The State Government of New South Wales has introduced the Marine Estate Management Bill 2014 to the NSW Parliament, which will enshrine reforms to the management of the marine estate in legislation.
Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, and Minister for the Environment, Rob Stokes, said the bill would put in place the legislative framework to deliver a comprehensive new approach to the management of the marine estate.
The NSW marine estate includes marine waters out to three nautical miles, estuaries, coastal wetlands, lakes and lagoons, and adjacent land influenced by ocean processes.
"This Bill represents a monumental shift in the way the marine estate is managed in NSW," Ms Hodgkinson said.
"In 2011, the government commissioned the Independent Scientific Audit of Marine Parks in NSW. In February 2013, the government then released its official response to that audit, which announced a new framework for the management of the marine estate.
"Our new approach is about establishing a foundation for robust, scientific and evidence-based management of the marine estate into the future," concluded Ms Hodgkinson.
Image Source: Justin Merrigan