Extracted from the Australian Marine Parks South-west Network Management Plan.

Values are broadly defined as:

• Natural values—habitats, species and ecological communities within marine parks, and the processes that support their connectivity, productivity and function.
• Cultural values—living and cultural heritage recognising Indigenous beliefs, practices and obligations for country, places of cultural significance and cultural heritage sites.
• Heritage values—non-Indigenous heritage that has aesthetic, historic, scientific or social significance.
• Socio-economic values—the benefit of marine parks for people, businesses and the economy.

The values of individual marine parks are set out in Schedule 2.

In managing marine parks, the Director will need to make decisions about what activities can occur in the marine parks and what actions to take to manage them.

This will involve the Director making decisions that carefully balance the need to protect natural, cultural, heritage and socio-economic values of marine parks with enabling use and managing pressures.

In making these decisions, the Director will carefully consider the impacts and risks to natural, cultural, heritage or socio-economic values for the relevant marine park/s.

The Director will also consider any positive impacts associated with allowing an activity, such as socio-economic or cultural benefits, and ensure that activities are undertaken in a manner that minimises negative impacts.

For some marine parks, such as the Lord Howe Marine Park, there is a relatively strong understanding of park values.

Where there is less information, environmental features are used as indicators for the types of species and habitats likely to occur. These include:

• bioregions
• water depth
• seafloor features
• key ecological features (Schedule 3).

As understanding of marine park values improves over the life of this plan, the Director will make new information about values available on the Parks Australia website.

Other important sources of information on values (also on the Department’s website) include:

• species profile and threats database for protected species
• directory of important wetlands in Australia
• Australian heritage database for natural, historic and Indigenous heritage places
• Australian national shipwreck database for known shipwrecks
• National Conservation Values Atlas
• marine bioregional plan for the Temperate East Marine Region (2012)
• east marine bioregional plan: bioregional profile (2009).

Statement of significance

The Temperate East Network was designed to protect representative examples of the region’s ecosystems and biodiversity in accordance with the Goals and principles for the establishment of the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas in Commonwealth waters (ANZECC, 1998).

Natural values

Bioregions—the Temperate East Marine Region is divided into areas of ocean with broadly similar characteristics based on the distribution of marine species and seafloor features.

The Network represents examples of the region’s marine environments including ecosystems, species and habitats.

There are seven bioregions represented in the Temperate East Network (Schedule 2).

Key ecological features—elements of the marine environment considered to be of importance for biodiversity or ecosystem function and integrity, represented in the Network are:

• Lord Howe seamount chain
• Tasmantid seamount chain
• Norfolk Ridge
• Shelf rocky reefs
• Tasman Front and eddy field
• Canyons on the eastern continental slope.

Species and habitats—all species and habitats are important components of the ecosystems represented in the Temperate East Network.

Many species are protected under the EPBC Act and international agreements such as the:

• Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS or Bonn Convention) 
• Japan– Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA)
• China–Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA)
• Republic Of Korea–Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (ROKAMBA).

Further information on these agreements is in Schedule 1.

The Temperate East Network supports important habitats, including biologically important areas, for a range of protected species.

Biologically important areas are where aggregations of individuals of a protected species breed, forage or rest during migration.

More information on protected species and biologically important areas can be found in the Marine bioregional plan for the Temperate East Marine Region (2012) and the conservation values atlas on the Department’s website.

The coral reefs of Emily Bay and Slaughter Bay in the Norfolk Marine Park are the eastern-most coral reefs in Australian waters, and contain a unique reef fish assemblage of endemic, sub-tropical and temperate species.

Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Ramsar site

The Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Ramsar site is located within the Lord Howe Marine Park.

The site was listed under the Ramsar Convention in 2002 and is a wetland of international importance under the EPBC Act.

The reefs form the southernmost open-ocean reef platform in the world and support internationally significant populations of seabirds and shorebirds.

Cultural values

Aboriginal people of eastern Australia have been sustainably using and managing their sea country for thousands of years, in some cases since before rising sea levels created these marine environments.

Sea country refers to the areas of the sea that Aboriginal people are particularly affiliated with through their traditional lore and customs.

Sea country is valued for Indigenous cultural identity, health and wellbeing.

Aboriginal people continue to assert inherited rights and responsibilities over sea country within the Temperate East Network.

It is recognised that spiritual corridors extend from terrestrial areas into nearshore and offshore waters, that a number of marine animals are totems for Indigenous people, and that songlines pass through marine parks.

Heritage values

Protected places (world, national and Commonwealth heritage, historic shipwrecks)

The EPBC Act protects matters of national environmental significance that are classified as protected places, including world heritage properties and national heritage places.

Places on the Commonwealth Heritage List or shipwrecks listed under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 are also protected places.

Historic shipwrecks are a unique historic value and the region is an area of considerable importance in Australia’s maritime history.

The Temperate East Network includes many historic shipwrecks that can be found in the Australian national shipwrecks database, such as the HMS Sirius, a flagship of the First Fleet, which was wrecked on the coral reef off Slaughter Bay, Norfolk Island in 1790.

The Temperate East Network includes the following internationally listed place:

• Lord Howe Island Group World Heritage Property

The Lord Howe Island Group World Heritage Property is in and adjacent to the Lord Howe Marine Park.

The property was inscribed on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee in 1982 on the basis of its outstanding universal value.

It supports a number of endemic species or subspecies of plants and animals.

Social and economic values

The Temperate East Network supports a range of important social and economic uses that underpin the prosperity and wellbeing of regional communities.

Commercial fishing, shipping and port-related activities, and tourism are industries of national economic significance.

Marine tourism activities, including charter fishing, snorkelling, diving and wildlife watching are also important commercial activities that offer unique visitor experiences to reefs, islands and lagoons particularly around Lord Howe and Norfolk Marine Parks.

The Network also supports a range of recreational activities including fishing.

The island communities of Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island have a particularly strong affinity and historic connection to the ocean surrounding them as a source of food and for a range of social and economic benefits.

The Norfolk Marine Park includes waters up to the high water mark, which incorporate a wide range of near-shore values and uses by the Norfolk community and visitors.

Gifford Marine Park

The Gifford Marine Park is located approximately 480 km north of Lord Howe Island and borders on the limit of Australia’s exclusive economic zone.

The Marine Park covers an area of 5828 km² and a depth range between 220 m and 4000 m.

The Marine Park was proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 14 December 2013 and renamed Gifford Marine Park on 9 October 2017.

The Marine Park is assigned IUCN category IV and includes one zone assigned under this plan:

• Habitat Protection Zone (IV).

Coordinates for the Gifford Marine Park and zone are provided in Schedule 4.

Statement of significance

The Gifford Marine Park is significant because it contains habitats, species and ecological communities associated with the Lord Howe Province.

It includes one key ecological feature: the Lord Howe Seamount Chain, valued for high productivity, aggregations of marine life, biodiversity and endemism.

Natural values

The Marine Park includes examples of ecosystems representative of the Lord Howe Province.

Ecosystems of this region are influenced by tropical and temperate currents due to its location in the path of the Tasman Front that brings a mix of warm tropical waters and colder, nutrient-rich waters from the south.

A key ecological feature of the Marine Park is the Lord Howe Seamount Chain—running approximately 1000 km north–south from the Coral Sea to Lord Howe Island.

The Lord Howe Seamount Chain contains a series of submerged mountains that includes Lord Howe Island and Gifford Tablemount, the prominent seafloor feature of the Marine Park.

The Marine Park supports a range of species, including species listed as threatened, migratory, marine or cetacean under the EPBC Act.

Biologically important areas within the Marine Park include foraging habitat for seabirds and a migratory pathway for humpback whales.

Cultural values

Sea country is valued for Indigenous cultural identity, health and wellbeing.

Across Australia, Indigenous people have been sustainably managing their sea country for tens of thousands of years.

At the commencement of this plan, there is limited information about the cultural significance of this Marine Park.

The Native Title Services Corporation is the Native Title Service Provider for the New South Wales region.

Heritage values

No international, Commonwealth or national heritage listings apply to the Marine Park at commencement of this plan.

Social and economic values

Commercial fishing is an important activity in the Marine Park that contributes to the wellbeing of regional communities and the prosperity of the nation.

Norfolk Marine Park

The Norfolk Marine Park is around Norfolk Island, including Nepean Island Reserve and Phillip Island, approximately 1400 km offshore from Evans Head in New South Wales.

The Marine Park spans 700 km in a north–south direction, covering an area of 188,444 km² and a depth range of 5000 m up to the high water mark.

The Marine Park was proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 14 December 2013 and renamed Norfolk Marine Park on 9 October 2017.

The Marine Park is assigned IUCN category IV and includes three zones assigned under this plan:

• National Park Zone (II)
• Habitat Protection Zone (IV)
• Special Purpose Zone (Norfolk) (VI).

Coordinates for the Norfolk Marine Park and zones are provided in Schedule 4.

Statement of significance

The Norfolk Marine Park is significant because it contains habitats, species and ecological communities associated with the Norfolk Island Province.

It includes two key ecological features: Norfolk Ridge, and the Tasman Front and eddy field, both valued for high productivity, aggregations of marine life, biodiversity and endemism.

Natural values

The Marine Park includes examples of ecosystems representative of the Norfolk Island Province.

The mixing of warm-water and cold-water currents and eddies, and their interactions with seamounts influence biological productivity, with east-moving eddies associated with the Tasman Front transporting Coral Sea biota including corals, crustaceans and molluscs to the area.

The shallow-water habitats of Norfolk Island support diverse tropical and temperate species of fish, corals and other marine organisms similar to those found in the reefs surrounding Lord Howe Island, but with a unique reef fish assemblage of endemic, sub-tropical and temperate species.

Coral reefs in Emily Bay and Slaughter Bay are the eastern-most coral reefs in Australian waters.

Key ecological features of the Marine Park are:

• Tasman Front and eddy field—a region that separates the warm, nutrient-poor waters of the Coral Sea from the cold, nutrient-rich waters of the Tasman Sea, providing increased nutrients and plankton aggregations, and enhanced productivity that attracts mobile species such as turtles, cetaceans, tuna and billfish.
• Norfolk Ridge—a steep-sided, narrow and elongated feature approximately 1000 km long and 70 km wide. The pinnacles and seamounts of the Norfolk Ridge support relatively productive and diverse benthic habitats, and are thought to act as stepping stones for faunal dispersal, connecting deep-water fauna from New Caledonia to New Zealand.

The Marine Park supports a range of species, including species listed as threatened, migratory, marine or cetacean under the EPBC Act. Biologically important areas within the Marine Park include

• breeding and foraging habitat for seabirds
• a migratory pathway for humpback whales.

Cultural values

The marine environment around Norfolk Island has long held significance among Norfolk Islanders.

A unique community and culture has developed by those who have visited and settled the island over time.

Polynesian

The first people to inhabit Norfolk Island were of Polynesian descent.

Stone tools have been found at both Emily and Slaughter bays within the Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area (see Heritage values).

Archaeological investigations have revealed evidence of landscape modifications in the Emily Bay area including artefact assemblages and structural remains that have been interpreted as a rudimentary marae, a religious structure characteristic of East Polynesian culture.

Radiocarbon dating indicates Polynesian settlement of the area occurred between AD 1200 and AD 1600.

Pitcairn Islanders

In 1853, an Order in Council repealed all previous orders making Norfolk Island a penal settlement. Occupation was granted to incoming settlers from Pitcairn Island, who constituted the third settlement phase of the island’s history. The whole Pitcairn community landed on Norfolk Island in 1856. Their descendants, who comprise the majority of Norfolk Island’s population, still speak the Pitcairn language.

Indigenous Australians

Across Australia, Indigenous people have been sustainably managing their sea country for tens of thousands of years. At the commencement of this plan, there is limited information about the cultural significance of this Marine Park to Indigenous people due to its remote location.

Heritage values

National heritage

Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area (on Norfolk Island, adjacent to the Norfolk Marine Park), is one of 11 sites that make up the Australian Convict Sites world heritage property.

Commonwealth heritage

There are no Commonwealth heritage sites within the Norfolk Marine Park.

However, there are Commonwealth heritage places on Norfolk Island that provide important habitat for seabirds that forage in the Marine Park.

Adjacent to Norfolk Island, Nepean Island Reserve and Phillip Island are on the Commonwealth Heritage List, providing important breeding habitat for at least eight species of seabird that also forage in the Marine Park.

Historic shipwrecks

The Marine Park contains over 20 known shipwrecks listed under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 (including six shipwrecks that are less than 75 years old that will become eligible for listing as historic shipwrecks during the life of this plan).

One of these is the HMS Sirius, a flagship of the First Fleet, which was wrecked on the coral reef off Slaughter Bay, Norfolk Island in 1790.

European heritage

Discovered by Captain James Cook in 1774, Norfolk Island was inhabited by convicts and free settlers from 1788.

This first settlement’s population peaked at 1156 in 1792. By 1804, the free settlers on the island significantly outnumbered convicts.

The first settlement was abandoned in 1814, and later re-occupied in 1825 as a penal settlement.

Social and economic values

Fishing in the Norfolk Island Inshore Fishery area is managed by the Norfolk Island Regional Council in collaboration with the Norfolk Island Fishing Association, and in accordance with the Norfolk Island Inshore Fishery Policy 2009.

The associated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) for the inshore fishery area known locally as the “MoU Box” has enabled AFMA to provide management expertise and guidance to the Norfolk Island Regional Council and the Norfolk Island Fishing Association as required.

The “MoU Box” area existing at the time of commencement of this plan has been zoned Special Purpose Zone (Norfolk) and the community has a strong affinity and interest in its management.

Within the coastal waters surrounding Norfolk Island, boating and shipping, tourism and recreation are important activities in the Marine Park.

This includes the sheltered coral lagoon of Emily Bay which is a valuable community asset used for swimming, snorkeling and tourism.

These activities contribute to the economy and wellbeing of the island community.

LORD HOWE MARINE PARK

The Lord Howe Marine Park is located approximately 550 km offshore of New South Wales, adjacent to the New South Wales Lord Howe Island Marine Park and World Heritage Area.

The Marine Park covers an area of 110,126 km² and a depth range from less than 15 m to 6000 m.

The Lord Howe Marine Park was proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 14 December 2013 and renamed Lord Howe Marine Park on 9 October 2017.

It includes the areas of the Lord Howe Island Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters) originally proclaimed under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 on 7 June 2000, and the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve originally proclaimed under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 on 11 December 1987.

The Marine Park is assigned IUCN category IV and includes five zones assigned under this plan:

• National Park Zone (II)
• Habitat Protection Zone (IV)
• Habitat Protection Zone (Lord Howe) (IV)
• Recreational Use Zone (IV)
• Multiple Use Zone (VI).

Coordinates for the Lord Howe Marine Park and zones are provided in Schedule 4.

Statement of significance

The Lord Howe Marine Park is significant because it includes habitats, species and ecological communities associated with the Lord Howe Province and the Tasman Basin Province.

It includes three key ecological features, all valued for high productivity, aggregations of marine life, biodiversity and endemism:

• the Lord Howe Seamount Chain
• Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs (the southernmost coral reefs in the world)
• the Tasman Front and eddy field.

The Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Ramsar site is located within the Marine Park.

The site was listed under the Ramsar Convention in 2002 and is a wetland of international importance under the EPBC Act, due to its unique nature as the southernmost open-ocean coral-reef platform in the world.

An Ecological Character Description that sets out the Ramsar listing criteria met by the site, the key threats and knowledge gaps, is available on the Department’s website.

The Marine Park includes habitats connecting to and complementing the adjacent New South Wales Lord Howe Island Marine Park.

Natural values

The Marine Park includes examples of ecosystems representative of:

• Lord Howe Province—due to the convergence of warm, tropical and cooler temperate waters in the area, the Marine Park supports a unique mix of tropical, subtropical and temperate species, many found at the northern or southern extent of their range.
• Tasman Basin Province—interactions between currents, eddies and seamounts and the movements of the deep sub-Antarctic water mass influence biological productivity in this area.

Key ecological features of the Marine Park are:

• Lord Howe Seamount Chain—a chain of submerged volcanoes running 1000 km north–south, the seamount chain includes Lord Howe Island and Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs. These isolated, oceanic reefs support a diverse range of tropical and temperate marine life, including both warm-water and cold-water corals and an abundance of fish species. This diversity is a result of the effect of the East Australian Current on the reefs as it exposes the area to its warm waters, in contrast to the surrounding cooler ocean.
• Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs—small, isolated, oceanic platforms reefs that occur on top of the volcanic seamounts of the Lord Howe seamount chain. The lagoons of both reefs are important areas for populations of black cod and the Galapagos shark.
• Tasman Front and eddy field—a region that separates the warm, nutrient-poor waters of the Coral Sea from the cold, nutrient-rich waters of the Tasman Sea, providing increased nutrients and plankton aggregations, and enhanced productivity that attracts mobile species such as turtles, cetaceans, tuna and billfish.

The Marine Park supports a range of species, including species listed as threatened, migratory, marine or cetacean under the EPBC Act.

Biologically important areas within the Marine Park include breeding and foraging habitat for seabirds, and a migratory pathway for humpback whale.

Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Ramsar site

The reefs of the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Ramsar site form the southernmost open-ocean reef platform in the world and support internationally significant populations of seabirds and shorebirds.

Cultural values

The marine environment around Lord Howe Island has long held significance among Lord Howe Islanders.

A unique community and culture has developed by those who have visited and settled the island over time.

Across Australia, Indigenous people have been sustainably managing their sea country for tens of thousands of years.

At the commencement of this plan, there is limited information about the cultural significance of this Marine Park to Indigenous people due to its remote location.

Heritage values

World heritage

Parts of the Marine Park are within the world heritage-listed Lord Howe Island Group, which was listed as an area of outstanding universal value under the World Heritage Convention in 1982.

The Lord Howe Island Group comprises Lord Howe Island, Admiralty Islands, Mutton Bird Islands, Ball’s Pyramid, and associated coral reefs and marine environments. It includes:

• spectacular landscapes
• volcanic mountains
• diverse low-lying rainforests, palm forests and grasslands.

There are a large number of species of native plants, of which many are endemic to Lord Howe Island, and colonies of endangered seabirds.

National heritage

The Lord Howe Island Group was included in the National Heritage List in 2007.

Historic shipwrecks

The Marine Park contains over 25 known shipwrecks listed under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976.

Social and economic values

Tourism, commercial fishing, recreation, including fishing, and scientific research, are important activities in the Marine Park.

These activities contribute to the wellbeing of regional communities and the prosperity of the nation.

Central Eastern Marine Park

The Central Eastern Marine Park is located approximately 30 km east of Coffs Harbour at the edge of the continental shelf.

It extends to deep ocean waters approximately 200 km offshore of New South Wales.

The Marine Park covers an area of 70,054 km2 and water depths ranging from 120 m to 6000 m.

The Marine Park was proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 14 December 2013 and renamed Central Eastern Marine Park on 9 October 2017.

The Marine Park is assigned IUCN category IV and includes three zones assigned under this plan:

• National Park Zone (II)
• Habitat Protection Zone (IV)
• Multiple Use Zone (VI).

Coordinates for the Central Eastern Marine Park and zones are provided in Schedule 4.

Statement of significance

The Central Eastern Marine Park is significant because it includes habitats, species and ecological communities associated with the Central Eastern Province, the Central Eastern Shelf Transition and the Tasman Basin Province.

It includes three key ecological features:

• canyons on the eastern continental slope (valued as a unique sea floor feature with ecological properties of regional significance)
• the Tasmantid Seamount Chain
• the Tasman Front and eddy field (both valued for high productivity, aggregations of marine life, biodiversity and endemism).

Natural values

The Marine Park includes examples of ecosystems representative of:

• Central Eastern Province—includes canyons along the continental shelf that interact with currents and ocean gyres resulting in upwellings that influence biological productivity. Plankton blooms associated with the upwellings attract aggregations of tuna, whales and albatrosses and support over 50 fish species endemic to the area.
• Central Eastern Shelf Transition—upwellings caused by the East Australian Current crossing the continental shelf, and river sediment influence biological productivity in this area.
• Tasman Basin Province—interactions between currents, eddies and seamounts and the movements of the deep sub-Antarctic water mass influence biological productivity in this area. The deep-reef coral communities on seamounts are dominated by filter feeders and provide stepping stones for large oceanic species moving between breeding, nesting, calving and foraging sites.

Key ecological features of the Marine Park are:

• Tasmantid Seamount Chain—a series of underwater volcanic mountains comprised of guyots, seamounts, tablemounts, banks, plateaux and terraces that runs in a north–south direction, and extends into the Tasman Basin. The feature rises from approximately 4800 m deep to 125 m from the surface at Taupo Seamount in the south, approximately 280 m from the surface at Derwent–Hunter Seamount in the centre of the Marine Park, and to approximately 350 m from the surface at Queensland Guyot in the north of the Marine Park. The seamounts support a diverse range of habitats in temperate and subtropical waters.
• Canyons on the eastern continental slope—canyons enhance diversity and abundance of species, driven by the combined effects of steep and rugged topography, ocean currents, seafloor types and nutrient availability. Canyons also create localised changes in productivity in the water column above them, providing feeding opportunities for a range of species.
• Tasman Front and eddy field—a region that separates the warm, nutrient-poor waters of the Coral Sea from the cold, nutrient-rich waters of the Tasman Sea, providing increased nutrients and plankton aggregations, and enhanced productivity that attracts mobile species such as turtles, cetaceans, tuna and billfish.The Marine Park supports a range of species, including species listed as threatened, migratory, marine or cetacean under the EPBC Act. Biologically important areas within the Marine Park include foraging and breeding habitat for seabirds, and a migratory pathway for the humpback whale.

Cultural values

Sea country is valued for Indigenous cultural identity, health and wellbeing.

Across Australia, Indigenous people have been sustainably managing their sea country for tens of thousands of years.

At the commencement of this plan, there is limited information about the cultural significance of this Marine Park.

The Native Title Services Corporation is the Native Title Service Provider for the New South Wales region.

Heritage values

No international, Commonwealth or national heritage listings apply to the Marine Park at commencement of this plan.

Historic shipwrecks

The Marine Park contains two known shipwrecks listed under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976:

• Amelia (wrecked in 1816)
• Illagong (wrecked in 1872).

Social and economic values

Tourism, commercial fishing, and recreation, including fishing, are important activities in the Marine Park.

These activities contribute to the wellbeing of regional communities and the prosperity of the nation.

Solitary Islands Marine Park

The Solitary Islands Marine Park is located approximately 5.5 km offshore of New South Wales, adjacent to the New South Wales Solitary Islands Marine Park.

The Marine Park covers an area of 152 km² and a depth range of 15 m to 70 m.

The Marine Park was originally proclaimed under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 on 17 February 1993 as the Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters), and proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 14 December 2013 and renamed Solitary Islands Marine Park on 9 October 2017.

The Marine Park is assigned IUCN category VI and includes three zones assigned under this plan:

• National Park Zone (II)
• Multiple Use Zone (VI)
• Special Purpose Zone (Trawl) (VI).

Coordinates for the Solitary Islands Marine Park and zones are provided in Schedule 4.

Statement of significance

The Solitary Islands Marine Park is significant because it contains habitats, species and ecological communities associated with the Central Eastern Shelf Transition.

The Marine Park contains habitat for species of special conservation interest such as grey nurse sharks, and biologically important areas for humpback whale, white shark and a number of migratory seabirds.

The Marine Park includes habitats connecting to and complementing the adjacent New South Wales Solitary Islands Marine Park.

Natural values

The Marine Park includes examples of ecosystems representative of the Central Eastern Shelf Transition.

Ecosystems of this area are influenced by tropical waters of the East Australian Current meeting temperate, southern waters, creating a combination of tropical and temperate environments.

Many species found within the Marine Park are at, or close to, either their southern or northern geographical limits.

Tropical, subtropical and temperate marine communities co-exist within the same area.

Waters of the Marine Park are a relatively undisturbed, distinct and species-rich ecosystem associated an open-ocean, subtidal reef and soft substrate habitats.

Pimpernel Rock is a significant feature of the Marine Park.

It is a submerged pinnacle that rises from the seabed to within a few metres of the surface.

It provides habitat for benthic communities, pelagic fish, and other marine life.

The Marine Park supports a range of species, including species listed as threatened, migratory, marine or cetacean under the EPBC Act.

Biologically important areas within the Marine Park include:

• foraging habitat for seabirds
• migratory and foraging habitat for sharks
• a migratory pathway for humpback whales
• breeding habitat for Indo-Pacific/spotted bottlenose dolphin.

Cultural values

Sea country is valued for Indigenous cultural identity, health and wellbeing.

Across Australia, Indigenous people have been sustainably using and managing their sea country for tens of thousands of years.

The Yaegl People’s sea country extends into the southern portion of the Marine Park.

The Yaegl Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation Prescribed Body Corporate represents the Yaegl native title holders.

The Yaegl Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation is the point of contact for their sea country.

The Native Title Services Corporation is the Native Title Service Provider for the New South Wales region.

Heritage values

No international, Commonwealth or national heritage listings apply to the Marine Park at commencement of this plan.

Social and economic values

Tourism, commercial fishing, and recreation, including fishing, are important activities in the Marine Park.

These activities contribute to the wellbeing of regional communities and the prosperity of the nation.

COD GROUNDS MARINE PARK

The Cod Grounds Marine Park is located approximately 5.5 km offshore of New South Wales.

The Marine Park covers an area of 4 km² and a water depth range of 21 m to 46 m.

The Marine Park was proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 14 December 2013 and renamed Cod Grounds Marine Park on 9 October 2017.

It includes the area of the Cod Grounds Commonwealth Marine Reserve originally proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 10 May 2007.

The Marine Park is assigned IUCN category II and includes one zone assigned under this plan:

• National Park Zone (II).

Coordinates for the Cod Grounds Marine Park and zone are provided in Schedule 4.

Statement of significance

The Cod Grounds Marine Park is significant because it contains habitats, species and ecological communities representative of the Central Eastern Shelf Transition.

It provides habitat for grey nurse sharks.

Natural values

The Marine Park includes examples of ecosystems representative of the Central Eastern Shelf Transition.

Ecosystems in this area are influenced by tropical waters of the East Australian Current meeting temperate waters, creating a combination of tropical and temperate environments.

Many species found within the Marine Park are at, or close to, either their southern or northern geographical limits. Tropical, subtropical and temperate marine communities co-exist within the same area.

The Marine Park is predominantly rocky reef surrounded by boulder and cobble slopes that support diverse and abundant marine communities.

The reefs are interlaced with sand and cobble gutters.

The Cod Grounds reef is the northern-most of a series of reefs extending south and south-west.

The Cod Grounds is the shallowest reef in the series and has steeper slopes.

The rocky outcrops form several pinnacles which are surrounded by gutters, ledges and caves.

The underwater pinnacles of the Marine Park provide habitat for grey nurse sharks and their prey species.

The Marine Park supports a range of species, including species listed as threatened, migratory, marine or cetacean under the EPBC Act.

Biologically important areas within the Marine Park include:

• foraging habitat for seabirds
• a migratory pathway and aggregation area for grey nurse sharks
• migratory and foraging habitat for humpback whales.

Cultural values

Sea country is valued for Indigenous cultural identity, health and wellbeing.

Across Australia, Indigenous people have been sustainably managing their sea country for tens of thousands of years.

At the commencement of this plan, there is limited information about the cultural significance of this Marine Park.

The Native Title Services Corporation is the Native Title Service Provider for the New South Wales region.

Heritage values

No international, Commonwealth or national heritage listings apply to the Marine Park at commencement of this plan.

Social and economic values

Tourism, scientific research and recreation activities are important in the Marine Park.

These activities contribute to the wellbeing of regional communities and the prosperity of the nation.

Hunter Marine Park

The Hunter Marine Park extends from the New South Wales state water boundary to approximately 100 km offshore, and adjacent to the New South Wales Port Stephens–Great Lakes Marine Park.

The Marine Park covers an area of 6257 km² and a depth range between 15 m and 6000 m.

The Marine Park was proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 14 December 2013 and renamed Hunter Marine Park on 9 October 2017.

The Marine Park is assigned IUCN category IV and includes two zones assigned under this plan:

• Habitat Protection Zone (IV)
• Special Purpose Zone (Trawl) (VI).

Coordinates for the Hunter Marine Park and zones are provided in Schedule 4.

Statement of significance

The Hunter Marine Park is significant because it contains habitats, species and ecological communities representative of the Central Eastern Province and the Central Eastern Shelf Province.

It includes three key ecological features:

• canyons on the eastern continental slope (valued for a unique seafloor feature with ecological properties of regional significance)
• shelf rocky reefs (valued for a unique seafloor feature with ecological properties of regional significance)
• the Tasman Front and eddy field (valued for high productivity, aggregations of marine life, biodiversity and endemism).

The Marine Park includes habitats connecting to and complementing the adjacent New South Wales Port Stephens–Great Lakes Marine Park.

Natural values

The Marine Park includes examples of ecosystems representative of:

• Central Eastern Province—includes canyons along the shelf that interact with currents and ocean gyres resulting in upwellings that influence biological productivity. Plankton blooms associated with the upwellings attract aggregations of tuna, whale and albatross and support over 50 fish species endemic to the area.
• Central Eastern Shelf Province—upwellings caused by the East Australian Current crossing the continental shelf, and river sediment influence biological productivity in this provincial bioregion that extends south over the continental shelf from the boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to offshore Coffs Harbour.

Key ecological features of the Marine Park are:

• Canyons on the eastern continental slope—canyons enhance diversity and abundance of species, driven by the combined effects of steep and rugged topography, ocean currents, seafloor types and nutrient availability. Canyons also create localised changes in productivity in the water column above them, providing feeding opportunities for a range of species.
• Shelf rocky reefs—have a diverse range of complex benthic habitats that support diverse benthic communities.
• Tasman Front and eddy field—a region that separates the warm, nutrient-poor waters of the Coral Sea from the cold, nutrient-rich waters of the Tasman Sea, providing increased nutrients and plankton aggregations, and enhanced productivity that attracts mobile species such as turtles, cetaceans, tuna and billfish.

The Marine Park supports a range of species, including species listed as threatened, migratory, marine or cetacean under the EPBC Act.

Biologically important areas within the Marine Park include:

• foraging habitat for seabirds
• a migratory pathway and foraging habitat for humpback whales
• aggregation areas for grey nurse sharks.

Cultural values

Sea country is valued for Indigenous cultural identity, health and wellbeing.

Across Australia, Indigenous people have been sustainably managing their sea country for tens of thousands of years.

At the commencement of this plan, there is limited information about the cultural significance of this Marine Park.

The Native Title Services Corporation is the Native Title Service Provider for the New South Wales region.

Heritage values

No international, Commonwealth or national heritage listings apply to the Marine Park at commencement of this plan.

Historic shipwrecks

The Marine Park contains one known shipwreck listed under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976—India (wrecked in 1884).

Social and economic values

Commercial fishing, tourism and recreation, including fishing, are important activities in the Marine Park.

These activities contribute to the wellbeing of regional communities and the prosperity of the nation.

Jervis Marine Park

The Jervis Marine Park is located approximately 20 km offshore, adjacent to the New South Wales Jervis Bay Marine Park and Commonwealth Booderee National Park.

The Marine Park covers an area of 2473 km² and a depth range between 120 m and 5000 m.

The Marine Park was proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 14 December 2013 and renamed Jervis Marine Park on 9 October 2017.

The Marine Park is assigned IUCN category IV and includes two zones assigned under this plan: Habitat Protection Zone (IV) and Special Purpose Zone (Trawl) (VI).

Coordinates for the Jervis Marine Park and zones are provided in Schedule 4.

Statement of significance

The Jervis Marine Park is significant because it contains habitats, species and ecological communities associated with the Central Eastern Province and the Southeast Shelf Transition.

It includes two key ecological features: canyons on the eastern continental slope; and shelf rocky reefs (both valued as unique seafloor features with ecological properties of regional significance).

Natural values

The Marine Park includes examples of ecosystems representative of:

• Central Eastern Province—includes canyons along the edge of the continental shelf that interact with ocean currents and gyres resulting in plankton blooms associated with upwellings.
• Southeast Shelf Transition—includes upwellings caused by the East Australian Current crossing the continental shelf and river sediments that influence biological productivity in this region.

Key ecological features of the Marine Park are:

• Canyons on the eastern continental slope—canyons enhance diversity and abundance of species, driven by the combined effects of steep and rugged topography, ocean currents, seafloor types and nutrient availability. Canyons also create localised changes in productivity in the water column above them, providing feeding opportunities for a range of species.
• Shelf rocky reefs—which have a complex range of benthic habitat that supports diverse benthic communities.

The Marine Park supports a range of species, including species listed as threatened, migratory, marine or cetacean under the EPBC Act.

Biologically important areas within the Marine Park include foraging habitat for seabirds, foraging habitat for grey nurse sharks, and a foraging habitat for humpback whales.

Cultural values

Sea country is valued for Indigenous cultural identity, health and wellbeing.

Across Australia, Indigenous people have been sustainably managing their sea country for tens of thousands of years.

At the commencement of this plan, there is limited information about the cultural significance of this Marine Park.

The Native Title Services Corporation is the Native Title Service Provider for the New South Wales region.

Heritage values

No international, Commonwealth or national heritage listings apply to the Marine Park at commencement of this plan.

Historic shipwrecks

The Marine Park contains one known shipwreck listed under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976:

• HMAS Tattoo (wrecked in 1939).

Social and economic values

Tourism, commercial fishing, and recreation are important activities in the Marine Park.

These activities contribute to the wellbeing of regional communities and the prosperity of the nation.