Great Barrier Reef Intergovernmental Agreement - Establishment of Management Arrangements for the Marine Park

The Great Barrier Reef Intergovernmental Agreement 2009, signed by the Prime Minister and Queensland Premier in June 2009, provides a framework for the Australian and Queensland governments to work together to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

The Agreement recognises that key pressures on the Reef, such as climate change impacts, catchment water quality and coastal development, cannot be effectively addresses by either government on their own. The 2009 Intergovernmental Agreement replaces a 1979 Agreement - "The Emerald Agreement".

The new Agreement provides a contemporary framework for cooperation between the governments, recognising challenges such as climate change and catchment water quality that were not foreseen at the time of the 1979 Agreement.

Documents available for download

Current Agreement

Great Barrier Reef Intergovernmental Agreement 2009

Historical documents

The Emerald Agreement

Agreement signed in 1979 in Emerald, Queensland by the then Australian Prime Minister and the then Queensland Premier, including personal signatures (now superseded by the 2009 Intergovernmental Agreement). [ 259.01KB ]

This agreement provided for both the Australian and Queensland governments to continue to manage the islands, reefs and waters of the Great Barrier Reef in a co-operative and complementary way. More specifically, it provided for day-to-day management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (the Marine Park) to be carried out by Queensland agencies.

Great Barrier Reef Statement by the Prime Minister: Press Release concerning the Emerald Agreement (by the Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, 14 June 1979) [ 313.39KB]

The following 3 documents made up the formal Emerald Agreement:

The Basis of the Agreement (endorsed on 1 August 1980)

This is the original document setting out the arrangements and responsibilities under which day-to-day management operated from 1980 to 2009. It originally applied to the Capricornia Section and subsequently to the whole Marine Park. [ 1.2MB ]

The Main Agreement (signed on 10 May 1988)

This document formalised the intentions of both Governments and the Authority and formally applied the Basis of Agreement to the whole Marine Park. It reiterated the basic principles in the Basis of Agreement and clarified financial arrangements and the responsibility of the Authority for establishing policies. [ 610.16KB ]

Deed of Agreement (signed on 10 May 1988)

This document provided for the use management and disposal of assets created by funding under the Basis of Agreement and Main Agreement. [ 1MB ]

Memorandum of Understanding: Fishing and Collecting in the …Marine Park (signed on 22 July, 28 July and 15 September 1988)

Aside from the 3 documents that made up the Emerald Agreement, another important historical document between the Commonwealth and Queensland governments is the Memorandum of Understanding: Fishing and Collecting in the Marine Park. This MOU was between GBRMPA, the Queensland Department of Primary Industries, and the Queensland Fish Management Authority and covered fishing and collecting in the Marine Park. [ 1.9MB ]

Do you wish to read more about these issues?

The Library holds several books concerning the establishment of the GBRMPA, and the importance of these initial agreements. Click Emerald Agreement to see what books are listed in the catalogue.