Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00326:front:0:p13
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00326
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 34411–37621

The Director will also consider any positive impacts associated with allowing an activity, such as socio-economic or cultural benefits, and ensure that activities are undertaken in a manner that minimises negative impacts.
For some marine parks, such as the Great Australian Bight Marine Park, there is a relatively strong understanding of park values. Where there is less information, environmental features are used as indicators for the types of species and habitats likely to occur. These include bioregions, water depth, seafloor features and key ecological features (Schedule 3).
As understanding of marine park values improves over the life of this plan, the Director will make new information about values available on the Parks Australia website. Other important sources of information on values (also on the Department's website) include:
  * Species profile and threats database for protected species;
  * Directory of important wetlands in Australia;
  * Australian heritage database for natural, historic and Indigenous heritage places;
  * Australian national shipwreck database for known shipwrecks;
  * National Conservation Values Atlas;
  * Marine bioregional plan for the South-west Marine Region (2012); and
  * South-west marine bioregional plan: bioregional profile (2008).
Table 2.1 Summary of values in the South-west Network
Statement of significance
The South-west Network was designed to protect representative examples of the region's ecosystems and biodiversity in accordance with the Goals and principles for the establishment of the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas in Commonwealth waters (ANZECC, 1998).
Natural values
Bioregions—the South-west Marine Region is divided into areas of ocean with broadly similar characteristics based on the distribution of marine species and seafloor features. The South-west Network represents examples of the region's marine environments including ecosystems, species and habitats. There are nine bioregions represented in the Network (Schedule 2).
Key ecological features—elements of the marine environment considered to be of importance for biodiversity or ecosystem function and integrity, represented in the Network are:
  * Albany Canyons Group and adjacent shelf break;
  * Ancient coastline at the 90–120 m depth contour;
  * Cape Mentelle upwelling;
  * Commonwealth marine environment surrounding the Houtman Abrolhos Islands;
  * Commonwealth marine environment surrounding the Recherche Archipelago;
  * Commonwealth marine environment within and adjacent to Geographe Bay;
  * Commonwealth marine environment within and adjacent to the west-coast inshore lagoons;
  * Diamantina Fracture Zone;
  * Kangaroo Island Pool, canyons and adjacent shelf break, and Eyre Peninsula upwellings;
  * Naturaliste Plateau;
  * Perth Canyon and adjacent shelf break, and other west-coast canyons;
  * Wallaby Saddle;
  * Western demersal slope and associated fish communities; and
  * Western rock lobster.
Species and habitats—all species and habitats are important components of the ecosystems represented in the South-west Network. Many species are protected under the EPBC Act and international agreements such as the