The government of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) will abolish changes to the zoning plans for the Jervis Bay and Solitary Islands marine parks that were rushed through in the final days of the former Labor Government, Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson and Minister for the Environment Robyn Parker said today.
Minister Hodgkinson will today move in the legislative assembly that Labor's recent politicised zoning regulations be disallowed.
The decision means fishing rules in both marine parks will revert to those in place before March 2011, which have been in place since 2002. The use of the marine park for recreational purposes is unchanged.
The ministers said there will be thorough community consultation before any future zoning plans for Jervis Bay and Solitary Islands marine parks are implemented.
"The NSW Government is committed to commonsense marine parks policy that is based on science, not politics," Minister Hodgkinson said.
"We will disallow these most recent changes, overturning Labor's politically motivated plans for Jervis Bay and Solitary Islands.
"This will ensure the fishing rules revert back to those that have been in place since 2002, which the community, in particular the fishing community, had only just become accustomed to.
Minister Parker said the NSW Government has also committed to an independent scientific audit of the effectiveness of the existing zoning arrangements within marine parks.
"Any marine park policy must find the right balance between protecting the marine environment and providing opportunities for fishing, diving, whale watching and other activities that generate opportunities for tourism," Minister Parker said.
Minister Parker also welcomed greater scrutiny of marine parks.
"Labor's bandaid measures fell short of addressing the real issues, and there must be a far greater focus on addressing threats such as pollution, inappropriate coastal development, and introduced species and diseases," she said.
