NEW MARINE & COASTAL
ACT AND IMPROVED
MANAGEMENT & OVERSIGHT
ARRANGEMENTS
Victorians have a strong connection with the coast.
It is a special place for us to visit, live and work.
Healthy coasts and marine environments support
biodiversity, wellbeing, business and recreation. We
have a proud tradition of coastal management and
Victoria has some
of the best managed coastline in Australia, if not the
world. For more than 20 years, the Coastal
Management Act 1995 has provided a strong
foundation for managing this special resource.
However, the current system can be improved. It doesn’t set us up
with the best possible legislation and arrangements to achieve the
vision of a healthy coast in the face of future, long-term
challenges. To address this the Victorian Government is developing
a new Marine and Coastal Act, and improving management and
oversight arrangements for our bays, coasts and marine parks.
These improvements to marine and coastal management are being
developed by the Department of Environment, Water, Land and
Planning with guidance from an expert panel, and input from
stakeholders and the community. The new Act will provide a more
streamlined approach and ensure that there is less complexity and
fragmentation in the laws applicable to our coasts and sea.
This brochure provides information on the different aspects of coastal
and marine management being explored and key steps and timing of
the project.
NEW MARINE & COASTAL ACT
AND IMPROVED MANAGEMENT & OVERSIGHT
ARRANGEMENTS
WHAT WILL BE CONSIDERED IN THE NEW ACT
AND ARRANGEMENTS
In preparing the new Act, it will be important to assess and reflect
upon the effectiveness of Victoria’s current system and understand the
community’s experiences and expectations of the legislation.
Key issues and threats, such as climate change, population growth,
and development pressures will need to be considered.
Improving
communityand
andadvisory
traditional
owner involvement
will link
also be
• Clear governance
arrangements
that better
capacity,Key areas for improvement – to be explored – include:
explored.
• resources and responsibility
•
•
•
Better ways to resource the coast and enable funds to be
distributed fairly to where the need is the greatest
Clear arrangements for adapting to the impacts of climate change
A marine management system that brings together the whole of
The following aspects will not be considered in this
the Victoria’s marine estate, different marine sectors and user
project:
• Management and ownership arrangements for Victoria’s commercial
groups
•
ports Changes to commercial fisheries management
Integrated coastal and land-use planning systems.
•
The creation of new marine parks, sanctuaries or aquaculture zones.
Note: while minor legislative changes may be needed as part of
establishing the Marine and Coastal Act, wholesale changes to other
related legislation like the Planning and Environment Act 1997, Crown
Land (Reserves) Act 1978, Fisheries Act 1995, National Parks Act 1975
and Environment Protection Act 1970, will not be a part of this project.
THE CURRENT COASTAL AND MARINE SYSTEM
Managing a healthy coastal and marine environment is a shared
responsibility across state and local government, agencies, industry
users, and volunteer groups. The principles of ecologically sustainable
development and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)
underpin the governance of Victoria’s coastal and marine environment.
ICZM involves working together across geographic, policy and
jurisdictional boundaries, and is achieved through collaboration and
coordination between the different groups that manage and use the
coast.
The
Management Act 1995 is the main tool that guides
• theCoastal
establishment of the Victorian Coastal Council and Regional
coordinated coastal management and planning in Victoria. The Act
Coastal Boards
•
sets the framework for managing the coast via a four tiered system
• the preparation of the Victorian Coastal Strategy
with policies, plans, tools and advisory groups at a state, regional, local
preparation of local Coastal Management Plans,
•and
site level.
and
Key
features
of the
include:
Other
important
actsAct
that
interact with the Coastal Management Act to
a coordinated
to approvals
for the use and
guide
coastal andapproach
marine planning
and management
in Victoria include
coastal Crown
thedevelopment
Planning andofEnvironment
Actland.
1997, the Crown Land (Reserves) Act
1978, Fisheries Act 1995 and Port Management Act1995.
last 20 years
have been
some great
achievements
•Over
Thethe
involvement
of there
thousands
of community
volunteers
in
in Coastcare
our effortsand
to improve
our coastal and marine environments
other programs
•
such as:
The preparation and implementation of four iterations of the
•
•
•
Victorian Coastal Strategy (providing the vision, policies and
actions for managing the coast)
The establishment of marine national parks and marine sanctuaries
The Coastal Spaces Initiative to manage the ‘sea change’
phenomenon and population pressures on our coastal towns
It is now time to build on these strengths, and make the
The development of maps and data to help in managing the
improvements required to set up Victoria’s marine and coastal
impacts of climate change.
management system for the next 20 years and beyond.
NEW MARINE & COASTAL ACT
AND IMPROVED MANAGEMENT & OVERSIGHT
ARRANGEMENTS
NEXT STEPS AND GETTING INVOLVED
An expert panel has been established to guide the development of
the project and will play an important role in engaging with the
community and key stakeholders. We have also created a
stakeholder reference group that will provide input into the project
along the way.
A key action is the development of a consultation paper for
community input and feedback. The consultation paper will explore
the strengths and weaknesses of the existing system, current and
future challenges to be addressed, and opportunities for
improvement. The consultation paper will be available for comment
FURTHER INFORMATION
in mid-2016.
For more information, please visit
Following input from stakeholders and the community, the expert
www.delwp.vic.gov.au/parks- forests-and-crown-land/coasts,-
panel will guide the drafting of the legislation and management
bays-and-marine-areas,
arrangements for Parliament to consider in 2017.
or call Ryan Bath Project Manager at
ryan.bath@delwp.vic.gov.au, or (03) 96378348.
© The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning
2015
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