| 13/10/2005
- Australia's world-leading programme of regional marine
planning will be brought directly under federal environment
law to provide a clearer focus on conservation and sustainable
management of the marine environment and offer greater
certainty for industry.
Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell, announced the Government would bring
its program of Regional Marine Planning under the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the
EPBC Act).
The initiative will see Regional Marine Plans, including
a system of Marine Protected Areas, established over Australia's
14 million square kilometre ocean jurisdiction.
"The EPBC Act is one of the most comprehensive pieces
of environment protection legislation anywhere in the
world. This initiative will give new impetus to the implementation
of Australia's Oceans Policy," Senator Campbell said.
Under the new approach, regional marine plans will be
established under section 176 of the EPBC Act, acting
as a key document to guide the Minister, sectoral managers
and industry about the key conservation issues and priorities
in each marine region.
"These plans will become key reference documents
for industry and give forward notice of EPBC Act matters
that businesses may face in seeking approval for their
activities in a marine region.
"The new process will streamline regional marine
planning and provide the additional guidance and consistency
that has been sought by industry and other users of the
marine environment."
The plans will draw on Australia's growing marine science
and socio-economic information base to provide a detailed
picture of each marine region. It will describe each region's
key habitats, plants and animals; natural processes; human
uses and benefits; and threats to the long-term ecological
sustainability of the region.
The plans will give details about the various conservation-related
statutory obligations under the EPBC Act that are operational
in any region, such as those relating to recovery planning
for threatened species.
These new bioregional plans will also provide the platform
for developing the National Representative System of Marine
Protected Areas in Commonwealth waters around Australia.
Senator Campbell said the Australian Government would
soon meet with stakeholders to explain the new approach.
Further details will be announced in due course. |
