Policies

Our policies give effect to the agency's responsibilities, functions and powers outlined in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975. A policy will only be developed where there is an identified need that has been approved by the Marine Park Authority (Board) or, if urgent - the Chairman.

• Tourism:
• Cruise Shipping Policy for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Managing Tourism Permissions to Operate in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (including Allocation, Latency & Tenure)
• Policy on Managing Bareboat Operations in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Marine Tourism Contingency Plan
• Supporting information for the Marine tourism contingency plan
• Marine Tourism Contingency Plan application form for operations impacted by a severe environmental incident
• Policy on Moorings in the Great Barrier Reef
• Supporting information on the policy on moorings
• Tourism Management Action Strategy

• Environmental:
• Dredging coral reef habitats
• Dredging and Spoil Disposal Policy 
• Environmental Impact Management - Permission System
• Sewage Discharges From Marine Outfalls To The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Policy on Fish Aggregating Devices and Artificial Reefs and the Supporting Information – Policy on Fish Aggregating Devices and Artificial Reefs 
• Policy on Great Barrier Reef Interventions

• Protected species:
• Policy on Managing Activities That Include the Direct Take of a Protected Species From the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Operational Policy on Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Position Statements

Position statements express the Authority’s position on an issue where it has a strong interest but is outside its direct regulatory control.

• These statements are based on the best available science and information:
• Position Statement - Fisheries
• Position Statement - Climate change
• Position Statement - Coastal ecosystems
• Position Statement - Marine debris
• Position Statement - Water quality

Strategies

• The Marine Park is widely recognised as one of the best managed marine protected areas in the world, here are some of the guiding strategies:
• Reef Blueprint 2030 - Great Barrier Reef Blueprint for Climate Resilience and Adaptation
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Commonwealth Heritage Listed Places and Properties Heritage Strategy 2018-21
• Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program - Business Strategy 2050-25
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Strategy for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Great Barrier Reef Climate Change Strategy and Adaptation Plan 2012-17
• Great Barrier Reef Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2013
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Recreational Strategy 2012
• Tourism Management Action Strategy

Zoning Plan

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan and related legislation are the foundation of our resilience-based management approach.

• The zoning plan is supported by plans of management that set specific protection measures in the very popular, high-use areas: 
• Cairns region
• Whitsundays region 
• Hinchinbrook 
• Shoalwater Bay.

Site management arrangements

• Site management arrangements are localised plans for use of a particular site:
• Far Northern site-specific management
• Cairns/Cooktown site-specific management
• Cairns Area Plan of Management
• Townsville/Whitsunday site-specific management
• Hinchinbrook Plan of Management
• Whitsunday Plan of Management
• Mackay/Capricorn site-specific management
• Shoalwater Bay Plan of Management

Guidelines

Guidelines generally support the agency's policies or position statements and outline the agency process on certain issues.

• Guidelines may also be the required terminology under certain circumstances. Any guidelines developed by the agency will clearly state whether they are 'for guidance' or 'strict rules to be adhered to':
• Area Statement for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Applications for joint permissions
• Permission assessment and decision
• Permit applications for restoration/adaptation projects to improve the resilience of habitats in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Seagrass value assessment
• Historic heritage assessment: WWII features and sites, and voyages and shipwrecks
• Historic heritage assessment: other places of historic and social significance
• Historic heritage assessment: maritime cultural heritage protection special management area
• Social value assessment
• Traditional Owner heritage assessment
• Woppaburra Traditional Owner heritage assessment
• Managing research in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Activity Assessment: photography, filming and sound recording
• Activity Assessment: tourism program involving whale watching or swimming with whales
• Activity Assessment - Activity not mentioned or considered in the preparation of a Plan of Management
• Activity Assessment - No or low adverse impact activity under clause 2.3B of the Whitsundays Plan of Management 1998
• Water quality guidelines for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Guide to tourism operators and other commercial activities in the Cairns Area
• Guidelines for commercial dugong watching
• Guidelines for the Emergency Disposal of Foreign Fishing Vessels
• Guidelines for Managing Visitation to Seabird Breeding Islands
• Guidelines for the Use of Hydrodynamic Numerical Modelling for Dredging Projects in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (August 2012)
• Memorial management within the Great Barrier Reef
• Translocation of species within the Great Barrier Reef
• No Structure sub-zones
• Tourist flights within the vicinity of Magnetic Island
• Commercial jet-ski operations around Magnetic Island
• Restricted Access Special Management Areas surrounding Raine Island, Moulter Cay and Maclennan Cay
• Indigenous participation in tourism and its management
• Dugong conservation in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Aquaculture within the Marine Park