7. Existing protection and management

The Region is protected and managed through partnerships between national, state and local government agencies, First Nations peoples, industry bodies and community members. A wide range of activities occur in the Region and the Catchment that may have direct or indirect impacts on the Reef. Understanding how effectively these activities and other influences are managed, and how well they protect the Region’s ecosystem and heritage values, is crucial. It assists in understanding risk of threats and resilience and informing future management decisions to strengthen and improve the outlook for the Reef.

Five independent consultants specialising in protected area management, monitoring and evaluation, public policy and governance assessed the effectiveness of existing protection and management arrangements for the Region’s ecosystem, its heritage value and, where relevant, the Catchment.¹¹ As for previous Outlook Reports, this assessment considers the effectiveness of all management actions undertaken by government agencies, industry bodies and other stakeholders to protect and manage the Region. Specifically, it compares management effectiveness over time and emphasises strengths and gaps across various management topics (Section 7.1.2). This report is available on the Reef Authority website (www2.gbrmpa.gov.au).