A UNIVERSITY of Queensland academic has been appointed to oversee an audit of changes to NSW marine park zones.
Associate Professor Robert Beeton, has been appointed to lead the audit. Primary Industries Minister, Katrina Hodgkinson, said the audit would be completed at the end of this year and would ensure the right balance between sustainable fishing and conservation of marine biodiversity.
Ms Hodgkinson said other members of the scientific panel would be appointed next month. Beeton chaired the Australian State of the Environment Committee in 2006 and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to environment and resource management in 2009.
“He has worked with governments of all political persuasion and we expect he will be a fiercely independent and non-partisan chair.” the minister told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Shortly after winning government, the Coalition reversed the former Labor government’s changes to the Jervis Bay and Solitary Islands Marine Parks, and grey nurse shark protection zones on the NSW north coast.
Environment Minister, Robyn Parker, said the audit would provide a scientific basis for developing balanced policies for protecting the marine environment and recreational activities.
The government said Professor Beeton would review the effectiveness of marine parks in protecting different habitat types and provide recommendations for further action.
