Chapter 6

1 Page intentionally left blankINSERT IMAGEC hapter 6program summary6. Program summary .. Introduction .. Foundational management .. Strengthening Forward committments ..205 Page intentionally left blankExtract from Great Barrier Reef Coastal Zone Strategic Assessment terms of reference1. Purpose and description of the ProgramThe Strategic Assessment Report must include an overview of the Program including its purpose and the area in which it will be implemented. For the purposes of the strategic assessment, the life of the Program is 25 Program Report will include:1. the purpose of the Program2. a description of the area to which the strategic assessment applies (the strategic assessment area)3. the component legislation, plans, policies and other material that make up the Program, including program commitments4.

2 The likely activities that will occur under the Program5. the state and regional context (environmental, social, and economic) in which the Program operates, including activities outside the strategic assessment area that may influence the Program6. other relevant national, state or regional planning or management frameworks that affect the Program7. a description of how the Program identifies, protects and manages matters of national environment significance (MNES)8. identification of how long the Program will be in effect and the process for review of the Program, including adaptive management9. identification of the relevant authorities responsible for the implementation of the BARRIER REEF COASTAL ZONE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT6-199 Strategic Assessment ReportCHAPTER 6 l program summaryStrategic Assessment Report6.

3 Program summaryValuesManagement1. Background2. Social and economic context3. Assessment approach4. Condition & trend5. Pressures8. Projected condition6. Program summary7. Program effectiveness9. Adaptive management10. Recommended changesSTRATEGIC ASSESSMENT Introduction The GBR coastal zone is a vast area where a range of activities are undertaken, including conservation, tourism, agriculture, recreation, urban development, mining, port development, fishing and shipping. These activities have been continually subject to an evolving range of Queensland Government regulatory tools including legislation and ongoing management programs. Through its Program and supporting legislation and policies, the Queensland Government is committed to ensuring that planning, development and management in the GBR coastal zone is appropriate to ensure that MNES, including the GBR and Wet Tropics WHAs retain the values for which they were declared, and that they continue to be two of the best managed protected areas in the world for future generations.

4 The concept of ESD is embedded in the Queensland environmental regulation and management framework, and therefore, the Queensland Government s Program. The Queensland environmental regulation and management framework requires effective integration of economic, social and environmental considerations in the decision-making processes. The way in which the Program achieves the principles of ESD is addressed in section proposed Program is a collection of commitments and outcomes that will be delivered for MNES within the GBR Coastal Zone over the next 25 years. The Queensland Government s proposed Program includes at its core a set of commitments articulating how the Queensland Government will deliver on the goal of protecting, managing and enhancing MNES in the GBR coastal zone (Figure 1).

5 These commitments build upon the work done collaboratively between GREAT BARRIER REEF COASTAL ZONE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT6-200 Strategic Assessment ReportCHAPTER 6 l program summaryStrategic Assessment Reportthe Australian and Queensland governments to identify high environmental standards that must be met for the Australian Government to consider accreditation of state proposed Program is a framework within which planning and development approval decisions are made. It is supported by a range of management tools designed to achieve the Program objectives and commitments (see Figure 2). This includes legislation, policies, plans and programs, both existing and new, as well as a range of forward Program commitmentsFig Snapshot of management tools that will support achievement of the Program objectives and commitments Goal: To protect, manage and enhance MNES GREAT BARRIER REEF COASTAL ZONE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT6-201 Strategic Assessment ReportCHAPTER 6 l program summaryStrategic Assessment ReportThe Queensland Government s Program is a combination of existing, strengthened and proposed new components.

6 The Program is made up of the following three elements (Figure 3): foundational management existing statutory and non-statutory policies, plans and programs strengthening management proposed new management arrangements that strengthen the Program forward commitments things that the Queensland Government commits to do as part of the Program, including monitoring and reporting. Forward commitments also include implementation of proposed strengthening management arrangements. The program report outlines the package of foundational management measures that the Queensland Government has in place to protect MNES, including the OUV of the GBRWHA. It also describes a range of new measures designed to strengthen management to ensure coastal development occurs in a balanced way, taking into account world renowned environmental values.

7 The program report also outlines how the Queensland Government will work with its partners to implement the outcomes of the strategic assessment. This Chapter provides a brief summary of the Queensland Government Program elements. The Queensland Government s foundational management arrangements are extensive and include various legislation, as well as supporting policies, plans and programs. These policies and programs were not specifically established for MNES, but were designed to more broadly protect Queensland s environmental values. However, in doing so, they also protect values of national interest. They are grouped for the purposes of this report to show how the Program overall identifies MNES, avoids, mitigates and offsets significant impacts and how the Program enhances and improves the condition of MNES.

8 A summary snapshot is provided in Figure 1. Fig The Queensland Government ProgramIdentify MNESP rotected matters search toolMore refined mapping of essential habitat, species sightings, wetlandsScientific assessments of threats to MNESA void MNESN ational parks and protected area estateQueensland s planning and development assessment frameworkPort land use plans, State Development Area development schemes, etc Minimise impacts on MNES (direct/indirect)EIS process and conditions on approvals to minimise direct and indirect impactsAssessment of cumulative impacts 25 pieces of Queensland legislation Fisheries management, shipping regulations, island and national park management Offset residual impacts on MNESQ ueensland current offsets policies (under review)Enhance the condition of MNESReef Water Quality Protection PlanPrioritisation of threatened species recovery actionsNatural Resource Management programs (Everyone s Environment Grants, Qld NRM Investment program)Fig Snapshot of how the foundational management arrangements identify MNES, avoid, minimise or offset impacts and enhance the condition of MNESF oundational managementStrengthening managementForward commitmentsQueensland Government ProgramFoundational managementGREAT BARRIER REEF COASTAL ZONE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT6-202 Strategic Assessment ReportCHAPTER 6 l program summaryStrategic Assessment ReportThe avoid, mitigate, offset approach is central to Queensland Government s Program and is the basis for considering future coastal development.

9 Other parts of the Program are designed to improve the condition or enhance MNES and address the legacy of past impacts. The first priority is avoiding impacts on MNES. This occurs by setting aside important areas in the protected area estate or using the planning system to identify areas for future development that are located away from high value areas important for MNES. Where development cannot avoid MNES, the next priority is to ensure impacts are mitigated as far as possible through the design and construction of the project, through development of management plans or by timing of operations. Mitigation measures are routinely built into the conditions on project approvals. Where impacts cannot be reasonably avoided and impacts are mitigated as much as practicable, residual impacts must be offset to ensure that the value which is being impacted is no worse off.

10 This occurs through the Queensland Government s offsets policies and may take the form of positive management interventions such as restoration of degraded habitat or conversion of land to protected areas. A review of the Queensland Government s approach to offsets is seeking to ensure alignment with the Australian Government s offsets policy where possible and to deliver more strategic outcomes. This hierarchy will effectively ensure that unacceptable impacts on MNES will not occur. With a more strategic approach to offsets, and continued efforts to enhance MNES through other supporting programs, a net gain can be achieved for Program is based around the well-established avoid, mitigate, offset approach which is enshrined in a number of pieces of Queensland legislation. The first priority is to avoid impacts on MNES where possible.