The Queensland and Federal  Governments and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) have signed a new agreement on assessment processes for development along the Queensland coastline and protection and management of the Great Barrier Reef.

 

A strategic assessment provides a big-picture study under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 of an area to assess how environmental values can be best protected while allowing sustainable development. It considers federal and state environmental planning issues in a single assessment process.

 

Once a program has been endorsed under the EPBC Act and the types of development or activities allowed to take place have been approved, individual projects do not need any further approval under national environmental law if done in accordance with the approved program.

 

Federal Minister for the Environment, Tony Burke said that rather than always dealing with one application at a time the strategic assessment allows an assessment of the region as a whole.

 

Public comments are invited on the terms of reference, available at: