WSNL 1997-1

T. Cansfield

The 25 Year Strategic Plan for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area - a long-term strategic planning to protect the Great Barrier Reef

Tim Cansfield-Smith, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - GBRMPA, Townsville, Australia

The Great Barrier Reef is a maze of reefs and islands stretching over 2000 kilometers along the northeast coast of Australia. It is the largest coral reef system in the world, covering some 350 000 square kilometers, overall an area larger than Great Britain. The Reef is also one of the richest ecosystems on earth, in terms of biological diversity, and is home to an astonishing diversity and abundance of life forms, including some 400 different types of hard and soft corals.

But the Great Barrier Reef is much more than just coral. The Reef is home to thousands of different molluscs, sponges, worms, crustaceans and echinoderms, and some 1500 species of fish. The Reef also provides spectacular scenery - both underwater, and above water - and encompasses extremely fragile habitats for rare and endangered species, such as humpback whales, sea turtles and the critically endangered dugong.

In October 1981 the Great Barrier Reef was inscribed on the World Heritage list on the basis of its outstanding natural, cultural and historical features and its integrity as a self perpetuating ecological system. Given the natural beauty and ecological importance of the Great Barrier Reef, there is no question that this vast area needs to be protected, especially in light of increasing human use of the Reef and the adjoining coast.

An important lesson learned by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority from over 20 years of managing the Great Barrier Reef is that if we are to effectively protect areas of great natural beauty and ecological significance, we must nurture mutually-beneficial partnerships with the users, and abusers, of our natural resources.

And to be most effective in the short- and in the long-term, partnerships between governments and users should be based on participation in decision making processes, agreement on desired outcomes, and commitment by all to work towards ecologically sustainable behavior.

And partnerships, leading to better protection of the Great Barrier Reef, is exactly what the 25 Year Strategic Plan for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area is about.

The 25 Year Strategic Plan is long-term planning, at a very broad and strategic level, to develop a common vision, objectives, priorities and agreed actions to achieve the vision. The Strategic Plan is a large community agreement between three levels of government, industry, conservation groups, tourism and recreation bodies, NGOs and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, for the future of the region and what each group will do to bring about that future.

WSNL 1997-1

T. Cansfield

MANAGEMENT OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority were established in 1975 by the Australian Government. While the Authority has the main responsibility for Reef management, many other government agencies, departments and industry groups are involved.

Because of the massive increase in Reef tourism in the past 15 years, the Authority has realized it can no longer rely on its traditional management tools, permits and zoning, to effectively manage human use and protect the Reef from the impacts of these activities.

Zoning plans and permits, while essential in the establishment of the Marine Park, now limit the Authority's ability to adequately address the scope of issues facing Reef managers in the foreseeable future. The health of the Reef is facing major challenges from a large and growing reef-based tourism industry; commercial and recreational fishing pressures; shipping; rapidly growing urban areas; continued demand for coastal and island based tourist developments and the downstream effects of farming and grazing.

In order to effectively address these issues, there is a need for the Authority and organizations and industries involved in Reef management to take a long-term view to managing the Reef.

WSNL 1997-1

T. Cansfield

DEVELOPING A 25 YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority initiated the development of the 25 Year Strategic Plan in order to get all agencies and industries involved in Reef management working together toward a shared future for the Reef, rather than, potentially, overlapping and conflicting with each other.

The development of the Strategic Plan involved over 60 organizations, including tourism operators, commercial and recreational fishing groups, scientists, conservationists, farmers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and Commonwealth, State and local governments. Independent facilitation of the development process was seen as crucial to the success and ultimate acceptance of the Plan by all stakeholders. A strategic planning consultant was employed throughout the process to design and run the workshops, handle negotiations, advise the Authority and other participants and ensure the process was kept on track.

The development of the Plan involved numerous planning and negotiation workshops, primarily involving a planning team of 15 representatives elected by the larger initial group of stakeholders. After a draft Plan was developed, it was widely circulated to all stakeholders and community groups for comment. The draft Plan was then revised, based on comments received. Deliberate, targeted communication plans for each stakeholder group ensured effective ongoing communication and liaison throughout the revision and finalization process.

After the Plan was finalized, it was endorsed by over 70 organizations. As stakeholders were involved in negotiating the Plan throughout the process, the Plan was seen to reflect stakeholder needs to a great extent. Also, it was decided that the more detailed implementation procedures were to be negotiated over the lifetime of the Plan, to ensure there would be ongoing negotiation and consultation.

The planning process took over three years to complete, but very basically, the process involved the following four steps:

• critical issues for the future of the Great Barrier Reef were identified,
• a shared vision for the Reef for the next 25 years was developed,
• broad 25 year objectives and strategies were developed, and then
• specific 5 year objectives and strategies were developed.

The Strategic Plan is a 25 year vision - an agreed picture of what the Great Barrier Reef should be like in the future. The vision is that in 25 years there will be a healthy environment; sustainable multiple use; maintenance and enhancement of values; integrated management; knowledge based, but cautious, decision-making; and an informed, involved, committed community.

The Strategic Plan also contains agreed long term (25 year) and short-term (5 year) objectives and strategies for all stakeholders to work toward achieving the vision. The objectives and strategies in the Plan cover eight main areas: Conservation; Resource Management; Education, Communication, Consultation and Commitment; Research and Monitoring; Integrated Planning; Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Interests; Management Processes; and Legislation.

Importantly, the Strategic Plan is a framework to be used by all stakeholders in undertaking more detailed planning and management activities. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has used the Plan as the foundation for a number of new Reef management tools. These include: policy statements, management plans, special management areas, best environmental practices, and memoranda of understanding with stakeholder groups. The Strategic Plan guides these tools, sits above them, ensuring they all head in the same direction - toward the 25 year vision.