Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00070:body:0:p4
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00070
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 12786–15977

1.            Australian marine parks

Christmas Island Marine Park is one of a network of Australian marine parks that is managed by Parks Australia under the direction of the Commonwealth Director of National Parks. These marine parks have been established in Commonwealth waters across all Australian marine regions as part of Australia's National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA). Marine parks have also been established by state and territory governments in their respective waters as part of this system.

Christmas Island National Park is also managed by Parks Australia. It has protected much of Christmas Island's fringing coral reef since 1989. However, until March 2022, when Christmas Island Marine Park and Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park were established, the waters of Australia's Indian Ocean Territories were a key gap in the NRSMPA. Like Christmas Island National Park and other Australian marine parks, Christmas Island Marine Park is a Commonwealth Reserve, proclaimed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act).

   1.            Context for management

Christmas Island is one of Australia's Indian Ocean Territories and is governed by the Australian Government. An Administrator appointed by the Governor-General of Australia represents the Australian Government in these territories.

At the time this plan is made, the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) is responsible for overseeing administration of the Indian Ocean Territories, including the management of fisheries on Christmas Island. Most state‑level services such as education, water, electricity generation and distribution and community services are provided by Western Australian Government agencies through service delivery arrangements with the Commonwealth. Local government functions and services are provided by the Shire of Christmas Island.

The Director of National Parks is required to prepare management plans for Australian marine parks. In recognition of the importance of the marine environment, Commonwealth marine areas, including marine park areas, are listed as matters of national environmental significance under the EPBC Act.

This plan complements a range of Commonwealth, state and territory laws, as well as international conventions and agreements that relate to protection of the marine environment (Schedule 1). Some of the ways in which the Australian Government protects the marine environment through national environmental law are management plans for Australian marine parks; recovery plans for threatened species; and threat abatement plans for key threats, such as marine invasive species and marine debris.

Effective management of Christmas Island Marine Park will be achieved by working in partnership with local communities, marine park users and other government agencies. In particular:

     * a locally based community advisory committee will be established to advise on the implementation of this plan (Section 3.3 (Community advisory committee)).

     * the Director will build on existing relationships with