The first of a series of collaborative workshops were held earlier this month as part of the Southern Plan of Management project. This new management plan, being jointly developed by Traditional Owners, the Reef Authority and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and partners, aims to safeguard the values of the southern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park while allowing for multiple sustainable uses and increasing the resilience of the Reef in the light of climate change. Using the Conservation Standards method, Reef Authority staff collaborated with our Traditional Owner partners and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships in mapping out the values and threats for the Southern Planning Area in preparation for management strategy development, which will be the focus of the next workshop to be held in November. 

The workshops followed the release of the Southern Plan of Management Stage 1 - Public Consultation Report 2024 in September.  

Submissions came from a diverse range of people and will be taken in consideration during the development of the Southern Plan of Management. Following further stakeholder engagement and drafting of the Plan, a second round of public consultation will provide further opportunity for input in late 2025.

For more information on the project to go Southern Plan of Management webpage.