Independent Scientific Audit of Marine Parks
In 2011 the NSW Government commissioned an Independent Scientific Audit of Marine Parks in NSW. The Audit has now concluded and the independent Secretariat has been disbanded. For any future enquiries regarding marine parks please contact the NSW Marine Parks Authority http://www.mpa.nsw.gov.au/contact.html
The media release of 7 June 2011 announcing the audit can be found here...
The Independent Scientific Audit of Marine Parks in NSW was originally due to be completed by 31 December 2011. Given the large number of submissions and the scope of the material provided to the Audit, Minister Hodgkinson and Minister Parker agreed that the Audit Panel finalise the Audit report in January 2012.
The Audit report was released on Thursday 16 February 2012. The Audit Panel's media release can be found here...
A PDF of the Audit report is available for downloading and printing here...
Public submissions on the report close on 30 June 2012 and can be made using the online submission form or emailed to .
Terms of reference for the independent scientific audit:
- review the domestic and international commitments to conserving marine biodiversity, current actions for meeting these commitments and the effectiveness of these actions;
- review the scientific data provided to the Panel by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Office of Environment & Heritage;
- review the degree to which all threats to the varying types of marine environments have been properly identified and prioritised. The Panel will then consider the degree to which the marine parks process is anticipated to address each significant threat;
- review the specific science relating to the effectiveness of marine parks in protecting different habitat types and recommend further action and/or alternative management approaches if necessary;
- recommend ways to increase the cost-effectiveness of marine park zoning arrangements;
- recommend ways to improve inclusion of social and economic impacts into decision-making on marine parks, in particular the design and management of marine parks;
- identify and recommend ways to address the most significant information gaps hindering robust, evidence-based decision-making on marine parks;
- make recommendations on how all current potential threats to the marine environment could be effectively addressed and which bodies or agencies would be most appropriate to address them; and
- make other recommendations as appropriate, related to achieving better management of the NSW marine environment.