Frequently Asked Questions Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area

When and why was the Great Barrier Reef listed as a World Heritage Area?

As the world�s most extensive coral reef ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef is also considered to be one of the world�s most diverse ecosystems. Located off the Queensland coast, the Great Barrier Reef is also an important icon of Australia�s heritage.

The Great Barrier Reef was declared a World Heritage Area in 1981, internationally recognised by the World Heritage Committee for its Outstanding Universal Value. It remains one of only a small number nominated for all four natural criteria under the World Heritage Operational Guidelines:

Exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance
Significant geomorphic or physiographic features
Significant ecological and biological processes
Significant natural habitats for biological diversity.

What were the World Heritage values for which the Great Barrier Reef was listed?

The values which the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area was inscribed are those described for natural criteria (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) in the Nomination document of 1981. Today the numbering of those four criteria in the World Heritage Operational Guidelines are (vii), (viii), (ix) and (x).

Only those values that are consistent with the criteria should be considered World Heritage values.

The values table for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area on the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts website provides examples of the World Heritage values for which the Great Barrier Reef was listed. These values are illustrative only and do not necessarily constitute a comprehensive list.

An elaboration of these values can be found in the following publications:

Outstanding Universal Value of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area [Adobe Acrobat Format 13 632KB]
State of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area reports

What area does the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area cover?

The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area covers 348 000 km², the largest World Heritage Area on earth. Approximately 99 per cent of the World Heritage Area is comprised of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which extends up to mean low water mark. However, the following areas within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area are not part of the Commonwealth Marine Park:

Most of the ~900 islands in the Great Barrier Reef are within the World Heritage Area but not part of the Commonwealth Marine Park. Some 50 per cent of all Great Barrier Reef islands are Queensland National Parks, and only ~70 islands, or parts of islands, are under Commonwealth control (for example lighthouse stations), and twenty one of these islands are regarded as part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Internal waters of Queensland, for example many deep bays or narrow inlets
A number of small coastal exclusion areas around ports or major centres, for example Cairns and Townsville Ports.

Who is responsible for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area?

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) is the Commonwealth agency responsible for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and is also the principal adviser to the Australian Government for overall management of the World Heritage Area.

The GBRMPA works cooperatively with State Government agencies to manage and protect the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The Queensland Environmental Protection Agency is directly responsible for managing Queensland�s Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park (which extends to mean high water mark and includes internal waters like the Hinchinbrook Channel) and island national parks except those owned by the Commonwealth. Various other State and Commonwealth agencies also assist with day-to-day management.

How is World Heritage reflected in the legislation relevant to the Great Barrier Reef?

In 1995 the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act was amended to reflect the World Heritage listing of the Great Barrier Reef. Under s. 39Z �the Authority in preparing management plans must have regard to the protection of world heritage values of the Marine Park… �.

The Commonwealth�s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 also has strong provisions for the protection of World Heritage values in any declared World Heritage Area (s. 12-15A).

Is a World Heritage Area managed differently to a national park?

In Australia, there is a range of regimes for the protection and management of World Heritage sites:

Some are managed as protected areas as state-owned �national� parks, for example parts of the Tasmanian Wilderness
Some are Aboriginal-owned national parks, for example Uluru and Kakadu
Some overlay a large number of jurisdictions and tenures, and have a multiple use philosophy, for example the Great Barrier Reef and Lord Howe Island.

The Australian Government�s approach to all World Heritage areas has been one of allowing exploitative activities to continue … as long as they do not threaten World Heritage values, are sustainable, are backed up by research and monitoring, and come under a planning and management umbrella (Turner 1990). In very large World Heritage areas like the Great Barrier Reef there really is no other option.

Recognising the differing capacity for some countries, (especially less developed nations), the World Heritage obligations in the Operational Guidelines are qualified by the phrase �in so far as possible, and as appropriate for each country�

What does the future hold for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area?

�The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is cautiously optimistic about the State of the GBRWHA. Although there are some organisms and environmental attributes which require further monitoring or even management action to address human impacts, virtually all of these potential problems are currently being addressed by one or more of the management agencies responsible for the care of the World Heritage Area.� (excerpt from the Foreword, State of the GBRWHA 1998 report).