Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00100:front:0:p15
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00100
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 44178–47086

approximately 1.63 million km² of temperate and sub-polar waters and extends from state waters to the limit of the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone.
First Nations people are rights holders and caretakers of Sea Country. They have managed and cared for Sea Country within the south-east marine region for tens of thousands of years and kept it healthy. Coastal areas of south-east Australia were amongst the most densely populated regions of pre-colonial Australia. At least 17 distinct First Nations language groups owned, occupied and used coastal land and seas in the region. Vast areas of the region were once dry land that connected mainland Australia to Tasmania, and this land was traversed and lived on for thousands of years. These ancestral landscapes form part of the cultural landscapes important to First Nations people today. First Nations people continue to use and manage the coastal and marine environments of the region as a resource and to maintain cultural identity, health
and wellbeing.
The south-east marine region is the most intensely used marine region in Australia. Human activities in the region include commercial fishing, oil and gas production, shipping, tourism, recreational fishing and boating, scientific research, and emerging activities such as offshore windfarms, carbon management technologies, offshore aquaculture and space rocket launches. The marine environment supports regional economic growth, employment and social wellbeing.
The south-east marine region provides a substantial component of Australia's domestic and exported seafood via fisheries such as the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery and rock lobster and tuna fisheries. At the time of making this plan, the Australian and Tasmanian governments are also working together to facilitate trials for offshore aquaculture
in the region.
The south-east marine region plays an important role in Australia's energy production. The Bass Strait is a major supplier of gas for Australian east coast domestic users, and ongoing gas supply has been identified as crucial to Australia's transition to Net Zero emissions by 2050.
At the time of making this plan, the Australian Government is in the process of declaring areas as being suitable for offshore renewable energy infrastructure, including offshore wind. Three of Australia's 6 areas are within the broader Bass Strait area, which has been identified as a prime location for offshore windfarms due to its strong and consistent winds and its proximity to areas of high electricity demand.
The region is a global marine warming hotspot  an area where the rate of warming over the past 50 years is in the top 10% globally. Pressures in the region are expected to increase during the life of this plan, including due to climate change (Section 2.4).
The south-east marine region includes ecosystems spanning depths from the continental shelf to