Maps

One of the most complex jobs faced by the managers of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area is the process of deciding just who may do what, and where they may do it. 

The primary tool for protecting and preserving the Great Barrier Reef is zoning, and the way that zoning is represented is on a series of detailed maps. Zoning separates activities that may conflict with each other, such as commercial fishing and tourism, so the maps are very important tools in informing both fishers and tour operators where they can work. Zoning also allows areas that need permanent conservation to be protected from potentially threatening processes.

Marine Park Zoning Plans are not dissimilar to planning schemes prepared for local government areas. For example, Zoning Plans provide for activities that are as-of-right, with permission or prohibited. Each zone category specifies which activities can or cannot be undertaken and whether or not permission is required to undertake those activities.