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Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Christmas Island Marine Park Management Plan) Instrument 2025

I, Tanya Plibersek, Minister for the Environment and Water, approve, under subparagraph 370(3)(b)(i) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, this instrument, that is a legislative instrument made by me on the day of this approval under subsection 371(1) of that Act.

Dated  17  January 2025

Tanya Plibersek

Minister for the Environment

How to cite this document

Director of National Parks, Christmas Island Marine Park Management Plan 2025

Director of National Parks Australian business number: 13 051 694 963

This plan is available online via parksaustralia.gov.au/marine.

This document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International licence, with the exception of the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia, government agency logos, content supplied by third parties and all images.

For licence conditions see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

ISBN: 978-0-646-89796-7

Cover photo: Christmas Island red crab (Chris Bray)

Contents

Vision.........................................................................5

Objectives......................................................................6

Foreword.......................................................................7

Acknowledgements...............................................................8

1.0 Introduction.................................................................9

  1.1 Introductory provisions........................................................9

  1.2 Management plan overview...................................................10

  1.3 Australian marine parks......................................................10

  1.4 Context for management.....................................................11

2.0 Christmas Island Marine Park...................................................12

  2.1 About Christmas Island Marine Park.............................................13

  2.2 People and community.......................................................16

  2.3 Values of Christmas Island Marine Park..........................................17

   2.3.1 Natural values.........................................................18

   2.3.2 Cultural values.........................................................23

   2.3.3 Social and economic values...............................................24

  2.4 Pressures and drivers in Christmas Island Marine Park...............................26

   2.4.1 Climate and environmental change..........................................26

   2.4.2 Marine debris and other pollution...........................................27

   2.4.3 Marine invasive species and disease.........................................27

   2.4.4 Coastal development and infrastructure.......................................28

   2.4.5 Fishing pressure.......................................................28

   2.4.6 Recreational and tourism activities..........................................29

  2.5 Christmas Island National Park.................................................29

  2.6 Management of values, pressures and drivers......................................29

3.0 Management programs and actions...............................................31

  3.1 Management programs, goals, desired outcomes and actions...........................31

  3.2 Monitoring, evaluation and reporting.............................................34

  3.3 Community advisory committee................................................34

4.0 Management of activities.......................................................36

  4.1 Zone categories, names and objectives...........................................36

  4.2 Outline of activity management.................................................37

  4.3 Prescriptions for activities.....................................................38

   4.3.1 General use and access..................................................40

   4.3.2 Commercial shipping....................................................40

   4.3.3 Commercial fishing.....................................................41

   4.3.4 Commercial aquaculture..................................................42

   4.3.5 Commercial media......................................................43

   4.3.6 Commercial tourism.....................................................43

   4.3.7 Recreational fishing.....................................................43

   4.3.8 Mining...............................................................44

   4.3.9 Structures and works....................................................44

   4.3.10 Research, monitoring and restoration........................................45

   4.3.11 National security and emergency response....................................46

   4.3.12 Waste management.....................................................46

   4.3.13 Non-commercial remotely piloted aircraft (drones)...............................47

   4.3.14 Activities governed by the EPBC Regulations..................................48

   4.3.15 New activities and authorisations...........................................49

  4.4 Making decisions about activities...............................................49

   4.4.1 Decision making.......................................................49

   4.4.2 Assessment under other processes..........................................50

   4.4.3 Review of decisions.....................................................50

  4.5 Authorisation of allowable activities..............................................51

   4.5.1 Permits..............................................................51

   4.5.2 Class approvals........................................................51

   4.5.3 Activity licences and leases...............................................53

Schedule 1 International agreements.................................................54

Schedule 2 Select references.......................................................56

Glossary......................................................................58

Vision

Visi

愿景

The vision statement was developed with input from a range of Christmas Island community members and is designed to reflect the island community's aspirations for the local marine environment and the Christmas Island Marine Park.

Note on translations: Christmas Islanders have diverse heritage –