A user-based evaluation of the zoning plan and day-to-day management in the Capricornia Section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Abstract

This is the final summary report resulting from the project 'User-based evaluation of the zoning plan and day-to-day management in the Capricornia Section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park'. The Authority has actively sought public evaluation of its performance and has been rewarded by both a favourable judgement and valuable information on how its performance could be even further improved. The overall public response to the Zoning Plan and day-to-day management is positive. At the same time, users have raised a number of issues that are to be addressed both in the forthcoming review of the Capricornia Section zoning Plan and in the development of guidelines and policies for day-to-day management. This research project was also undertaken as a pilot exercise to develop and test evaluation procedures for marine park planning. The methodology that has been developed has proven to be a useful model for further evaluation exercises.