Prototype Standard - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Independent review of the EPBC Act

Matter-specific - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Appendix 1 - Prototype National Environmental Standard for matters of national environmental significance (MNES). This section provides a prototype standard for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This should be read in conjunction with the overarching standards for MNES and the existing requirements of the EPBC Act.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park has a special status, as it is the substantial part of a World Heritage area as well as a separate matter of national environmental significance.

Element	Description
Environmental Outcome	The environment, biodiversity and heritage values of the Great Barrier Reef are sustained for current and future generations.
National Standard	Actions must provide for the long-term protection and conservation of the environment, biodiversity and heritage values of the Great Barrier Reef Region. To ensure this, actions must be consistent with: The Management Plan for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The Objectives and Guiding Principles of the Great Barrier Reef Intergovernmental Agreement 2015. The Objectives of the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan. Requirements for the Commonwealth marine area and World Heritage and National Heritage are addressed in the Standards relevant to those MNES. These requirements will almost always be also relevant to actions relating to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Further Information	Great Barrier Reef Intergovernmental Agreement 2015 Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan 2017-2022 Reef 2050 Plan Cumulative Impact Management Policy Reef 2050 Plan Net Benefit Policy EPBC Act Referral Guidelines for the Outstanding Universal Value of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area Additional policies, plans and position statements are available from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority