Review of the implementation of oceans policy

This document has been prepared by TFG International,
October 2002.

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Review of the Implementation of Oceans Policy (PDF - 1.69 MB)

Background

The introduction of Oceans Policy in 1998 was a major development with national and international ramifications. The Government committed to implement an integrated and ecosystems-based oceans planning and management system for all Australia’s marine jurisdictions. The Policy recognises that the management of resources in the oceans requires an integrated approach that balances environmental, economic and social objectives.

The policy represented an innovative framework to “promote ecologically-sustainable development of the resources of our oceans and the encouragement of internationally competitive marine industries, while ensuring the protection of marine biological diversity”1. It has deservedly attracted international attention because of its ground-breaking characteristics.

Nothing that has happened since the policy was launched has diminished the importance of the policy. It still represents a major Government priority and a world leading approach.

This Review was established in August 2002, to be completed by October 2002. The Terms of Reference are at Appendix 1. In essence the Review has several themes:

Component theme 1 – Progress with the implementation of the Policy to date including progress with regional marine planning.

The focus of this component theme include:

progress against the Policy’s goals and objectives including priorities as set out in 2001 election commitments;
progress against the Policy’s objectives across all Commonwealth agencies;
outcomes delivered in the South-east Marine Region and in the Northern Planning Area;
the effectiveness of the current approach to regional marine planning in terms of delivering outcomes to realise the goals of the Policy; and
an analysis of the impediments to achieving the Policy’s objectives and delivering on commitments.

Component theme 2 – Value for money with the funding spent to date.
Component theme 3 – Effectiveness of institutional/governance arrangements in supporting the implementation of the Policy.