7. Existing protection and management

Coastal development relates to land-based physical development and land use change that occurs in catchments adjacent to the Reef. It includes management of activities undertaken within the Catchment that affect the Region. The management of ports in, and adjacent to, the Region is part of this broad topic. However, it has been considered separately in Section 7.3.4. Similarly, the management of land-based runoff is considered in Section 7.3.11.

Coastal development activities are managed within a multi-level governance system where multiple stakeholders and decision-makers converge to make decisions that influence on-ground outcomes. The Planning Act and associated legislation aim to establish an integrated, coordinated and accountable system of land use planning, development assessment and related matters, preserving ecological sustainability as a core principle of planning in Queensland. The Queensland State Planning Policy provides a policy framework for planning outcomes across Queensland by requiring that state interests are delivered through local government planning schemes and regional plans that guide development in each local government area. The state development assessment provisions guide Queensland assessment of development applications that are likely to affect state interests, including consideration of coastal protection as a state interest.

Planning systems that address coastal development are well developed. However, non-statutory planning related to coastal development, such as regional natural resource planning, lack the resourcing needed to achieve their full potential. The ongoing reforms to the EPBC Act have led to a renewed focus on regional planning. The aim is to reduce cumulative impacts on threatened species and ecological communities in areas of High Environmental Value.

Lack of consistency across jurisdictions and conflicts between planning frameworks are recognised weaknesses in the current planning system in relation to coastal development. For example, conflicts between planning frameworks have affected the delivery of water quality improvement actions. Jurisdictional limits of responsibility across territories have created administrative complexity and constrained the ability for managers to address threats and manage outcomes. Poor linkages between major programs and key management agencies, for instance, the Queensland Wetland Program and the Queensland Department of Resources and Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water, are also a recognised limitation of the current planning system. This has increased uncertainty in achieving effective outcomes.

The values and stakeholders relevant to coastal development are known by managers. For example, the Reef Authority Actor Network Mapping project maps existing actors within a network that connects the Reef Authority to the organisations and institutions they engage with for research and management practice. The Reef Guardian Councils’ program is a collaborative stewardship arrangement between 19 coastal local governments within the Reef catchments and the Reef Authority.  Its vision is, ‘A local government alliance to reduce land-based impacts on the Reef through collaboration, education and targeted action’. Each of the 19 Reef Guardian Councils address coastal development through their Reef Guardian Council Action Plans 2020–2024. These action plans generally lack integration with the key local government statutory planning processes and instruments that govern land use and development decisions.

Effective integration and coordination between land-based and marine-based planning matters within the planning and governance system for coastal development is a significant challenge. The lack of knowledge relating to the cumulative effects of climate change is also a significant challenge for coastal development. These challenges are both exacerbated by a disconnect between priorities and agendas among management agencies and this can constrain the integration of risk assessments into different governance domains.