77 BURDEKIN DRY TROPICS NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2016-2026
Objectives
Estuarine, coastal and Great Barrier Reef environments( and the quality of water entering these environments), are improved through enhanced land and coastal marine management practices.
Strategies
a) Implement strategies to improve the ecosystem processes, connectivity and condition of estuarine, coastal and marine environments, including:
• identifying and rehabilitating priority areas where connectivity between fragmented coastal and marine ecosystems can be achieved;
• removing impediments( either by complete removal, or modifying structures) between marine and freshwater environments;
• removing and monitoring marine debris, and implementing appropriate strategies to prevent it;
• promoting land and water techniques that improve the quality of water entering coastal and marine environments;
• closely managing activities that occur in marine environments and directly impact the GBR, including dredging, ship movements and fishing;
• rehabilitating degraded marine ecosystems; and
• quantifying and protecting Indigenous cultural fishing.
b) Promote opportunities and support the community, including schools, businesses and councils, to build capacity to protect reef-connected ecosystems. For example: the‘ Reef Guardians’ programme and the Australian Marine Debris Initiative.
c) Specify benchmarks for the maintenance, monitoring and improvement of coastal and marine assets in statutory planning instruments.
d) Facilitate agreements with communities and local governments to effectively maintain natural coastal processes and coastal zones, by maintaining connectivity, and buffering from inappropriate land use through land tenure options, as well as planning and development decisions.
BIODIVERSITY