In accordance with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations 2019, a person whose interests are affected by a decision to grant a permit may ask the Authority to reconsider the decision.

A request for reconsideration must:

1. be in writing; and
2. set out the reasons why the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority should reconsider the decision and why you are an affected person; and
3. be given to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority within 21 days after the day notice of the decision is published on the Authority’s website.

Permit decisions are published on our ‘recent decisions’ webpage.  

Written correspondence can be emailed to assessments@gbrmpa.gov.au. 

For consultative processes that are still underway, click here: Consultation Underway.

For consultation periods that have closed, the status of the project or proposal is outlined below.  

Southern Plan of Management

• Project: Southern Plan of Management (POM)
• Summary: Together with Yuwibara, Darumbal, Woppaburra and Port Curtis Coral Coast Traditional Owners, the Reef Authority is developing a new Plan of Management (POM) for the southern Great Barrier Reef, extending from approximately Midge Point, just north of Mackay, to the southern boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Marine Park).
• Consultation: Two stages of public consultation are required for the development of a POM. The first stage of public consultation for the Southern POM was held from 19 March to 19 June 2024 and focused on uses, values, threats and management ideas. A total of 193 submissions were received. When the draft of the Southern POM is completed a second round of public consultation will commence for stakeholder input.
• Status: The Reef Authority is now considering all submissions to help develop the draft Southern POM.

Further information is available on our Southern Plan of Management webpage.
 

Policy on Fish Aggregating Devices and Artificial Reefs 

• Project: Policy on Fish Aggregating Devices and Artificial Reefs
• Summary: The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Draft Policy on Fish Aggregating Devices and Artificial Reefs was available for public comment from 11 January to 13 April 2023.  The draft policy harnessed multiple lines of evidence (see Supporting Information), including a review of the best available science.  21 submissions were received and considered, and in June 2023 an elicitation workshop with submitters plus additional meetings with Queensland Government managing agencies were held before developing the final policy.  This policy applies only to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and not to Queensland State marine parks.
• Consultation period: Closed
• Status: The final policy was approved by the MPA Board on 23 August 2023 and is available here. 

Commercial jet ski operations around Magnetic Island

• Proposal to Conduct a Commercial Jet Ski Operation in the Waters in the Vicinity of Magnetic Island
• Summary: Mr Luke GNOCCO and Mr Graham BRISKIE, trading as Townsville Jet Ski and Watercraft, have applied to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Department of Environment and Science (Qld) for permission to access the waters within the vicinity of Magnetic Island to conduct a commercial jet ski guided tour operation. The following locations are being sought for daily access: Huntingfield Bay, Joyce Bay, Norris Bay, Maud Bay, Horseshoe Bay, Balding Bay, Radical Bay, Gowrie Bay, Florence Bay, Arthur Bay, Whitfield Bay, Cockle Bay, Nelly Bay, Picnic Bay, and West Point for multiple tours per day. 
• Status: A permit (G24/47592.1) has been granted subject to conditions. The permit is available here. 
• View: A Statement of Reasons regarding the decision can be accessed here. 

Draft Policy on Fish Aggregating Devices and Artificial Reefs

• Project: Draft Policy on Fish Aggregating Devices and Artificial Reef
• Summary: The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has prepared a Draft Policy on Fish Aggregating Devices and Artificial Reefs, to provide clarity on its policy position regarding fish aggregating devices (FADs) and artificial reefs in the Commonwealth Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The draft policy harnessed multiple lines of evidence, as listed in the policy itself, including the best available science.
• Consultation: The draft policy was open for public comment for three months, ending on 13 April 2023. Direct and indirect consultation with Reef Traditional Owners, partners and stakeholders invited comment on the draft policy. Nineteen written submissions were received.
• Status: The Reef Authority is now considering all submissions to help develop the final policy.

Commercial jet ski operations within Marine National Park 

• Project: Proposal to conduct commercial jet ski operations within Marine National Park (green) Zones, Magnetic Island.
• Summary: Adrenalin Jet Ski Tours Pty Ltd have applied to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Department of Environment and Science (Qld) for permission to expand their current commercial jet ski guided tour operations (Marine Parks permit G19/39542.1) at Magnetic Island to include access to specific Marine National Park (green) Zones being Radical Bay, Gowrie Bay, Florence Bay and Five Beach Bay sites, including Huntingfield Bay, Joyce Bay, Norris Bay and Maud Bay (EXCLUDING Lover’s Bay and Wilson Bay) for one or two visits a day. There is no request to increase passenger capacity or the number of jetskis already permitted.
• Status: This project has been approved. The permit is available here. 

Coral Nurture Program Whitsundays

• Project: Coral Nurture Program Whitsundays
• Summary: Dr Emma Camp and Associate Professor David Suggett have applied to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for permission to extend the Coral Nurture Program established in 2019 in Cairns-Port Douglas for local reef site rehabilitation and restoration to the Whitsundays region (Hayman Island, Black Island and Hook Island). The aim of the Coral Nurture Program Whitsundays is to evaluate how the approach used in Cairns-Port Douglas can be tailored for adoption at different reef sites and tourism operations in the Whitsundays.
• Status: This project has been approved. The permit is available here. 

Dredge Material Disposal and Maintenance Dredging 

• Project: Dredge Material Disposal and Maintenance Dredging at the Port of Cairns
• Summary: The Far North Queensland Ports Corporation Pty Ltd (Ports North)  have applied to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for permission to continue to dispose of maintenance dredge spoil material into the Marine Parks at a new disposal site. The disposal site is located in deeper water, adjacent to the existing approved disposal site. The site will be used for disposal of maintenance dredge spoil that accumulates within the existing port channels. Ports North have applied for a 10 year permit consistent with previous permits. The Public Information Package is available here.
• Status: This project has been approved. The permit is available here. 

Museum of Underwater Art 

• Project: Museum of Underwater Art – Stages 2 and 3
• Summary: As per the published Assessment and Decision Guideline following a call for Public Comment, the applicant is required to publicise a document which demonstrates how the comments received have been considered and addressed. If the applicant decides not to consider certain issues raised by the public, the response will need to demonstrate why these issues were not deemed relevant to the assessment of the proposal.
• The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority received 163 submissions, including a petition with 241 signatures. All submissions were de-identified by GBRMPA and provided to Museum of Underwater Art.
• Museum of Underwater Art have provided a Community Consultation Response Report for Stage 2 - Magnetic Island.
• This is also available on the Museum of Underwater Art website.
• The Palm Island submissions for Stage 3 will be responded to in a separate report following additional consultation.
• Documents: Museum of Underwater Art website
• Status: Application withdrawn.