Great Sandy Marine Park Bundaberg | Fraser Coast | Sunshine Coast

New Great Sandy Marine Park Zoning Plan commences 21 May 2024

Find out about how the zoning plan applies across the marine park.

Photo credit: © Ben Edmonds Photography

Great Sandy Marine Park provisions table

A new zoning plan for the Great Sandy Marine Park will be effective from 21 May 2024. Read an overview of the changes and how to keep informed.

An overview of the activities that will be able to be undertaken in different zones of the Great Sandy Marine Park, when the new zoning plan takes effect, is provided below. The existing marine park rules  continue to apply until the new zoning plan commences on 21 May 2024.

Read more about the marine park’s new zones and designated areas.

    Entry and use provisions for zones and designated areas

    Great Sandy Marine Park zones entry and use provisions table – effective from 21 May 2024

    The following tables provide an overview of the activities that will be able to be undertaken in different zones of the Great Sandy Marine Park as of 21 May 2024.

    Note: All fishing activities must comply with the restrictions or conditions placed upon them by the Fisheries Act 1994 and associated regulations, e.g. apparatus, bag and catch limits. All fishing equipment must be stowed and secured when in Marine National Park (green) zones.

    Fishing and collecting—recreational

    Zoning plan activities

    General use zone

    Habitat protection zone

    Conservation park zone

    Marine national park zone

    Line fishing & trolling

    Yes1

    Yes1

    Yes2

    No

    Crabbing – pots/dillies

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    No

    Limited spearfishing

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    No

    Bait netting (cast, scoop, seine net)

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    No

    Bait gathering (crabs, eugaries, worms, yabbies) by hand or by a hand-held implement

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    No

    Collecting

    Yes3

    Yes3

    Yes3

    No

    Fishing and collecting—commercial

    Zoning plan activities

    General use zone

    Habitat protection zone

    Conservation park zone

    Marine national park zone

    Line fishing & trolling

    Yes1

    Yes1

    Yes2

    No

    Crabbing – pots/dillies

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes4

    No

    Netting - large mesh gill nets (N15 fishery symbol, including N15 symbols linked to N10 and K8)

    Yes

    Yes5

    No

    No

    Netting – tunnel (N10 fishery symbol)

    Yes

    Yes

    No6

    No

         

    Netting – set pocket (N15 fishery symbol)

    Yes

    Yes

    No7

    No

    Netting – bait (small mesh) (N11 fishery symbol)

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes8

    No

    Netting – beach haul (K8 fishery symbol)

    Yes

    Yes

    No9

    No

    Trawling – otter and beam

    Yes

    No

    No

    No

    Harvest fishery – bloodworms

    Permit

    Permit

    No

    No

    Harvest fishery – beachworms

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    No

    Harvest fishery – yabby

    Permit

    Permit

    No10

    No

    Harvest fishery – marine aquarium fish

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    No11

    Harvest fishery – coral

    No

    No

    No

    No11

    Aquaculture (no addition of feed)

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    No

    Research and education

    Zoning plan activities

    General use zone

    Habitat protection zone

    Conservation park zone

    Marine national park zone

    Limited impact research (non-extractive)12

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Limited impact research (extractive)

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Permit13

    Research other than limited impact research

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit13

    Educational program (other than a limited educational program12)

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    No

    Other activities

    Zoning plan activities

    General use zone

    Habitat protection zone

    Conservation park zone

    Marine national park zone

    Boating14 and diving15

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Anchoring a vessel16

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Anchoring a vessel in an area for more than
    14 consecutive days or
    30 days in any period of 60 days

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Media activity (other than a limited media activity17)

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Tourism program

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Navigate a managed vessel18

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Navigate a ship (vessel >50m length)

    Yes

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Works consistent with the objects of the zone

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Operate a facility

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Permit

    Notes

    1. Up to 3 hand-held lines/rods per person and a maximum of 6 hooks/lures (aligns with restrictions under Fisheries legislation).
    2. Up to 2 hand-held lines/rods per person and a maximum of 2 hooks/lures.
    3. Limited to no more than 2 specimens of the same species; or a total of 5 specimens of a fish species listed in Schedule 5, Part 2 of the Marine Parks (Great Sandy) Zoning Plan 2024; or a marine invertebrate other than an excluded invertebrate, greater than 5mm in length. Collection of coral is prohibited.
    4. Limited to 4 crab pots or dillies except in Baffle Creek, Elliott River, Burrum River, Tin Can Inlet and Great Sandy Strait where commercial quantities of crab pots may be used as a non-conforming use.
    5. Prohibited at Dayman Spit and in the Cherwell River and upstream reaches of the Burrum River.
    6. Allowed as a non-conforming use in parts of the Great Sandy Strait and Tin Can Inlet.
    7. Allowed as a non-conforming use in the Mary River.
    8. Taking of bream, flathead or whiting is prohibited. Fisheries legislation also prohibits take of some other species.
    9. Allowed as a non-conforming use along part of northeastern beach of Inskip Point and Hook Point on K’gari.
    10. Allowed as a non-conforming use – restricted to two Fisheries Authority numbers.
    11. Permitted as a non-conforming use with restrictions at a specific location.
    12. Not involving fishing or collecting.
    13. Research in MNP zones restricted to priority research for marine park management or research that cannot reasonably be conducted elsewhere.
    14. Restrictions apply in designated ex-HMAS Tobruk Area, No-Motorised Vessel Areas, the Platypus Bay Area and Go Slow Areas other than transit lanes and marked navigation channels.
    15. Restrictions apply in designated ex-HMAS Tobruk and Grey Nurse Shark Areas.
    16. Anchoring prohibited in designated No Anchoring Areas (NAAs), except for licensed commercial marine aquarium fish fishers while collecting at Gables Point and Gatakers Bay NAAs (near Point Vernon).
    17. Recording of images or sounds with negligible impact on the marine park.
    18. Managed vessel is an airboat, hovercraft, wing-in-ground effect craft or a motorised hydrofoil vessel.

    This is a summary only. Full details are included in the Marine Parks (Great Sandy) Zoning Plan 2024.

    The zoning plan does not affect the operation of s.211 of the Commonwealth Native Title Act 1993.

    Great Sandy Marine Park designated areas entry and use provisions table – effective 21 May 2024

    Designated area

    Activities

    Go slow areas
    • For turtles and dugongs
    • For natural and cultural values

    -         Vessels must not be navigated:

    • in a planing or non-displacement mode
    • at a speed   greater than 6 knots
    • for motorised water sports

    Fish trap areas

    • No anchoring of vessels or aircraft
    • No disturbance of fish traps or surrounding area e.g. no damage, excavation, modification or removal of rocks, stones or other substrate material from the area

    Platypus Bay area

    • No motorised watersports
    • No taking-off and landing in aircraft and helicopters

    No-anchoring areas

    • No anchoring of vessels or aircraft

    No-motorised vessel areas

    • Use of motorised vessels prohibited. A vessel with a motor, that is using only wind or human power for propulsion may use the area.

    Grey nurse shark area

    • No diving between 6pm and 6am (unless with a permit for research) and diving activities at all other times are subject to rules and restrictions
    • No interference to grey nurse sharks and their habitat
    • Authorised research allowed

    Mon Repos area

    Applies between 15 October and 31 May:

    • No public access between 6pm and   6am, unless as part of an authorised tour or with prior permission
    • No domestic animals
    • No vehicles on the foreshore,   unless authorised for managing or monitoring turtles
    • Authorised persons in the area at   night may only use 1 torch, of no more than 100 lumens

    Turtle protection area

    • No trawling between 1 November – 31 January

    Seasonal shorebird closure areas

    Applies between 1 March – 30 April and 1 September – 31 October:

    • No public access
    • No domestic animals

    Ex-HMAS Tobruk area

    • Entry prohibited, except with prior permission to:
      • Dive and snorkel
      • Carry out research
      • Carry out an activity beneficial for the area’s natural and cultural resources
    • Interference with the wreck is prohibited (unless authorised for research purposes)
    • Fishing prohibited – the wreck lies within a Marine National Park zone.

    Read more about the basis for different zones and designated areas.

    Great Sandy Marine Park provisions table – continues to apply until 21 May 2024

    Fisheries, fishing and collecting activities
    Entry and use provisions General use zone Habitat protection zone Conservation park zone Marine national park zone Buffer zone
    Bait netting Yes9 Yes9 Yes9 NoA NoA
    Aquaculture Permit Permit Permit NoA NoA
    Crabbing Yes9 Yes9 Yes 2,9 NoA NoA
    Bait gathering Yes9 Yes9 Yes9 NoA NoA
    Line fishing Yes 4,9 Yes 4,9 Yes 5,9 NoA NoA
    Limited collecting Yes 3,9 Yes 3,9 Yes 3,9 NoA NoA
    Limited spearfishing (snorkel only) Yes9 Yes9 Yes9 NoA NoA
    Traditional use of marine resources Yes 6 Yes 6 Yes 6 Yes 6 Yes 6
    Trolling Yes 4,9 Yes 4,9 Yes 4,9 No A Yes 4,7,9
    Commercial netting (other than bait netting) Yes9 Yes9 No8,9 NoA NoA
    Harvest fishing for aquarium fish, coral and beachworm Permit 1 Permit 1 Permit NoA NoA
    Harvest fishing for sea cucumber, trochus, tropical rock lobster Permit 1 Permit 1 No NoA NoA
    Trawling Yes9 No No NoA NoA
    Other activities
    Entry and use provisions General use zone Habitat protection zone Conservation park zone Marine national park zone Buffer zone
    Boating, diving, photography Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
    Research (other than limited impact) Permit Permit Permit Permit Permit
    Shipping (other than in a designated shipping area) Yes Permit Permit Permit Permit
    Tourism program Permit Permit Permit Permit Permit

    Notes on entry and use provisions – information current until 21 May 2024

    A. All fishing equipment must be stowed and secured prior to entering a buffer or green zone.

    1. other than accredited harvest fishery
    2. limited to 4 catch devices (e.g. crab pots or dillies) per person
    3. by hand or hand-held implement
    4. maximum of 3 lines/rods per person with a combined total of 6 hooks
    5. limited to 1 line/rod per person and 1 hook/lure per line (except the designated Great Sandy Area which is as per note 4).
    6. Activities that are not "as of right" in the zone, or that involve the take or protected species require either a permit or a Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement.
    7. pelagic species only
    8. Commercial fishers holding Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry endorsements can continue commercial fishing activities within the Great Sandy Designated Area.
    9. All fishing activities must comply with the restrictions or conditions placed upon them by the Fisheries Act and Regulation.

    Note: Permits are required for most other activities not listed above. Designated Areas may provide additional restrictions at some locations. The zoning plan does not affect the operation of s.2.11 of the Native Title Act 1993.

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    Zone and designated area information for the Great Sandy Marine Park and Moreton Bay Marine Park.