The Reef Guardian Council programme seeks to recognise and promote the important role local government can play in protecting the Great Barrier Reef. The goal of the Reef Guardian Council programme is to achieve better environmental outcomes for the Great Barrier Reef through local government actions in natural resource management and improvements in local government and community capacity.

Why develop the Reef Guardian Council programme?

The problem

The Great Barrier Reef region is the largest coral reef ecosystem in the world, containing a complex system of different marine habitats including coral reefs, sandy cays, continental islands, algal and sponge gardens, mangrove estuaries, seagrass beds, sandy or muddy bottom communities and deep ocean troughs. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park lies adjacent to the Queensland coast, which contains approximately 35 major catchments that drain into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, with a total drainage area of approximately 420 000 km².

The Great Barrier Reef catchment contains approximately 42 local government areas, and has six natural resource management regions. Responsibility for the management of land in the catchment lies principally with local and Queensland state governments and individual land-owners. Over the past 150 years many of these catchment areas adjacent to the Marine Park have undergone extensive modification to accommodate cities, farms, and mines, which have contributed to declining water quality entering the Marine Park.

The Great Barrier Reef is a living system, and is also vulnerable to major stresses from natural disturbances, such as cyclones and floods. Increasing human pressures on the Great Barrier Reef can slow its recovery from these events and accumulation of such pressures may lead to the long-term decline in the overall health of the Reef. 

The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan) developed by the Australian and Queensland Governments, in partnership with a wide range of industry and community groups, provides a framework to address this decline in water quality. The Reef Plan approaches protection of the Great Barrier Reef from a whole of catchment-community perspective. The Reef Plan was launched in December 2003 with a focus on integrated natural resource management actions to address pollutants from a range of different sources. While local governments have a critical role in implementing many of the Reef Plan actions, they may not have the capacity or expertise to effectively participate.

The solution

Following the success of the Reef Guardian Schools programme, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has developed the Reef Guardian Council programme, which is designed to recognise and foster environmental stewardship for the Great Barrier Reef from local government and the general community. The objective is to raise awareness and encourage best environmental  practice in local government activities, while recognising that the effective protection and management of the Great Barrier Reef, requires partnerships at all levels of government, industry and the community. 

Goals and objectives

Project goal

The goal of the Reef Guardian Council programme is to achieve better environmental outcomes for the Great Barrier Reef through local government actions in natural resource management and improvements in local government and community capacity.

Strategy objectives

The objectives of the Reef Guardian Council programme are:

(a) To develop a mutually beneficial partnership between the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and local government bodies
(b) To recognise and foster environmental stewardship for the Great Barrier Reef from local government and the general community
(c) To raise awareness and encourage best management practice in local government activities, while recognising that effective protection and management of the Great Barrier Reef requires partnerships at all levels of government and the community
(d) Promote and advocate local government actions in natural resource management
(e) Facilitate information sharing and exchange to improve local government capacity.

Guiding principals

The Reef Guardian Council programme aims to recognise and promote local government actions that improve environmental outcomes for the Great Barrier Reef. To do this, the Reef Guardian Council programme has five main guiding principles:

1. Develop partnerships with local government, preferably at the Regional Organisations of Council level
2. Look to ensure planning requirements are implemented within developed and developing areas of local government areas
3. Influence the management of impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems through the application of management plans to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem integrity
4. Involve the community through on-the-ground actions, education and information to promote and facilitate Great Barrier Reef protection
5. Integrate monitoring of action outcomes to address catchment-based pollution sources.    

Key messages

 The key messages to be delivered through the programme are:

(a) The Reef Guardian Council programme is a partnership between the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and local government that recognises and fosters an environmental stewardship for the Great Barrier Reef among councils
(b) The Reef Guardian Council programme aims to raise awareness and encourage best environmental practices at the local government and community level, leading to an improvement in the way people use the Marine Park
(c) Local government can help protect the Marine Park by implementing practices in their area that help to minimise the impacts on water quality
(d) Leading by example, local government can help its residents and local business improve their practices at home, work and school to minimise the impact on water quality in the Marine Park
(e) Land uses in urban and rural areas that may contribute to declining water quality in the Marine Park include agriculture, coastal development, aquaculture, mining and mineral processing, shipping and tourism
(f) The quality of water in the Marine Park is declining and is impacting on the health of the ocean and all the animals and plants living within it.