❓ A Western Australian parliamentary question on notice regarding the management and regulation of the Ningaloo Marine Park, specifically focusing on the Maud Sanctuary Zone and Bills Bay, including licensing, moorings, and departmental responsibilities. The response provides details on the purpose of the zone, licensing, mooring numbers, and departmental oversight.
AnsweredQoN 2732Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
With reference to the Ningaloo Marine Park, Coral Bay, Bills Bay and Maud Sanctuary Zone areas, I ask -
(1) What is the function and purpose of the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(2) What area of Bills Bay is within or part of the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(3) Are any areas of Bills Bay not within or part of the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(4) If yes to (3), -
(a) what areas are not in the Maud Sanctuary Zone; and
(b) will the Minister define them?
(5) Is all of Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone within the Ningaloo Marine Park?
(6) Is the Ningaloo Marine Park, and thus the Maud Sanctuary Zone and Bills Bay under the management of Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC)?
(7) If no to (6), who are the responsible Agency/ies?
(8) Is the DEC responsible for day to day management of the Ningaloo Marine Park?
(9) If yes to (6), does the DEC’s responsibility include ensuring that targets, objectives and strategies of the Ningaloo Marine Park Management Plan are implemented?
(10) Is it the DEC’s public and legal responsibility, to ensure that unsustainable activities in immediate area of the Maud Sanctuary Zone and Bills Bay, within the Ningaloo Marine Park are stopped?
(11) Does the DEC have a marine presence (vessel) in the immediate area of the Maud Sanctuary Zone and Bills Bay within the Ningaloo Marine Park?
(12) If yes to (11), will the Minister provide a log of the activities of this vessel for the last year?
(13) Does the Fisheries Department accompany the DEC in its Marine presence at any time?
(14) If yes to (13), how many times did this occur during the past year?
(15) If no to (13), why not?
(16) What is the purpose of E-class licences in reference to the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(17) What is the purpose of T-class licences in reference to the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(18) How many E and T-class licences exist in the Ningaloo Marine Park within the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(19) Are there provisions to increase the number of E and T-class licences in the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(20) If yes to (19), by how many?
(21) Is there a purpose in limiting either the E or T-class licences in the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone and what are they?
(22) How many licences are granted for marine tourism, fishing charter and commercial fishing activities in the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(23) How many moorings are available for marine tourism, fishing charter and commercial fishing activities in the Maud Sanctuary Zone and immediate surrounds?
(24) With reference to (23), where are these moorings located by type and activity/operation?
(25) Is there any purpose in limiting the numbers of these moorings, and if so, what is it?
(26) In question without notice No. 14 of Wednesday 11 September 2002, the Minister for the Environment and Heritage estimated six or seven moorings would be placed in the waters of the Maud Sanctuary Zone, how many currently exist and why has it exceeded the six or seven originally identified?
(27) Are any other authorities, Agencies and or Departments able to allow marine tourism, fishing charter and commercial fishing activities to occur within the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone without using the current available mooring facilities?
(28) If yes to (27), -
(a) who are they; and
(b) how many operators of marine tourism, fishing charter and commercial fishing activities can impact the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone without using the current available mooring facilities?
(29) Does the DEC have to licence these operators within the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(30) If no to (29), why not?
(31) If yes to (29), does the DEC approve of the licencing of these operators prior to the other authorities, Agencies and or Departments allow them to operate within the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(32) If no to (31), why not?
(33) How many operators have been granted permission by other authorities, Agencies and or Departments to access and to operate within the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(34) If yes to (33), was this permission granted with prior knowledge of the DEC?
(35) If no to (34), why not?
(1) What is the function and purpose of the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(2) What area of Bills Bay is within or part of the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(3) Are any areas of Bills Bay not within or part of the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(4) If yes to (3), -
(a) what areas are not in the Maud Sanctuary Zone; and
(b) will the Minister define them?
(5) Is all of Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone within the Ningaloo Marine Park?
(6) Is the Ningaloo Marine Park, and thus the Maud Sanctuary Zone and Bills Bay under the management of Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC)?
(7) If no to (6), who are the responsible Agency/ies?
(8) Is the DEC responsible for day to day management of the Ningaloo Marine Park?
(9) If yes to (6), does the DEC’s responsibility include ensuring that targets, objectives and strategies of the Ningaloo Marine Park Management Plan are implemented?
(10) Is it the DEC’s public and legal responsibility, to ensure that unsustainable activities in immediate area of the Maud Sanctuary Zone and Bills Bay, within the Ningaloo Marine Park are stopped?
(11) Does the DEC have a marine presence (vessel) in the immediate area of the Maud Sanctuary Zone and Bills Bay within the Ningaloo Marine Park?
(12) If yes to (11), will the Minister provide a log of the activities of this vessel for the last year?
(13) Does the Fisheries Department accompany the DEC in its Marine presence at any time?
(14) If yes to (13), how many times did this occur during the past year?
(15) If no to (13), why not?
(16) What is the purpose of E-class licences in reference to the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(17) What is the purpose of T-class licences in reference to the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(18) How many E and T-class licences exist in the Ningaloo Marine Park within the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(19) Are there provisions to increase the number of E and T-class licences in the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(20) If yes to (19), by how many?
(21) Is there a purpose in limiting either the E or T-class licences in the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone and what are they?
(22) How many licences are granted for marine tourism, fishing charter and commercial fishing activities in the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(23) How many moorings are available for marine tourism, fishing charter and commercial fishing activities in the Maud Sanctuary Zone and immediate surrounds?
(24) With reference to (23), where are these moorings located by type and activity/operation?
(25) Is there any purpose in limiting the numbers of these moorings, and if so, what is it?
(26) In question without notice No. 14 of Wednesday 11 September 2002, the Minister for the Environment and Heritage estimated six or seven moorings would be placed in the waters of the Maud Sanctuary Zone, how many currently exist and why has it exceeded the six or seven originally identified?
(27) Are any other authorities, Agencies and or Departments able to allow marine tourism, fishing charter and commercial fishing activities to occur within the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone without using the current available mooring facilities?
(28) If yes to (27), -
(a) who are they; and
(b) how many operators of marine tourism, fishing charter and commercial fishing activities can impact the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone without using the current available mooring facilities?
(29) Does the DEC have to licence these operators within the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(30) If no to (29), why not?
(31) If yes to (29), does the DEC approve of the licencing of these operators prior to the other authorities, Agencies and or Departments allow them to operate within the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(32) If no to (31), why not?
(33) How many operators have been granted permission by other authorities, Agencies and or Departments to access and to operate within the Ningaloo Marine Park and/or the areas of the Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone?
(34) If yes to (33), was this permission granted with prior knowledge of the DEC?
(35) If no to (34), why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
12 October 2010
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
35 days
(1) The primary purpose of marine park sanctuary zones is for the protection and conservation of marine biodiversity. They also provide opportunities for nature appreciation, passive recreation and nature-based tourism, education, and scientific research.
Maud Sanctuary Zone in Ningaloo Marine Park makes a significant contribution to the protection and conservation of the sheltered lagoonal and exposed seaward coral reef systems of the Ningaloo Reef. It provides opportunities for nature-based recreation and tourism adjacent to an area of high human use.
(2)-(5) All areas of Bills Bay, to the seaward edge of the fringing reef, lie within Maud Sanctuary Zone.
(6)-(8) Yes. Other agencies also carry out their statutory functions in the marine park.
(9)-(10) The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has a responsibility to ensure that the park is managed in accordance with the management plan.
(11)-(12) Yes. I table the attached spreadsheet outlining dates of DEC vessel patrols in the Coral Bay area, including Maud Sanctuary Zone and Bateman Sanctuary Zone, from 7 September 2009 to 7 September 2010.
(13)-(15) Yes. Three joint patrols specific to the Maud Sanctuary Zone were carried out in the 2009/10 financial year. Forty-four days of joint patrols were carried out across the marine park, many of which incorporated time spent in the Coral Bay area.
(16)-(18) E Class licences are used when there are environmental, management, safety or access reasons why licence numbers must be limited. There are 17 E Class licences in Ningaloo Marine Park within the areas of Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone.
T Class licences are used when the activities to be conducted are open to many operators and where environmental and visitor management objectives can be achieved through appropriate licence conditions. There are two T Class licences that allow access from the Coral Bay marine facility but do not allow any activities to be conducted within the Maud Sanctuary Zone.
(19)-(21) Yes. There is a vacant E Class charter vessel licence for operation from Coral Bay and a vacant whale shark tour E Class licence for operation from Tantabiddi. T Class licence numbers are not restricted and depend on applications.
Limits on E Class licences are set to manage environmental, management, safety or access issues.
(22) There are 93 licences granted for marine tourism activities in Ningaloo Marine Park. DEC does not license fishing.
(23)-(24) Fifteen moorings are available for public and marine tourism use (12 day use and three overnight use, subject to booking), nineteen moorings are associated with specific marine tourism operators and three moorings are associated with commercial fishing activity (one of these is used for commercial fishing and tourism).
I table the attached spreadsheet listing all commercial tourism, general tourism (public) and commercial fishing moorings and their locations, and seek leave to have it incorporated into Hansard.
(25) Moorings are limited for environmental, management, safety or access reasons.
(26) I am advised by DEC that the six or seven referred to in the answer to question without notice No. 14 of 11 September 2002, were additional to 27 other moorings identified in the Coral Bay area in 2002, as stated in the answer to that question. Thirty seven moorings associated with commercial tourism, commercial fishing and general tourism currently exist in the Coral Bay area. The current number of moorings exceeds the number identified in 2002 by three. These three moorings were approved in accordance with the Coral Bay Boating Strategy 2003 which was prepared in consultation with stakeholders, including tourism operators, commercial and recreational fishers and Government agencies.
(27)-(30) In Ningaloo Marine Park, DEC licenses marine tourism and access and use by fishing charters for commercial purposes. The Department of Fisheries licenses the fishing component of commercial fishing charters and all commercial fishing activities in Ningaloo Marine Park, with the exception of sanctuary zones where fishing is prohibited. Fishing charters and commercial fishing operations are licensed pursuant to the
Fish Resources Management Act 1994.
Fishing is prohibited in Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone. No authorities, agencies or departments authorise fishing charters or commercial fishing activities in this area. DEC manages all access to Maud Sanctuary Zone pursuant to the restricted area notice gazetted under the
Conservation and Land Management Act 1984
(CALM Act).
In relation to Ningaloo Marine Park, excluding Maud Sanctuary Zone, there is no restriction on the number of operators able to conduct activities in the park. Operators who do not have mooring facilities are not allowed to conduct marine tourism, fishing charters or commercial fishing activities in the Maud Sanctuary Zone, which includes Bills Bay.
(31)-(32) Yes.
(33) This question should be referred to the Minister for Fisheries as the Department of Fisheries is able to authorise activities in Ningaloo Marine Park.
(34)-(35) Not applicable.
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Maud Sanctuary Zone in Ningaloo Marine Park makes a significant contribution to the protection and conservation of the sheltered lagoonal and exposed seaward coral reef systems of the Ningaloo Reef. It provides opportunities for nature-based recreation and tourism adjacent to an area of high human use.
(2)-(5) All areas of Bills Bay, to the seaward edge of the fringing reef, lie within Maud Sanctuary Zone.
(6)-(8) Yes. Other agencies also carry out their statutory functions in the marine park.
(9)-(10) The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has a responsibility to ensure that the park is managed in accordance with the management plan.
(11)-(12) Yes. I table the attached spreadsheet outlining dates of DEC vessel patrols in the Coral Bay area, including Maud Sanctuary Zone and Bateman Sanctuary Zone, from 7 September 2009 to 7 September 2010.
(13)-(15) Yes. Three joint patrols specific to the Maud Sanctuary Zone were carried out in the 2009/10 financial year. Forty-four days of joint patrols were carried out across the marine park, many of which incorporated time spent in the Coral Bay area.
(16)-(18) E Class licences are used when there are environmental, management, safety or access reasons why licence numbers must be limited. There are 17 E Class licences in Ningaloo Marine Park within the areas of Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone.
T Class licences are used when the activities to be conducted are open to many operators and where environmental and visitor management objectives can be achieved through appropriate licence conditions. There are two T Class licences that allow access from the Coral Bay marine facility but do not allow any activities to be conducted within the Maud Sanctuary Zone.
(19)-(21) Yes. There is a vacant E Class charter vessel licence for operation from Coral Bay and a vacant whale shark tour E Class licence for operation from Tantabiddi. T Class licence numbers are not restricted and depend on applications.
Limits on E Class licences are set to manage environmental, management, safety or access issues.
(22) There are 93 licences granted for marine tourism activities in Ningaloo Marine Park. DEC does not license fishing.
(23)-(24) Fifteen moorings are available for public and marine tourism use (12 day use and three overnight use, subject to booking), nineteen moorings are associated with specific marine tourism operators and three moorings are associated with commercial fishing activity (one of these is used for commercial fishing and tourism).
I table the attached spreadsheet listing all commercial tourism, general tourism (public) and commercial fishing moorings and their locations, and seek leave to have it incorporated into Hansard.
(25) Moorings are limited for environmental, management, safety or access reasons.
(26) I am advised by DEC that the six or seven referred to in the answer to question without notice No. 14 of 11 September 2002, were additional to 27 other moorings identified in the Coral Bay area in 2002, as stated in the answer to that question. Thirty seven moorings associated with commercial tourism, commercial fishing and general tourism currently exist in the Coral Bay area. The current number of moorings exceeds the number identified in 2002 by three. These three moorings were approved in accordance with the Coral Bay Boating Strategy 2003 which was prepared in consultation with stakeholders, including tourism operators, commercial and recreational fishers and Government agencies.
(27)-(30) In Ningaloo Marine Park, DEC licenses marine tourism and access and use by fishing charters for commercial purposes. The Department of Fisheries licenses the fishing component of commercial fishing charters and all commercial fishing activities in Ningaloo Marine Park, with the exception of sanctuary zones where fishing is prohibited. Fishing charters and commercial fishing operations are licensed pursuant to the
Fish Resources Management Act 1994.
Fishing is prohibited in Bills Bay and the Maud Sanctuary Zone. No authorities, agencies or departments authorise fishing charters or commercial fishing activities in this area. DEC manages all access to Maud Sanctuary Zone pursuant to the restricted area notice gazetted under the
Conservation and Land Management Act 1984
(CALM Act).
In relation to Ningaloo Marine Park, excluding Maud Sanctuary Zone, there is no restriction on the number of operators able to conduct activities in the park. Operators who do not have mooring facilities are not allowed to conduct marine tourism, fishing charters or commercial fishing activities in the Maud Sanctuary Zone, which includes Bills Bay.
(31)-(32) Yes.
(33) This question should be referred to the Minister for Fisheries as the Department of Fisheries is able to authorise activities in Ningaloo Marine Park.
(34)-(35) Not applicable.
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