The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) values its relationship with the tourism industry and seeks to improve the permitting arrangements for tourism operators.

The policy ‘Managing Tourism Permissions to Operate in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (including Allocation, Latency and Tenure)’ includes:

• application, assessment, variation and transfer arrangements for tourism permissions
• the offer of first option on a further tourism permission for existing permission holders, with a requirement for reasonable use of special tourism permissions (that is, those that are 'capped')
• the requirement to commence operation of a permission within two years
• allocation of new or spare special tourism permissions through expressions of interest
• the opportunity for 15-year permit terms for certified tourism operations.
  

The policy was adopted by the GBRMPA on 13 August 2003 and amended on 29 July 2004. The GBRMPA is implementing the policy in stages.

The GBRMPA has worked in collaboration with the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (AMPTO), the Queensland Government and the Tourism and Recreation Reef Advisory Committee (TRRAC) to develop policy that fulfils both government and industry needs. Stakeholder comment on a draft policy was sought in early 2003. The final policy supports the industry’s call for greater permit certainty and provides incentives for tourism operators who adopt environmental best practice.

Related Documents

• Policy on Managing Tourism Permissions to Operate in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (including Allocation, Latency & Tenure) [ Adobe Acrobat Format 234.43KB ]
  • Permits Information Bulletin - Special Tourism Permissions [ Adobe Acrobat Format 261.52KB ]
  • Selection Criteria for Ranking Expressions of Interest in Allocating New or Spare Special Tourism Permissions [ Adobe Acrobat Format 262.92KB ]
• Latency of Tourism Permits in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park - Audit for the Year 2000 [ Adobe Acrobat Format 120KB ]
• Allocating Tourism Permits in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park - Issues Raised in Responses to Questionnaires [ Adobe Acrobat Format 120KB ]
• Managing Latency of Tourism Permits in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park - Issues Raised in Responses to Questionnaires [ Adobe Acrobat Format 126KB ]