Red fan coral. Photo: Wondrous World Images
Red fan coral. Photo: Wondrous World Images

As for all Australian Marine Parks, scientific information and stakeholder consultation were a key to the design and establishment of the Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands marine parks. This page provides information about the steps taken to establish these marine parks and their first management plans between 2021 and 2025.

Establishing the marine parks – 2021 and 2022

Science and research

Using the best available scientific research and analysis is an important part of any marine park design process.

We engaged James Cook University to review the existing research on the inshore waters of the IOTs and used this review to identify the likely key ecological features and biologically important areas of these environments. Their report is available below:

We know that the offshore waters of the Indian Ocean Territories contain a range of unique seafloor features, habitats and species, particularly seamounts and deep-sea plains and ridgelines. However, prior to 2021 there has had been limited scientific research in these waters. To help fill this research gap and support design and management of the IOT marine parks, Parks Australia supported two voyages by the CSIRO Research Vessel Investigator to explore deep sea IOT marine environments. We also engaged Museums Victoria’s deep-sea specialist and lead scientist for the voyages, Dr Tim O’Hara to use existing information to prepare reports on the natural values of these offshore waters, and to identify likely key ecological features and biologically important areas.

Initial reports were prepared based on the information available prior to the 2021 and 2022 voyages, and these were updated by Dr O’Hara with new information from those voyages:

The work of Museums Victoria and James Cook University builds on a significant synthesis report by CSIRO from 2009: Conservation values in Commonwealth waters of the Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Island remote Australian territories.

Find out more about the science of establishing and managing Australian Marine Parks.

Community consultation

Consultation with different community and stakeholder groups and individuals is crucial to marine park design and management. Marine users provide critical information about the marine environment and how it is used for social and economic purposes.

Working with communities in the Indian Ocean Territories

During February and March 2021, Parks Australia commenced consultations with Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands communities about the possibility of establishing marine parks at the islands.  IOT communities use their local waters on a daily basis and we wanted to ensure that the views and aspirations of these communities were at the forefront of the marine park planning process. The community members we met with during this initial phase of consultation expressed a range of views about marine parks. Following this initial consultation, we visited the IOT in April, May and June to work with the community to co-design the proposed marine parks.

Draft marine park proposal

Following initial consultations and co-design work with IOT communities, we developed and released for public comment, a consultation draft proposal for the establishment of marine parks in Australia’s Indian Ocean Territories (Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands).

The draft proposal was available for comment from 16 July to 13 August 2021 and in response, we received 60 unique submissions from a range of stakeholders including: IOT organisations, groups/associations and individuals; mainland commercial fishers and representative bodies; recreational and local fishing groups; research and conservation organisations and mainland-based individuals. We also received 15,184 ‘campaign’ submissions facilitated by the conservation sector.

Leading up to the release of the consultation draft and during the comment period we contacted and/or met with a broad range of stakeholders with interests in the marine environment surrounding these islands, including members of the commercial and recreational fishing sector, marine science community, and the conservation sector. We also visited Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands to seek feedback from local communities on the consultation draft.

Feedback on the consultation draft was considered in preparing a Proclamation proposal for IOT marine parks.

Proclamation proposal

Between 5 October and 6 December 2021, the Director of National Parks invited comments from all interested stakeholders and members of the public on a proclamation proposal for marine parks in Australia’s Indian Ocean Territories—Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands. 

In response to the proclamation proposal, we received 45 unique submissions from a range of stakeholders including: IOT organisations, groups/associations and individuals; mainland-based commercial fishing concession holders and representative bodies; recreational and local fishing groups; research and conservation organisations and mainland-based individuals. We also received 12,733 ‘campaign’ submissions facilitated by the conservation sector.

The Director of National Parks considered all comments that were received through this public consultation process and provided a report to the Minister for the Environment in accordance with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The marine parks were proclaimed by under the Act in March 2022.

Preparing management plans for the marine parks – 2022 to 2025

Following the establishment of the marine parks, Parks Australia continued to work closely with Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands communities on the preparation of management plans for the marine park. Island-based advisory committees were established to provide local perspectives and expertise on the development of the management plans for the marine parks. 7 meetings of each advisory committee were held to assist with preparation of the draft management plans.

In accordance with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, two periods of public consultation were held to inform the preparation of the management plans.

  • The first public consultation to inform the preparation of draft management plans for the marine parks was held from 6 July to 17 August 2023. 11,803 written submissions were received and the Report on the proposal to prepare draft IOT marine park management plans provides a summary of the comments received and how these were incorporated into the draft management plans.
  • The second round of public consultation sought comments on draft management plans and was open from 9 August to 19 September 2024. 8,555 written submissions were received and helped inform the final management plans that are now in effect. The Director of National Parks’ report to the Minister for the Environment outlines the comments received and how they helped to finalise the management plans for the Minister’s approval.

More information

Contact marineparks@dcceew.gov.au