Marine Environments Overview
Marine Environment in and on Queensland’s coast are covered under the state Coastal Protection and Management Act 1995 (Coastal Act), Marine Parks Act 2004 commenced on 31 August 2006, together with the Marine Parks Regulation 2006and Marine Parks (Declaration) Regulation 2006.
Most of the powers of Coastal Act are administered through the Integrated Development Assessment System (IDAS)of the Sustainable Planning Act 2009(SPA).
and by the Australian government

These acts were a result of COAG agreement on the need to have federal and state government approaches to protecting and developing a more effective framework for intergovernmental relations on the environment:

  • matters of National Environmental Significance;
  • environmental assessment and approval processes;
  • listing, protection and management of heritage places;
  • compliance with State environmental and planning legislation; and
  • better delivery of national environmental programmes.
  • The EPBC Act provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places—defined in the EPBC Act as matters of national environmental significance.

The eight matters of national environmental significance to which the EPBC Act applies are

  1. world heritage sites
  2. national heritage places
  3. wetlands of international importance (often called ‘Ramsar’ wetlands after the international treaty under which such wetlands are listed)
  4. nationally threatened species and ecological communities
  5. migratory species
  6. Commonwealth marine areas
  7.  the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
  8.  nuclear actions.

In addition to the Acts, marine management falls under several plans (eg: Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, Acid Sulfate Soils), with marine impacts resulting from other activities that maybe not be captured in the acts or may only be a consideration in management plans like agricultural runoffs, mining and shipping, and coastal building and clearing etc.

You would think that with all these regulations and laws our coastal and marine environments would be safe into the future, and we would be leaving our children to enjoy beautiful coastal environments with flourishing wildlife.   

Qld Greens’ position

A comprehensive, adequate and representative system of terrestrial, freshwater and marine protected areas (MPAs), including all remaining areas of high conservation value (including regrowth), managed primarily to protect biodiversity and ensure resilience in the face of climate change.

Introduce and enforce laws to regulate run-off from urban, agricultural and industrial development.

Coastal management

  • Amend the State and Regional Coastal Management Plans to include climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
  • Amend the Integrated Planning Act to require Councils and state decision makers to adhere to State and Regional Coastal Management Plans, rather than merely “have regard to” them.
  • Oppose the construction of new canal estates in Queensland.

Marine

  • Introduce and enforce laws to regulate run-off from urban, agricultural and industrial development, particularly in sensitive catchment areas starting with Great Barrier Reef catchments with a goal of reducing pollution loads to the Reef by 50% within 4 years.
  • Re-instate monthly estuarine monitoring for all areas of Queensland.
  • Establish a network of marine protected areas across the entire coast of Queensland within 5 years, with at least 30% green (no-take) zones.
  • Ensure adversely affected commercial fishers receive appropriate recompense for the buy-out of their licences.
  • Develop a water quality protection plan for all coastal catchments, based on the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan principles.
  • Increase funding for existing marine park management and planning.
  • Introduce a saltwater recreational fishing licence to Queensland state waters, with funds raised to be used for recreational fisheries management, research and education.
  • Ban shark fishing in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area immediately and in all Queensland fisheries by 2013, providing structural reform for affected operators.
  • Develop a State Planning Policy with strict environmental and site suitability criteria for the location and operation of all aquaculture, giving three years for existing operators to meet the new environmental standards. Allow community appeal rights against the grant of new aquaculture approvals.
  • Expand the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to include the Coral Sea, and exclude future oil and gas exploration in the Coral Sea.
  •  Establish a network of Marine Park declarations between the Great Sandy Straits and Moreton Bay Marine Park

Old parties’ position

ALP as this party holds government their policy are reflected on the various DERM websites - their lack of managment has resulted in poor monitoring of Gladstone Harbour Dredging, the closure of fishing in and around Gladstone Harbour.

LNP only current policy is to protect dugongs and turtles mostly by imposing bans against Aboriginal/traditional hunting.

last updated 31 Oct 2011.

Latest Developments

08 Dec 2011 Gladstone Fishing Research Fund

01 Dec 2011 DERM Director General doesn’t consider sick fish widespread problem

28 Nov 2011 Senator Larrisa Waters Coral Sea

24 Nov 2011 Gladstone Fisherman call in lawyers

21 Nov 2011 Fish disease spreads to other marine species

07 Nov 2011 Senator Larissa Waters questions without notice Senator Conroy Gladstone harbour

13 Oct 2011 New species of crab and shrimp (Senator Larissa Waters)

6 Oct 2011 Fishing ban lifted after Minister Craig Wallace declared water safe and sick fish

      were result of parasite and red-spot disease. The disease is still present in fish population.

2 Oct 2011 Dredging of Gladstone Harbour halt

30 Sept 2011 Senator Larissa Waters Townsville meeting AMIS

31 Aug 2011 Libby Connors on Gladstone Turtle deaths and dugong deaths,

July 2011 Torres Strait Communities plead for help dealing with climate change (Mayor Fred Gela) coastal erosion, need to build tidal walls.

28 May 2011 Expansion and development of coal ports,

  • NQBP developing T2 (previously X80) and T3 (previously X110) projects at Abbot Point, also T4, T5, T6 & T7.
  • Hay Point (Mackay) expansion Project HPX3by Oct 2011 to increase capacity from 55Mtpa to 75Mtpa by 2015
  • Dalrymple Bay (DBCT) expansion from 85Mtpa to 152Mtpa
  • Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal exporting coal from Surat Basin initial capacity 25Mtpa by 2014 to upgrade to 70Mtps – shareholding group of 18 mining companies own & finance new terminal operated by Gladstone Port Corp.
  • Port of Brisbane new stockpile expansion and new stacker

Jan – March 2011 Flood and cyclone impacts

July 2010 Adani Enterprises & NQBPC master plan  & new port Dudgeon Point, Port Hay

March 2009 Pacific Adventurer oil spill into Cape Moreton