Marine Parks Amendments 2007

MARINE PARKS AMENDMENT BILL 2007
Debated: 26 February, 2008

Purpose:

To amend the Marine Parks Act 1997 to make further provision with respect to the management and operation of marine parks, and for other purposes as follows:
a)   To establish a review process for zoning plans for marine parks that includes public consultation, and;
b)   To change the objectives of operational plans for marine parks and the process for making and reviewing those plans, and;
c)   To clarify that sand dredging for beach nourishment within a marine park does not constitute mining, and;
d)   To expand the regulation-making powers to enable regulation of aircraft in or over marine parks and the possession of animals, plants and materials taken from marine parks, and;
e)   To require relevant marine park closures to be taken into consideration before consent or approval is given to the carrying out of development on land in a marine park, and;
f)   To increase the penalties for certain offences under the Principal Act, and;
g)   To make various changes in relation to the functions of the Marine Parks Advisory Council and the functions of the membership of marine parks advisory committees, and;
h)   To make other changes to improve the administration of the Principal Act and for the purposes of statute law revision.
The Bill also amends the Subordinate Legislation Act 1989 to exempt zoning plans for marine parks from the operation of certain provisions of that Act by:

I.   Providing for the staged repeal of statutory rules, so as to exempt from the operation of that section, regulations containing only provisions in relation to zoning plans for marine parks, and;
II.   To list matters not requiring regulatory impact statements under the Act, so as to include in that Schedule, zoning plans for marine parks.