Outcome:	1. Environment		Question No: 10
Sub Outcome:  	Australians working together towards the ecologically sustainable management of the oceans

Division/Agency:	Marine Division 
Topic: 	Marine Protected Areas

Hansard Page ECITA:	Written question on notice

Senator Allison asked: 

The IUCN World Parks Congress held last year in Durban called on the International community to establish “strictly protected areas that amount to at least 20-30% of each habitat” in marine and coastal areas by 2012.  What percentage of the South-east region bioregions do you expect will be protected in MPAs, and how much of that will be “strictly protected”? Will this put us on track to reach the IUCN's 2012 target?

Answer:

Participants in the Marine Cross-Cutting Theme called on the international community as a whole to greatly increase the marine and coastal area managed in marine protected areas by 2012, noting that these areas should be extensive and include strictly protected areas that amount to at least 20-30% of each habitat.  It is not Australian Government policy to pursue specific percentage protection targets.

Outcome:	1.1 Environment		Question No: 11
Sub Outcome:  	Australians working together towards the ecologically sustainable management of the oceans

Division/Agency: 	Marine Division
Topic: 	Marine Protected Areas
Hansard Page ECITA:	Written question on notice

Senator Allison asked:
MPAs are a fundamental element of ecosystem-based regional marine planning, something that Australia's Oceans Policy has as one of its aims. As the agency responsible for preparing regional marine plans, what has been the National Oceans Office's role in the MPA identification and selection process?   

Will a candidate system of MPAs be included within the final South-east Regional Marine Plan?  If not, why not?
Answer/s:
Throughout the development of the South-east Regional Marine Plan, the National Oceans Office has worked closely with the MPA Taskforce, consistent with Oceans Policy’s intention that, as far as possible, the National Representative System of MPAs be developed as part of regional marine planning (Oceans Policy, Vol.1, p.23).  This working relationship is going to be strengthened by the recent merging of the NOO and the Taskforce in a new Marine Division.   The greatest contribution of the NOO to the identification of broad areas of interest for candidate MPAs has been the Interim South-east Marine Bioregionalisation, which consolidates a range of datasets, giving us a picture of the distribution of biodiversity across the region. The NOO has also contributed to the development of the specifications to guide the selection of candidate areas within the broad areas of interest.

At this stage, it is expected that a system of candidate MPAs will form part of the South-east Regional Marine Plan supplement due for release in the second half of 2005.

Outcome:	1. Environment		Question No: 12
Sub Outcome:  	Australians working together towards the ecologically sustainable management of the oceans

Division/Agency: 	Marine Division
Topic: 	Marine Protected Areas
Hansard Page ECITA:	Written question on notice

Senator Allison asked:
What amount has been spent on the processes for identifying and selecting Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Murray and Zeehan Broad Areas of Interest in the South-east Marine Region?

Answer:
$552,000, some of which will have an impact on the development of candidate MPAs in the remaining Broad Areas of Interest.