Plan for WA’s biggest marine park released

Public comment is now being sought on Western Australia's largest marine park ever — the 1.8 million hectare proposed North Kimberley Marine Park.

This new marine park will be the second largest State marine park in Australia behind only the Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park. And it will cover an area seven time the size of Ningaloo Marine Park.

The proposed North Kimberley Marine Park will include:

>> eight sanctuary zones covering approximately 387,200ha or 21 per cent of the park (no fishing)
>> eight special purpose zones (recreation and conservation) covering approximately 218,400ha or 12 per cent of the park
>> three special purpose zones (cultural heritage) covering approximately 44,000ha or 2 per cent of the park
>> general use in the remainder of the park, covering approximately 1,195,300ha or 65 per cent of the park.

Environment Minister Albert Jacob said the proposed park was part of the Government's $81.5m Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy.

Mr Jacob said its creation would be a significant milestone towards conserving the unique northern environment, while providing jobs and management opportunities for traditional owners and supporting growth in environmentally sustainable tourism.

"While this expansion is significant in its own right, it is the multiple benefits that flow from the new park that is most important," he said.

"The creation of this park provides an exceptional conservation outcome as well as opportunities for growth in tourism."

The proposed park will increase the total area of the WA's state marine parks and reserves by more than 70 per cent.

With existing and proposed marine parks in the north Kimberley, these unspoilt coastlines and waters will form the Great Kimberley Marine Park and stretch from Horizontal Falls in the south, through Camden Sound and across to the Western Australian and Northern Territory border.

"It will protect a complex variety of marine habitats including unique and globally significant coral reefs, mangrove systems, mudflats and remarkable coastlines as well as dolphin, dugong, turtle and sawfish populations," the Minister said.

"The park will be also rich in Aboriginal culture, with traditional owners having a strong cultural, spiritual and social connection to the area and continuing to practise customary activities."

The State Government's $81.5 million Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy is the largest ever targeted investment in the Kimberley.

The State Government has established new Kimberley marine parks at
Camden Sound and Eighty Mile Beach, with detailed plans released for new
marine parks at Horizontal Falls, Roebuck Bay and North Kimberley. Scroll through the pics above for the planning and zoning maps.

The draft management plan is available at the Great Kimberley Marine Park website and is open for public comment until May 20, 2016.

Photo credits: True North, Robert Ungar from R&R, and maps supplied.