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Last chance to have your say on Commonwealth Marine Reserves

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Image: Scott Thomas

THERE is only a few days left in this first statutory public consultation period to provide comment on the Director of National Parks’ proposal to prepare management plans for commonwealth marine reserves.

Following completion and release of the reports of the independent Commonwealth Marine Reserves Review on 5 September 2016, the Director of National Parks commenced the process of developing new management plans for four Commonwealth marine reserve networks (the South-west, North-west, North, and Temperate East networks) and the Coral Sea reserve.

More information on how to have your say is available here. Comments provided through the statutory public consultation process, including comments and views on the recommendations contained in the Review reports, will inform the development of draft management plans by the Director of National Parks. It is anticipated the draft plans will be released publicly for further input and community consultation in early 2017.

Comments may be sent until Tuesday 11th October 2016.

Comments must be sent by one of the following means:

1. Email to: managementplanning.marine@environment.gov.au

2. Post. Comments can be sent free of charge to:

Marine Reserves Management Planning Comments
Department of the Environment and Energy
Reply Paid 787
Canberra ACT 2601

Please note comments sent after Tuesday 11th October 2016 or to an address other than those listed above may not be taken into account by the Director of National Parks.

Until new management plans come into effect there are no ‘on the water’ changes for marine reserves in the South-west, North-west, North, Temperate East and Coral Sea. The rules that were in place before November 2012 continue to apply. The South-east Network of marine reserves was not subject to the independent review and is managed under the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network Management Plan 2013-23.

If you have further questions about the submissions process, please get in touch with Management Planning team on 1800 069 352.

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