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Requirements for researchers under the new zoning

• When do you need a permit (flowchart)
• Research that requires a permit
• What is limited impact research?

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) recognises the important role that research plays in contributing to our understanding of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR).  Scientific research provides the GBRMPA with a scientific basis for management decisions, which assists the GBRMPA in protecting the biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Marine Park).

Research activities that require a permit in the Marine Park may also require a similar permit under Queensland Marine Parks Legislation. The GBRMPA and the relevant Queensland agency, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS), cooperate to assess and issue joint permits, where necessary, whereby the research assessor at the GBRMPA undertakes one assessment process in consultation with the QPWS. Note that Queensland legislation may require a permit where the GBRMPA does not.

View links to other agencies involved with permitting certain activities (DPI, DEH, Raine Island Corporation, QPWS).

Requirements of Researchers under the Zoning Plan

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan came into effect on the 1 July 2004. A new policy Managing Scientific Research in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park  underpins research in the Zoning Plan. There may not be a need for individual researchers to obtain GBRMP permissions if they are undertaking limited impact research and their parent organisations are accredited educational or research institutions.  Any organisation wishing to become accredited would have to meet specific performance and reporting criteria designed to demonstrate adoption of appropriate environmental practices and standards set by the GBRMPA.

When do you need a Permit?

Research that requires a permit

Any research proposals that satisfy any of the following require a permit:

• occur in the Preservation Zone or the Commonwealth Island Zone or is otherwise indicated in Table 1; and/or
• uses or involves equipment that are not listed as ‘minor research aids’ (Table 2); and /or
• sample numbers for particular species that are greater than those listed in the limited research sampling tables, or which exceed any limits imposed under the Queensland Fisheries legislation (e.g. for plants); and/or
• which involve any organism listed in Table 3; and/or
• the manner of take is not by hand or hand held implement and does not involve the use of a minor research aid; and/or
• is to be conducted by an educational or research institution that is not accredited by the GBRMPA.

In order to apply for a permit please read the Research Permit Information and fill out a permit application form. 

Table 1 Research permit requirements for each Zone

*If an approved Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is in place, ‘as of right’ research must be conducted in accordance with that EMP.

+ only if conducted by an accredited educational of research institution, otherwise a permit is required.

Commonwealth Islands include:

What is Limited Impact Research?

A permit is not required in some zones if it falls under Limited Impact Research and the researcher is associated with an educational or research institution accredited by the GBRMPA. There are specific limits on the type of species and the number of those species that you can collect under Limited Impact Extractive Research (see Table 2).

There are six different extractive limited impact collection categories:

Table 2: Summary table of limited impact collection limits based on the species tables in the GBRMP Regulations

NOTE: For the purposes of limited impact research a location is defined as a discrete, identified reef, or a continuous non-reef area of up to 10 square kilometres. Site means an area of 3,000 square meters within a location.

Limited Impact Research can be of two types; non-extractive and extractive. In general, the major differences between extractive and non-extractive Limited Impact Research are the following (assuming that the research is conducted in accordance with the accreditation and an EMP, where required):
 

Limited Impact Research Sampling:

• The taking is done by hand or by the use of a hand-held implement that is not motorised nor pneumatically nor hydraulically operated; or
• by the use of a minor research aid (see table 3)
• Explosives or chemicals are not to be used
• In the case of an animal species mentioned in the limited impact research collection tables in the GBRMP Regulations there are set amounts which can be collected per location and in total per research project per calendar year
• In the case of an animal species mentioned or referred to in Part 1 of Table 19-1, no specimens are taken or collected
• In the case of a plant species referred to in the limited impact research collection tables, no more than the number of specimens permitted by Queensland Fisheries legislation.
• No more than 20 litres of wet sediment is taken or collected per research project per calendar year
• No more than 100 litres of seawater is taken or collected per research project per calendar year
• The relevant laws of the Commonwealth and Queensland must be complied with.

Table 3  A list of minor research aids which can be used under Limited Impact Research and a limit on the installation of minor research aids

Umbrella & Institutional Permits

The GBRMPA will further streamline the research permits process by considering the grant of institutional or umbrella permits. The issue of such permits may improve flexibility for the conduct of ecologically sustainable research. This will reduce the number of individual research permits required and increase the flexibility for research activities to be conducted at short notice where the opportunity arises or allow for changes to the species collected due to local abundances at particular locations.

These permits will be designed to cover the range of activities undertaken by a research institution e.g. a university (institutional permits), or research programs led by a senior researcher (umbrella permits). A few of these permits have already been issued and are being audited/reviewed by the GBRMPA. Where possible, the activities of students (particularly honours students) should be covered under a permit held by their supervisor or host institution, or their research must satisfy the ‘as of right’ research requirements under the Zoning Plan and associated regulations. Applying for umbrella or institutional permits can be done on the research permit application form.

Table 19-1 Animal species limited by number for limited research sampling

Table 19-2 Plant species limited by number for limited research sampling