The Federal Government has embarked on the largest wholesale change to Commonwealth water since federation through the Marin Bio-Regional Planning Process.

The South East Plan was implemented by the Howard Government and was managed quite well. The same cannot be said of the Gillard Government under Ministers Garrett and Tony Burke.

Fact About the Marine Bio-Regional Planning Process (MBPP)

• The stakeholder advisory group set up to advise Government on industry concerns with regard to the MBPP has not met since March 2010!
• Even though the SAG had not met Minister Burke released the draft plans in May 2011 with limited consultation.
• DEWHA and BRS have a contractual relationship to prepare the scientific foundation underpinning the MBPP and yet to our knowledge not one single industry group had met a single Federal Government scientist prior to the release of the Draft Plans.
• Minister Burke's office consulted 3 people in WA and SA in the recreational fishing sector with regard to the draft plan. When this was found out, Minister Burkes adviser was sent back to WA and SA on two occasions to attend round table meetings put together by industry.
• The Government must under the plan develop a Displaced Activity Policy (DAP) to calculate the level of harm caused by marine closures. Before they started the Government asked Maximus Solutions to draft a report that argued regardless of the outcome the recreational fishing and boating sectors were not eligible for compensation regardless of the outcome and extent of closures.
• Some smaller commercial operators have been provided a somewhat loose assurance that closures of large areas of marine environment will destroy their business so will be 'bought out' by the Government via an industry assistance package.