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Review of 5 management plans

A green turtle swimming over hard corals. Photo by Nigel Marsh

A green turtle swimming over hard corals. Photo by Nigel Marsh

Parks Australia is preparing to review management plans for 4 Australian Marine Park networks and the Coral Sea Marine Park. These plans expire on 30 June 2028 and cover 44 marine parks in total.

Current management plans

Review process

The review process involves:

  • Independent evaluations for 5 2018 management plans – assessing implementation of the plans against their intended objectives and outcomes. This includes interviews with First Nations peoples and key stakeholders.
  • The statutory management planning process, including:
    • Public consultation on the proposal to prepare new management plans – the public can advise on what they want considered in the new plans. 
    • Public consultation on the draft management plans – for example, the proposed zoning and broader approach to management.

The Australian Government has committed to protecting 30% of Australia’s marine environment in highly protected zoning (IUCN 1a and II) by 2030 in support of global targets for biodiversity conservation. This will be undertaken in consultation with stakeholders. The review is the primary opportunity to achieve this target. To meet the commitment a further 523,980km2 will need to be granted highly protected status, in addition to the current 2.2 million km2. For more information on achieving 30 by 30, please visit Achieving 30 by 30 - DCCEEW.

A First Nations Reference Group has been established to provide high-level advice to Parks Australia to ensure First Nations perspectives, rights and knowledge are appropriately reflected in the design and delivery of the review process.

Engagement plans will be developed in 2026 to support participation of key marine sectors in the review process.

Independent evaluation

The first step of the broader review process is an independent evaluation of how the 2018-2028 management plans have been implemented across the 4 Australian Marine Park networks and the Coral Sea Marine Park.

It will look at the implementation of the management programs, the progress made toward intended outcomes, and how the plans have supported marine park values and use. The findings will inform the development of the new management plans.

An example of a recent independent evaluation for the first South-east Marine Parks Network Management Plan can be found at: South-east review 2022-2024.

ORIMA Research has been chosen to deliver the independent evaluation and will conduct consultations in the first half of 2026. The final reports are anticipated in late May 2026.  

To find out more about the independent evaluation or to participate, please contact ORIMA at: independentevaluation@orima.com.

Evaluation timeline

ActivityTimeframe
Project establishmentOctober - November 2025
Evaluation framework developmentDecember 2025 - February 2026
Desktop reviewJanuary - February 2026
Stakeholder consultationsFebruary - March 2026
Analysis and reportingApril - May 2026

Background on Australia’s Marine Protected Areas commitment

Over two decades ago, all governments in Australia committed to a National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA). The primary goal of the NRSMPA is to establish and manage a comprehensive, adequate and representative system of marine protected areas.

The NRSMPA comprises 60 Australian Marine Parks managed by the Director of National Parks, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve, and over 250 marine protected areas managed by state and territory agencies.

The 60 Australian Marine Parks managed by Parks Australia cover around 43%, or 3.8 million km2, of Australia’s marine environment. The 10-year statutory management plans under the EPBC Act set out Parks Australia’s approach to manage these marine areas.

Contact

To find out more about the broader review, contact Parks Australia at: marineparksreview@dcceew.gov.au.