Cruise Ship Policy Submission Form

Submission Form

Draft Policy

Cruise ship operations within the Great Barrier Reef

June 2017

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (the Authority) and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) are seeking your feedback on draft policy ‘Cruise ship operations within the Great Barrier Reef’.

This policy has been updatedto reflect current management arrangements and to promote ecological sustainable cruise ship operations within the Great Barrier Reef.

The draft policyguides how protected area managers make decisions on cruise ship operations within the Great Barrier Reef and informs cruise ship operators, booking agents and tourists of management arrangements.

To comment on the draft policy, please complete the online submission form on the Authority’s website.

Alternatively, download a copyof this form and either email to , fax to (07) 4772 6093 or mail to:

Cruise ship policy

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

PO Box 1379

TOWNSVILLE QLD 4810

Comments on the draft policy can also bedirectly emailed to .

The opportunity to comment on the proposed draft policy will remain open until 5pm Friday, 14 July 2017.

Privacy Statement

Notification of the collection of personal information

Personal information (including sensitive information) that you provide to the agency is protected by the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act). The Privacy Act provides for 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) that regulate how the agency must handle your personal information.

You are not required to identify yourself, or you may decide to use a pseudonym when dealing with us. However, please be aware that in certain circumstances it may not be practicable or reasonable for us to deal with you if your identity is unknown.

Why we collect your personal information

We collect personal information from you to perform or exercise our functions and powers under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations 1983.

The Authority is undertaking public consultation on the draft policy ‘Cruise ship operations within the Great Barrier Reef’. The consultation aims to obtain feedback on the draft policy, which will be taken into account by the Authority. If you choose to make a submission to the Authority, you may include your personal information in that submission. Any submission containing your personal information will be used by the Authority as part of the public consultation process for the purposes of:

•Informing the Authority’s assessment of possible impacts to business, community and individuals of the proposed policy.

•Identifying any other policy changes that would contribute to the intent to review the policy.

We may also use your personal information to contact you to discuss your submission.

By choosing to provide any sensitive information to us, such as details of your racial or ethnic origin, you are expressly consenting to the Authority collecting this information from you.

If the Authority is unable to collect your personal information your submission will still be considered by the Authority. However, the Authority’s assessment of impacts may not be as transparent and we will be unable to contact you to seek clarification if necessary.

Who do we give your personal information to?

Any submissions provided to us via the online submission option will be shared with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. They are required to comply with Australian privacy laws and will not disclose your personal information to any third parties without your consent.

We may publicly release de-identified information about public submissions that are received as part of the consultation process however this information will not identify you in any way.

If you do not wish for the publication of your personal information to occur please make a note of this at the start of your submission. If your submission is sent to us via email, please consider whether automated statements in your email signature relating to confidentiality and disclosure of information should apply to the submission and delete or modify these statements if you consider them to be inappropriate.

Our Privacy Policy

The Authority’s Australian Privacy Policy (APP) contains information about how you may:

Access your personal information and seek correction of your personal information; and
Complain to the Authority about a breach of the APPs and how the Authority will deal with your complaint.

The Authority’s APP and complaints procedure can be found at .

How to contact us

Phone:+ 61 7 4750 0700

Post:PO Box 1379, Townsville QLD 4810 AUSTRALIA

Email:

More information

Further information about privacy and the Privacy Act may be obtained from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s website .

About You

Are you commenting as an individual or organisation/representative body?

Individual

 Organisation / Representative Body

Name of Organisation/Representative body

……………………………………………………………………

What are your/your group’s main interest area(s) in relation to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park?

Recreational

Tourism industry

Traditional Owner

Conservation/environmental organisation

Government department

Other: (please specify) …………………………………………………….

Prefer not to answer

Where are you/your group located?

QLD

Other parts of Australia (i.e. NSW, VIC, TAS, SA, WA, NT)

Outside Australia

Contact details (optional)…………………………………………………………………....

Name………………………………………………………………………………………...

Address………………………………………………………………………………..……..

Contact number……………………………………………………………………..……….

Email address……………………………………………………………………...…………

The Authority welcomes any comments on the draft policy but is particularly seeking comment on the following key amendments to the draft policy

General principlesin the draft policy (page 3):

Adopting a joint management approach with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. This includes referring to the Authority and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service as the ‘managing agencies’ and use of the term ‘Great Barrier Reef’ to refer to both the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park. This maintains consistency with the Intergovernmental Agreement and the Reef 2050 Long Term Sustainability Plan. (Refer page 3)
Encouraging cruise ships within the Great Barrier Reef provided the operations are conducted in an ecologically sustainable manner. (Refer clause 35, page 3)

Have your say: What do you like or dislike about these proposed policy clauses and why? (please explain your response)? Do you have any alternative suggestions — if so, please explain your suggestions)?

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Specific principles (page 3–6):

Access (includes planning areas, designated anchorages, booking arrangements and transit corridors)

Proposing that for the purposes of the policy, the definition of a ‘cruise ship’ be ‘at least 70 metres’. The aim is to align discrepancies in the definitions of cruise ship across Marine Park permits, plans of management and legislation. (Refer clauses 36-39, page 3)

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Providing the policy intent for designated anchorage and extending the requirement for cruise ships to book to designated anchorages throughout the Reef (not just in Planning Areas). This is currently required through Marine Parks permits. (Refer clause 40–43, pages3–4)

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Providing the policy intent fortransit corridors and proposing they are defined in the Regulations rather than in individual Marine Park permits. The aim is to manage transit corridors in the same way that designated anchorages are currently managed. Having transit corridors in regulations means that any changes to the transit corridors will apply to all operations immediately rather than having to amend each Marine Parks permit. (Refer clauses 44–45, page 4)

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Waste Discharge (page 4)

Clarifying domestic and international obligations for waste management and ship activities in the Great Barrier Reef. (Refer clauses 46–47, page 4)
Providing the policy intent for additional discharge requirements in the Whitsundays Planning Area. This is currently required through Marine Parks permits. (Refer clause48, page 4)

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Matters relating to Marine Parks permits, Environmental Management Charge, Contingency arrangements, Compliance matters and Best practice (page 5–6)

Clarifying all these management arrangements, in particular:
The application of the Environmental Management Charge (EMC) to cruise ship operators who conduct extended tours. This is a legislative requirement(Refer clause 53–55, page 5)
A best practice approach for cruise ship operators when conducting tourism activities in the Marine Park, and promoting stewardship opportunities including working with local indigenous communities. (Refer clause 59 and 60, page 5 and 6)

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Have your say: Do you have any other comments?

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Thank you for taking the time to comment on this draft policy