7. Existing protection and management

To enable an independent assessment of existing measures to protect and manage the Region’s ecosystem (natural heritage value) and heritage values (Indigenous, historic, and other), the Reef Authority engaged a team of external assessors through an open tender process. The assessors brought their expertise in the assessment of protected area management effectiveness, public policy and governance, and protected area management, to examine evidence for each of the 14 management topics. The full report,¹¹ including justification to inform grades, is summarised in Sections 7.3 to 7.5. These sections were verified by the independent assessors to ensure they are a transparent and accurate reflection of their findings.