The management of use and impacts and the achievement of reasonable sustainable use must involve the people whose use and activities relate to the Reef. There are extensive formal and informal means for achieving community input and involvement in the work of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. The Great Barrier Reef Consultative Committee has been operational since 1976. It is a statutory body of the Commonwealth, separate to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, that advises both the Authority and the Minister. The Committee is distinct from other community advisory committees that deal with marine issues in the Great Barrier Reef Region.
Membership reflects the diverse nature of the stakeholders in the Great Barrier Reef.
Members are not nominated as representatives of particular organisations, they are appointed in their own right by virtue of their personal expertise and experience in relation to the Reef. In making these appointments, the Minister ensures that, as far as practicable, those selected cover the range of user groups and interests associated with the Great Barrier Reef. Members are appointed for a three-year term. Professor Helene Marsh of James Cook University is the elected Chairperson for the period 1998 2000. The Committee provides an important channel of communication between the Authority, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and stakeholders.