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'Marine Plan for Spencer Gulf' By Hon. Iain Evans

image of I EvansAs a part of SeaWeek, the State Government has announced it will develop a pilot marine plan for Spencer Gulf in order to balance recreation and conservation in the area.

The Marine Plan will provide guidelines for decision-makers when using the Spencer Gulf. The main aim is to make sure activities such as shipping, fishing and aquaculture can co-exist with each other without causing damage in the long term to the marine environment.

The Spencer Gulf pilot Marine Plan is the first of future marine plans to be developed for South Australian waters and will help ensure that areas with high marine conservation values are recognised, valued, and protected.

This process will commence with a pilot plan for Spencer Gulf. This area has been selected due to the significant level of competing demands on resource use. A draft Spencer Gulf Marine Plan will be completed by November 2001 and will involve broad community and stakeholder input through a reference group.

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Key points

  • The Marine and Estuarine strategy for South Australia highlighted concerns with a single sectoral approach to marine and estuarine management.
  • The Marine Plan allows for multiple uses in marine plan areas.
  • The aim is to encourage a range of compatible activities &endash; each with different assigned priorities for the particular plan.
  • Input from key stakeholders will form a fundamental basis for the plan.
  • Equity and sustainability use are the two key outcomes of the plan.
  • The management of new developments within the zone (such as the Spencer Gulf) would be done with reference to relevant existing legislation, such as Fisheries Act 1993, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, Coast Protection Act 1972, Environment Protection Act 1993, Development Act 1993.
  • The South Australian Government is committed to a system of marine protected areas by 2003. The Western Australian and Victorian experiences were considered in the development of the South Australian model.
  • The proposal will assist development by providing fishing, aquaculture and eco-tourism industries with certainty and long term direction.
  • The marine plans will result in a higher level of ownership/community responsibility for marine planning decisions.
  • There has been extensive consultation with other agencies &endash; Primary Industries, Planning, and DEH have jointly developed the proposal. Community consultation will commence as a part of formulating the draft plan &endash; with the reference group being a key part of that process.

The Hon. Iain Evans, MP is Minister for Environment & Heritage, Minister for Recreation, Sport & Racing, Minister responsible for Volunteers.

This article first appeared in Environment South Australia, Vol 8 No 3 - May 2001. The whole or part of this journal may be reproduced without permission provided that acknowledgement is made and provided the reproducer agrees to provide gratis a right of reply in the publication or medium in which the reproduction was published or broadcast, and in a form similar to the reproduction should the Conservation Council of SA or its agents desire to make such a reply. Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Conservationn Council of South Australia. Non-sexist and non-racist language is a policy of Environment South Australia.

©Copyright of the Conservation Council of SA.
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