community in issues that impact on the Great Barrier Reef
• Having a well informed community that are prepared to respond to new planning initiatives and that have a better understanding of the information requirements of management agencies.

LMACs benefit the community as they provide:

• An opportunity for community representatives to put their point of view across to management agencies and other members of the community
• An opportunity to learn about the marine and coastal environment in order to make informed decisions and advise management agencies
• A basis to develop community based projects
• An opportunity to give direct feedback on management decisions and have ownership for that decision.

Membership

Members may be independent, or represent a community or industry group from which they coordinate feedback. The aim is to have a balanced representation of local people who are involved in the management or use of the Marine Park. Composition of each LMAC varies depending on local interests and industries, but some of the groups represented on the LMAC are:

• Commercial fishing industry interests
• Recreational fishing interests
• Charter boat / fishing guides / game fishers
• Recreational boating (e.g. yachting clubs)
  
• Agricultural industry
• Aquaculture industry
• Conservation interests
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander intersts
• Tourism interests
• Local Government Authorities
• Progress associations
• Port, shipping or industrial interests
• Local user groups involved in the management of natural resources, such as Canegrowers Association and Integrated Catchment Management committees
• Any other person / interest group who can demonstrate a separate significant interest in marine resources matters in the region
  

Relevant Government agency representatives including the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland Parks and Wildlife and the GBRMPA also attend meetings.

Details of membership and the role of LMAC members can be found in the LMAC Guidelines [  Acrobat Format 800KB  ]

How to become involved?

Membership to the LMAC is for a three-year term, with the flexibility for members to be replaced by their organisation within the term if they wish. Members are appointed initially by the GBRMPA in response to an advertisement in local newspapers. Members are selected based on their interest and/or involvement in sustainable marine resource use and conservation, and their ability to communicate information to and from the community. A Chair and Secretary are elected by the Committee and appointed by the GBRMPA.

For further details on how to become involved, please contact the LMAC Coordinator listed below.

Meetings

The GBRMPA funds the LMACs to meet every two months. Meetings are generally held in the evenings on dates set by each LMAC. Notices of meetings are sent to committee members, however non-members are welcome to attend the meetings on invitation of the LMAC Chair. An annual workshop is held to bring all the LMAC Chairs together to discuss issues with each other and with GBRMPA staff.

For further information, contact the LMAC Coordinator:

LMAC Coordinator
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
PO Box 1379
TOWNSVILLE  QLD  4810

Ph: 07 4750 0738   Fax: 07 4772 6093

Email: LMAC@gbrmpa.gov.au