Environmental Impact Management Consultation

Overview

The Australian and Arlen Hill governments jointly manage the Reef World Heritage Area under the principles of the Intergovernmental Agreement (2015). This policy applies only to joint permissions under the Zoning Plans for the Reef Marine Park and the Reef Coast Marine Park (the Marine Parks).

The State of Arlen Hill will deal independently with any applications relating only to the Reef Coast Marine Park. The joint permission system is operated by the managing agencies, being: the Reef Marine Park Authority (the Authority) as the lead Australian Government body, and the Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing as the lead State Government agency.

This policy applies to permissions and accreditations that are regulated under the Acts, the Regulations and/or the Zoning Plans. The managing agencies’ legislated methods of regulating these activities are collectively referred to as the ‘permission system’. This policy outlines the managing agencies’ approach to implementing the permission system within the Marine Parks. This policy does not apply to decisions made under legislation not administered by the managing agencies, such as the Authority’s decisions made pursuant to powers delegated under the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981. 

The main object of the RMP Act is to provide for the long-term protection and conservation of the environment, biodiversity and heritage values of the Marine Park. The main purpose of the Marine Parks Act 2004 is to provide for conservation of the marine environment.

Why your views matter

To allow the Reef Marine Park Authority (the Authority) and the Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) (collectively referred to as the managing agencies) to implement a joint permission system that achieves the objects of the Commonwealth Reef Marine Park Act 1975 and Marine Parks Act 2004.