Great Barrier Reef Region Strategic Assessment

GBRMPA is leading the Great Barrier Reef Region Strategic Assessment looking at management arrangements for the marine component of the Great Barrier Reef Region.

Terms of Reference

On 30 August 2012 the Federal Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities approved GBRMPA's terms of reference. These set out the requirements for undertaking the Great Barrier Reef Region Strategic Assessment.

Draft terms of reference were developed by GBRMPA in consultation with the Queensland Government and the Australian Government's Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Feedback was received during a public consultation period and considered in preparing the final terms of reference. A Submissions Report detailing how the public responses have been taken into consideration in finalising the terms of reference has been prepared.

Key components

The Great Barrier Reef Region Strategic Assessment will have four key components:

Identifying and describing values to be protected. This includes ecological, social, cultural and economic values that underpin matters of national environmental significance. Values are wide-ranging, and may differ between industry, community and individuals. Capturing these differences and mapping and describing these values is the first step of the strategic assessment process.

Identifying and analysing threats and pressures to the values. It is important to understand how different threats and pressures impact on values in order to assess the effectiveness of management. Pressures may include climate change, extreme weather, and coastal development.

Assessing management effectiveness. The strategic assessment will examine how current management arrangements protect values. Demonstration cases will be used as examples to examine management effectiveness, such as looking at the management of a particular region or species. This will also help to show how policy and legislative processes are practically applied.

Recommending changes to management arrangements. Recommendations will be made based on the findings of the strategic assessment, and may include recommendations to modify GBRMPA's management arrangements or recommended improvements to related local state or national government programs or policies.

Outcomes

The strategic assessment aims to improve our understanding of the multiple or 'combined' impacts on the Great Barrier Reef values arising from pressures such as coastal development, existing use activities, climate change and extreme weather events.

It will assess the ability for existing management arrangements to predict, monitor and report on multiple impacts and make recommendations for ways to improve our current management approach.

It will ensure that the management tools used by GBRMPA and the Queensland Government are most effectively tackling the range of pressures associated with coastal development and protecting Reef values.

Outcomes of the strategic assessment, including recommendations for future management will be presented to the Federal Environment Minister.

Consultation

GBRMPA will continue to consult with a wide range of stakeholders throughout the strategic assessment process to provide the community with an opportunity to help shape future management of the Great Barrier Reef.

The public will have a chance to comment on the draft Great Barrier Reef Region Strategic Assessment and Program Reports early to mid 2013.

For further information please email: sap@gbrmpa.gov.au

Media inquiries can be directed to the GBRMPA Media Unit on 07 4750 0846.

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