Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00100:front:0:p9
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00100
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 27097–30190

Director of National Parks (the Director) has primary responsibility for the administration, protection, conservation and management of Australian Marine Parks.
Under the EPBC Act, the Director is required to make management plans for the protection and conservation of marine parks and must manage the marine parks consistently with the relevant management plan. Additionally, the Director may make a single management plan for the management of more than one marine park.
The marine parks in the South-east Marine Parks Network (South-east Network) were established between 1999 and 2007 (see Schedule 1 for full details). The first management plan for the South-east Network came into effect in 2013 and expired in 2023.
Sections 354 and 354A of the EPBC Act and Division 12 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 (EPBC Regulations) set out offence provisions which prohibit certain actions from being taken in marine parks unless the action is taken in accordance with a management plan for that marine park. This plan sets out what actions may be undertaken in the South-east Network, and the conditions under which they may be undertaken. This plan also complements, and is in addition to, a range of other Commonwealth, state and territory laws, as well as international conventions and agreements that relate to protection of the marine environment (Schedule 2).
Other Commonwealth, state and territory government agencies also have statutory roles in managing fisheries, tourism, petroleum activities, renewable energy operations, other offshore industries, shipping, maritime pollution and biosecurity threats. This plan does not purport to provide approval or authorise actions and applications under other Commonwealth, state and territory laws.

    1.4           Australian Marine Parks
Australian Marine Parks are areas of ocean within Commonwealth marine areas, which start at the outer edge of state and territory waters, generally 3 nm (approximately 5.5 km) from the shore, and extend to the outer boundary of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone, 200 nm (approximately 370 km) from the shore. Australian Marine Parks are specifically designated and managed to protect the marine environment while also providing opportunities for sustainable commercial and recreational use. Australian Marine Parks play an important role in:
      * protecting and conserving representative examples of marine biodiversity and associated ecosystems, including areas associated with unique or rare geological features
      * protecting critical sites for reproduction and growth of species
      * increasing the resilience of marine ecosystems against pressures such as pollution, climate change, overuse of resources and marine pests

      * protecting important tangible and intangible First Nations values, such as areas now under sea that were part of the landscape used by First Nations people during the late Pleistocene (the last ice age)
      * regulating human use to ensure activities are undertaken in an ecologically
        sustainable