Foreword

The establishment of the South-east Marine Parks Network (the South-east Network) in 2007 was a historic step for marine conservation, both in Australia and globally, creating the first
large-scale representative network of marine protected areas in the world.

For over 60,000 years before this, the Sea Country of the south-east marine region – of which the South-east Network is only a part – has been cared for and sustainably managed by Traditional Owners. Their traditional ecological knowledge and cultural environmental practices have been essential in maintaining the health of Sea Country over millennia. Through the preparation of this plan, Parks Australia has gained a deeper appreciation for the profound and enduring connection that Traditional Owners have to this Sea Country. Their stewardship remains vital to the preservation and management of these marine environments today and into the future.

The south-east region provides important foraging areas and migratory pathways for iconic, endangered and culturally significant species like blue and southern right whales and many species of albatross. The network of marine parks protects unique seafloor habitats, including deep-sea reefs, continental shelf habitats, seamounts canyons and kelp forests.

The region is the most intensely used in Australia and provides for a range of important social and economic activities, including commercial fishing, shipping, energy generation and recreational activities. These activities are core to the livelihoods of many local communities and provide benefits right across Australia.

This is the second management plan for the South-east Network and marks an important step in adaptive management of Australian Marine Parks as we apply lessons learned from more than a decade of management.

At the time of preparing this plan, the impacts of climate change are increasing globally. The south-east marine region is a global warming hotspot, where the rate of warming over the past 50 years is in the top 10% globally. The Australia state of environment 2021 report painted an alarming picture of the mounting pressures facing our marine environment, including from climate change, illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, plastic and other pollution, offshore industries and marine noise. The 2021 report, along with the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), highlight the need for fundamental reforms of our national environment laws, which are underway at the time of preparing this plan.

This plan introduces changes that increase protection within the network through zoning and rules for allowable uses, recognising the risks facing the south-east region over the coming decade. The plan seeks to build the resilience of park values by managing existing pressures and preventing new pressures. The changes in this plan build on momentum from 2023, when the Macquarie Island Marine Park in the Southern Ocean was expanded, increasing the size of the South-east Network from 388,464 km2 to 701,927 km2 (Figure 1.1).