l AUSTRALIA
FOR MEDIA THURSDAY, 12 NOVEMBER, 1981
JOINT STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
CAIRINS SECTION OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF MARINE PARK
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the wonders of the world.
It is a focus of national pride, and all Australians treasure
it. There is deep concern in the community for the welfare
of the reef, and a universal conviction that proper care of
the reef is a priority responsibility of governments.
Since 1975, the whole of the reef has been protected by the
Commonw.-ealth Government under the Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park Act. Australia is indeed a world leader in conservation
management of the marine environmen. The policy of the
Commonwealth Government is to proclaim the various sections of
the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park progressively. The
Capricornia section was proclaimed in 1979.
The Cairns section has been the subject of negotiation for
more than 12 ronths, the one outstanding issue being whether
the western boundary should be the low water mark on the
mainland or a line some distance off the coast.
The view of the Commonwealth Government is that the low water
mark on the Queensland coast must form the boundary where
features of ecological significance are involved.
The Co. mmonwealth Parliament has full jurisdiction and
responsibility right up to the low water mark. The Commonwealth
Government was willing to allow discussions with the Queensland
Government to be extended to a very considerable length in the
interesLs of achieving co-operation and agreement. But despite
the length of the discussions, agreement has not been reached.
Accordingly, the Commonwealth Government has decided to move atonce
towards proclamation, and the enabling action leading to
the proclamation of the Cairns section will be started
immediately. / 2
The Minister for Home Affairs and Environment will immediate]. y
request the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority o identify
precisely the boundaries involved and report to him on its
recommendations to allow him to recommend-to the Governor-General tha
the area be proclaimed.
The total length of the Western Boundary will be some 550
kilometres, and for about 30% of this distance the boundary
will be the low water mark on the coastline.
Among the ecofogical features included,-will be the sea grass
beds north of Cape Flattery, which are an important habitat
for dugong an internationally recognised endangered species;
high quality reefs fringing the mainland and islands; and
marine areas adjacent to Queens). and-proclaimed natior~ al parks
which extend down to the shoreline.
The Cairns section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park will
be some 36,000 square kilometres. When this is added to the
12., 000 square kilometres in the Capricornia section, the park
will then be many times larger than any existing or proposed
marine Park anywhere in the world.
The Marine Park concept and the way it is being implemented
will ensure the conservation of the Reef ecosystem. It is
the Government's. policy that regulation should be the minimum
necessary to conserve the Reef. As with the Capricornia
section, there will be perfectly satisfactory provision
for recreation, shipping, tourism,., commercial and amateur
fish'ing and other activities. The Park boundaries will
exclude port and other marine areas adjacent to intensiveindustrial
or agricultural developments on land, unless
conservational reasons dictate otherwise.
The selection of the boundaries of the Cairns Section of the
Marine Park has'been made only after the most careful
consideration of alternatives by the Government and by the
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
The'eastern boundary of the new Cairns section will follow
the eastern boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Region itself.
In the south, the boundary will be a line commencing at low
water mark and coincident for most of its length with the li. ne
adopted for State purposes between the Cardwell and Johnstone
Shires and thence passing immediately, south of Taylor Reef to
the eastern boundary of the Regions. In the north, the boundary
will be a straight line commencing at low'water mark ol the
mainland at 14 degrees 40 minutes south and passing through..,
Two Mile Opening to the eastern boundary of the Region.
Lizard Island is within the new Section of the Marine Plark.
/ 3
Once the Cairns Section is formally proclaimed, the Great
Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is ' required under the
Act to develop a zoni-ng plan for the Section and, in this
context, will be seeking public submissions. All submissions
which the Authority receives will be examined carefully
and will be taken into account in preparing a draft Zoning Plan..
The draft plan will then be published so that members of
the public are aware of the detailed nature of the Authority's
proposals and are able to comment on them. The draft Zoning
Plan will be 6pen for comment for at least one month.
I regret that the Queensland Government has not come in with
us on the vestern boundary of the Cairns Section. ' But I
believe there is support throughout-the whole of Australia_
for the course of action being followed. I hope that now a
decision has been made, co-operation between the two Governments
in Park matters will proceed. oooQOOooo----