Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Subsection 368(2)
NOTICE INVITING COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSAL TO PREPARE SIX DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR 44 AUSTRALIAN MARINE PARKS
The Director of National Parks proposes to prepare six draft management plans for 44 Australian Marine Parks (within the North, North-west, South-west and Temperate East networks and the Coral Sea Marine Park).
The Director now invites interested parties and members of the public to make suggestions on the future management of these marine parks. Comments must clearly identify the marine park which is the subject of the comments. If comments are intended to apply to more than one or all 44 marine parks, this must be clearly expressed.
When the new management plans commence they will guide the management of the below 44 Australian Marine Parks for the next 10 years. The current management plans for the North, North-west, South-west and Temperate East networks and the Coral Sea Marine Park expire in 2028.
Australian Marine Parks to be included in the new management plans:
- Coral Sea Marine Park
North Network Marine Parks
- Joseph Bonaparte Gulf Marine Park
- Oceanic Shoals Marine Park
- Arafura Marine Park
- Arnhem Marine Park
- Wessel Marine Park
- Limmen Marine Park
- Gulf of Carpentaria Marine Park
- West Cape York Marine Park
North-west Network Marine Parks
- Shark Bay Marine Park
- Carnarvon Canyon Marine Park
- Ningaloo Marine Park
- Gascoyne Marine Park
- Montebello Marine Park
- Dampier Marine Park
- Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park
- Roebuck Marine Park
- Mermaid Reef Marine Park
- Argo‑Rowley Terrace Marine Park
- Kimberley Marine Park
- Ashmore Reef Marine Park
- Cartier Island Marine Park
South-west Network Marine Parks
- Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park
- Western Kangaroo Island Marine Park
- Western Eyre Marine Park
- Murat Marine Park
- Great Australian Bight Marine Park
- Twilight Marine Park
- Eastern Recherche Marine Park
- South-west Corner Marine Park
- Bremer Marine Park
- Geographe Marine Park
- Perth Canyon Marine Park
- Two Rocks Marine Park
- Jurien Marine Park
- Abrolhos Marine Park
Temperate East Network Marine Parks
- Gifford Marine Park*
- Norfolk Marine Park**
- Lord Howe Marine Park
- Central Eastern Marine Park
- Solitary Islands Marine Park
- Cod Grounds Marine Park
- Hunter Marine Park
- Jervis Marine Park
*Gifford Marine Park is proposed to become part of an expanded Lord Howe Marine Park. See ‘Proposal to proclaim changes to Norfolk Marine Park, Lord Howe Marine Park and Gifford Marine Park’ at consult.dcceew.gov.au/.
**Norfolk Marine Park is proposed to be managed under its own plan and not part of the Temperate East Network, as the expanded Norfolk Island Marine Park. See ‘Proposal to proclaim changes to Norfolk Marine Park, Lord Howe Marine Park and Gifford Marine Park’ at consult.dcceew.gov.au/.
Comments will inform the preparation of the draft management plans for the above parks. The draft management plans will be made available for further comment in accordance with subsection 368(5) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) before they are finalised.
How to provide comments online
Comments should be submitted through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s Have Your Say Portal at: consult.dcceew.gov.au/
Comments must be received no later than 4:00 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (4:30 pm Lord Howe Standard Time and 5:00 pm Norfolk Time), on Wednesday 30 September 2026. Comments received after the consultation period closes or via other means may not be considered in accordance with the EPBC Act.
Alternative options for providing hard-copy comments
Hard copy submissions can be sent to:
Marine Planning Section
Parks Australia Division
PO Box 385
KINGSTON
TAS 7050
For residents of Norfolk Island hard-copy comments can be provided to the Norfolk Island National Park Tender Box with the following address:
Marine Planning Section
Marine and Island Parks Branch
Norfolk Island National Park Office
Mt Pitt Rd
Norfolk Island 2899
Hard copies must be sent by 4:00 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (4:30 pm Lord Howe Standard Time and 5:00 pm Norfolk Island time), Wednesday 30 September 2026. Hard copy comments sent after the consultation period closes or via other means may not be considered in accordance with the EPBC Act.
Related consultation
At the same time, the Direct of National Parks is undertaking a separate process, seeking comments on proposals to proclaim expanded Norfolk and Lord Howe marine parks.
Comments should be submitted through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s Have Your Say Portal for the ‘Proposal to prepare six draft management plans for 44 Australian Marine Parks ’ at: consult.dcceew.gov.au/
If you wish to provide a hard copy submission on both the preparation of draft management plans and the proposed proclamations, please clearly identify this so it can be considered as part of the relevant consultation process.
Privacy notice
If you choose to make a submission to this consultation process, we will collect personal information about you. Please review this notice before submitting your response.
The Director of National Parks (the Director) is subject to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. In carrying out its responsibility for managing Commonwealth reserves, the Director is assisted by Parks Australia, a division of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (the Department).
The Privacy Act regulates how the Director (“we” or “us”) may collect, use, disclose and store personal information. We also hold personal information in accordance with the Archives Act 1983 (Cth).
We use technology by Converlens Pty Ltd to provide this consultation service and website. Our contractual arrangements require Converlens to comply with the Privacy Act and store data securely in Australia.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) programs to assist in the analysis of submissions, which may include processing your personal information. Our use of these tools will be governed by Australian Government responsible AI guidance (digital.gov.au/policy/ai/staff-guidance-public-generative-ai). All outputs will be subject to review by our staff.
What personal information will be collected
Personal information means information or an opinion about an individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether or not it is true or recorded in material form.
Sensitive information is a subset of personal information and attracts a higher level of privacy protection. Sensitive information includes information or opinions about an individual's racial or ethnic origin (e.g. indigeneity), a political opinion or association, religious beliefs or affiliations, trade or professional associations and memberships, a criminal record and health information.
By submitting a response to the consultation process, you consent to the Director collecting your personal information (which also includes sensitive information) provided in your response to the consultation process. This may include:
- your name, address, email address, and telephone number;
- your opinions about the management of the Australian Marine Parks and how the proposed management may impact your business;
- trade and/or professional associations and memberships;
- any other personal information (including sensitive information) provided by you in response to the consultation process.
How we will use and disclose your personal information
The Director may use any personal information (including sensitive information) provided in your submission to:
- Contact you about your response to the consultation process, including for further information, feedback or to conduct a survey either by us or our representative;
- Inform you about the outcomes of the consultation process and/or other matters that we consider may be relevant to you;
- The personal information (including sensitive information) provided by you in response to the consultation process will be disclosed to staff in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the Minister for the Environment and Water, and the Minister’s office for the purpose of:
- Informing the development of the draft management plans for the 44 Australian Marine Parks
- reporting on the outcomes of the consultation process, and
- for related purposes.
We will not use or disclose personal information without your consent, except where authorised or required by law.
Public disclosure
Your submission, including any personal or sensitive information contained within, will only be published or made publicly available where authorised or required by law.
We reserve the right to edit, and/ or not consider or publish submissions that contain potentially offensive, defamatory, or irrelevant material.
Submissions marked as confidential may be disclosed on a confidential basis as authorised or required by law.
Anonymous submissions
You can provide an anonymous submission. However, this means we cannot contact you about your submission, the consultation process, or other matters relevant to you. It may also limit our ability to take your submission into account.
Personal information of other individuals
If you need to include personal information about another individual in your submission, you will need to inform that individual of the contents of this statement and obtain their consent to us collecting their personal information.
Privacy Policy and Contact Us
For more information on how we handle personal information, how to access or correct your personal information, and how to make a complaint, see our Privacy Policy at dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/national-parks/parks-australia/privacy-policy.
The Coverlens privacy policy is available at converlens.com/privacy.html.
If you have a question about this privacy notice, please use the Contact Us link on our website at parksaustralia.gov.au/about/contact-us/.
Further information
Further information on the management plan review is available at: australianmarineparks.gov.au/management/consultations-reviews/review-2018-australian-marine-park-management-plans/
Dated: 24/07/2026
Ronald (Ricky) Archer
Director of National Parks