The areas of environmental regulation identified in the Strategic Assessment as requiring strengthening are: regional standards for protection; managing cumulative impacts; enhancing protection and restoration; improving certainty; improving consideration of climate change impacts; strengthening consideration of heritage values and community benefits; improving compliance; improving incident response capacity; and streamlining and harmonising regulatory tools. ANAO Report No. 3 2015-16 Regulation of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Permits – and Approvals The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) conducted a . The ANAO examined assessment of Marine Park permit applications, monitoring GBRMPA’s of permit compliance and response to permit non-compliance. The ANAO holders’ holders’ did not examine regulatory activities, such as the Field Management GBRMPA’s other Compliance and enforcement activities associated with activities not Unit’s investigation subject to a permit; the state marine park; or permits and licenses granted under state legislation. To improve regulation of Marine Park permits and to inform the work being GBRMPA’s undertaken to enhance compliance management practices, the ANAO made five recommendations to strengthen the: processing of permit applications; rigour of the permit application assessment and decision-making processes; effectiveness of permit conditions; effectiveness of permit compliance monitoring; and response to instances of non-compliance. GBRMPA agreed without qualification to all five recommendations from the ANAO. GBRMPA had already identified the need to strengthen its permission system through the commitments in the and commenced strengthening activities in 2014-15. The ANAO recommendations have been incorporated into this work as part of Corporate GBRMPA’s Plan. Over the four years to 2020 GBRMPA is undertaking staged implementation of the initiatives designed to strengthen and enhance the permissions system, while maintaining high environmental standards. As part of this work the following actions are underway: Assessment and decisions enhancement project commenced in 2014-15 and has – been designed to enhance the effectiveness of the permission system to achieve objectives and outcomes for the protection and management of the Marine Park, as well as harmonise requirements with relevant Commonwealth and State legislation and reduce regulatory burden. Strengthening permissions compliance action plan 2015-2020 was developed in – 2014-15 and is facilitating the sustainable delivery of an enhanced permission compliance program, which demonstrates regulatory integrity and consistency with Australian Government requirements. Annual permissions compliance plan outlines the activities, services and resources – to be provided to the compliance management of permissions for the year. Actions have been designed to mitigate compliance risks, and cover education approaches,
The areas of environmental regulation identified in the Strategic Assessment as requiring strengthening are: regional standards for protection; managing cumulative impacts; enhancing protection and restoration; improving certainty; improving consideration of climate change impacts; strengthening consideration of heritage values and community benefits; improving compliance; improving incident response capacity; and streamlining and harmonising regulatory tools. ANAO Report No. 3 2015-16 – Regulation of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Permits and Approvals The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) conducted a . The ANAO examined GBRMPA’s assessment of Marine Park permit applications, monitoring of permit holders’ compliance and response to permit holders’ non-compliance. The ANAO did not examine GBRMPA’s other regulatory activities, such as the Field Management Compliance Unit’s investigation and enforcement activities associated with activities not subject to a permit; the state marine park; or permits and licenses granted under state legislation. To improve GBRMPA’s regulation of Marine Park permits and to inform the work being undertaken to enhance compliance management practices, the ANAO made five recommendations to strengthen the: processing of permit applications; rigour of the permit application assessment and decision-making processes; effectiveness of permit conditions; effectiveness of permit compliance monitoring; and response to instances of non-compliance. GBRMPA agreed without qualification to all five recommendations from the ANAO. GBRMPA had already identified the need to strengthen its permission system through the commitments in the and commenced strengthening activities in 2014-15. The ANAO recommendations have been incorporated into this work as part of GBRMPA’s Corporate Plan. Over the four years to 2020 GBRMPA is undertaking staged implementation of the initiatives designed to strengthen and enhance the permissions system, while maintaining high environmental standards. As part of this work the following actions are underway: Assessment and decisions enhancement project – commenced in 2014-15 and has been designed to enhance the effectiveness of the permission system to achieve objectives and outcomes for the protection and management of the Marine Park, as well as harmonise requirements with relevant Commonwealth and State legislation and reduce regulatory burden. Strengthening permissions compliance action plan 2015-2020 – was developed in 2014-15 and is facilitating the sustainable delivery of an enhanced permission compliance program, which demonstrates regulatory integrity and consistency with Australian Government requirements. Annual permissions compliance plan – outlines the activities, services and resources to be provided to the compliance management of permissions for the year. Actions have been designed to mitigate compliance risks, and cover education approaches,
GBRMPA-RPF-self-assess-2015-16.docx