Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act Review should preserve not 'wind back' protections
23 Aug 2005
WWF-Australia welcomes today's statement from the Minister for Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, that the review of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act is not about 'winding back' the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
WWF would be seriously concerned if this review resulted in less protection for the Great Barrier Reef. We expect the Govenment and community members with an interest in marine conservation to take this opportunity to push for improved management of this most treasured natural wonder.
WWF believes the best management structure for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is to have a strong statutory authority, based in the region, with full decision making powers capable of implementing bold conservation initiatives to protect the Reef for our future generations.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority undertook one of the largest public consultation exercises in Australian history during the rezoning of the Marine Park. GBRMPA has now taken the proactive step of opening regional offices along the Reef coastline to build on the strong community links it has established.
The Authority has been praised around the world and has recieved numerous international awards for its work to protect the Great Barrier Reef. The new Great Barrier Reef zoning plan is frequently cited as providing the model for future Marine Protected Area establishment worldwide.
