The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority was recognised with the following regional, national and international awards.

• 2019
• November, Gold Award for the 2019 Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Sector Management, awarded to the Australian Government’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Government’s Parks and Wildlife Service for the Reef Joint Field Management Program for the Great Barrier Reef. The award was given in recognition of ‘A Transformed Great Barrier Reef Joint Field Management Program – Meeting 21st Century Challenges’ and applauds the way the joint program has collaborated and modernised its approaches to tackle unprecedented threats. More information here.

• 2017
• 2017 December, Risk Excellence Awards for Building a Positive Risk Culture from the Department of Environment and Energy.

• 2015
• November, Silver Award and Collaboration Award for the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Sector Management; awarded to the Australian Government’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Government’s Parks and Wildlife Service for the Reef Joint Field Management Program for the Great Barrier Reef, recognising the ongoing collaboration between the government agencies.

• 2010
• October, World Future Council's Silver Future Policy Award for the Australian Government's efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef in particular the statutory Zoning Plan based on the Representative Areas Program.

• 2009
• October 'Best Practice in Federal Government Excellence Awards' in the 2009 Public Sector Excellence Awards of Public Administration (IPAA) - Queensland for the development of the Great Barrier Outlook Report 2009.
• October Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) Award for Excellence in Professional Practice 2009 (4 elements – Outlook Report, Climate Change, Environmental Assessment and Management and Reef Guardian Schools).
• April 'Top 25' Ecological Restoration Projects in Australasia selected by the Global Restoration Network (GRN).

• 2007
• November Public Sector Management Award in the 2007 Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) Corporate Leadership Awards.
• June Excellence in Marine and Coastal Management Award at the United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards 2007.
• May World Travel and Tourism Council’s Tourism for Tomorrow Destination Award.

• 2006
• August Australian Government Minister's Achievement Award.

• 2005
• October - World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Gift to the Earth.
• July - Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Preservation for UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme, jointly to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Dr Ernesto C. Enkerlin-Hoeflich (Mexico).
• April - Planning Institute of Australia, National Awards
• National Award for Community Based Planning,
• Planning Minister’s Award, Overall National Award for Excellence in Planning.

• 2004
• December US Coral Reef Task Force Award for Outstanding Management (International).
• November - Planning Institute of Australia, Queensland Division
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  • Award for Environmental Planning/Conservation
  • Award for Community Based Planning
  • Overall Winner for Excellence in Planning
• August - Eureka Prize for Biodiversity Research.
• August - ESRI International User Conference Award (Special Achievements in Geographical Informational Systems).
• June - Banksia Environmental Award (for Government Leading by Example for a Sustainable Future).