Commonwealth Marine Park Estate

The Labour government has just this month promised to increase Australia's marine protected area estate. This initiative will see the Commonwealth marine parks increase from 27 to 60 throughout national waters and represents 3.1 million square kilometres. Can you even imagine?

The national marine park estate will include:

• parts of the Coral Sea;
•  the south-west marine region extending from the western end of Kangaroo Island in South Australia to Shark Bay in Western Australia;
• the temperate east marine region running between the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef to Bermagui in New South Wales and includes Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands' marine areas;
• the north marine region including the Commonwealth waters of Gulf of Carpentaria, Arafaru Sea and Timor Sea up to the border between the Northern Territory and Western Australia; and
• the north-west marine area proposed to stretch from the Western Australia/Northern Territory Border down to Kalbarri, south of Shark Bay. 

This represents a massive milestone in terms of environmental protection for Commonwealth marine waters. Detailed information about these marine reserves areas, including mapping and regulatory proposals can be found on the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities website. 

The final push on this government policy will soon be available with the government seeking public comment on whether this proposal should or should not go ahead. Presently, their website just states this comment will be sought in the near future. If you want to keep tabs on when this public comment period is available keep an eye on the following website:  http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/mbp/reserves/comments.html .
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Ship found at Ground Zero (New York)

I just came across a news piece saying that construction workers in the Ground Zero reconstruction works in New York have just discovered part of a 18th century sailing ship. How cool!

Apparently it was purposefully placed there as part of extension works on the shore of Manhattan Island, basically landfill to allow them to build New York. Currently archaeologists are undertaking examinations of the ship to gain more information, but by the sound of things this will be all that happens with the ship and the construction process will continue.

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Environmentally aware

I think it is important not only to try and become environmentally responsible within your day to day activities, but also become aware of the environmental issues the rest of the world is facing. In light of this, I will be drawing your attention to some of the environmental issues that cross my radar and post information on this blog.

Earlier this month a bulk carrier (large boat) carrying coal grounded on a section of the Great Barrier Reef off the central Queensland coast. The relevant authorities are now looking into the incident to determine its cause as well as addressing the issue of an extremely large boat being stuck on a piece of coral reef! According to the latest press release the captain of the ship states there is no oil leak, although in the popular media news report I watched this evening they reported of oil slicks in the vicinity of the boat. (I don't personally trust much of what the media reports but contrasting information always makes life more difficult). Reading some of the other media statements however indicate there may have been some oil lost to the ocean but perhaps the latest is that there isn't oil leaking any more. Attempts will be made in the near future to refloat the boat, hopefully with little or no additional damage to the reef.

Such events vary from moderate to catastrophic impacts on these delicate environments and I find it difficult to understand when shipping goes wrong in these areas. People should be aware of the environmental sensitivity of areas within which they travel, including captains of extremely large ocean going vessels and they should take appropriate care and risk management approaches when in such areas. People's blazay nature astonishes me. Pin It