The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area will be assessed to ensure future development along Queensland's coastline is well-planned and the area's values are protected.
The Federal and Queensland Governments and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) have signed an agreement on assessment processes to ensure future sustainable development along the coastline and protection and management of the reef.
A strategic assessment provides a "big-picture study", under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, of an area to assess how environmental values can be best protected while allowing sustainable development.
The assessment considers federal and state environmental planning issues in a single assessment process.
It means that once a program has been endorsed under the EPBC Act and the types of development or activities allowed to take place have been approved, individual projects do not need any further approval under national environmental law if carried out in accordance with the approved program.
GBRMPA Chairman, Russell Reichelt, says the strategic assessment is an opportunity to take a long-term view of managing the Great Barrier Reef.
Mr Reichelt says the reef is the largest coral reef system in the world and has the richest diversity. He says considerable management effort has gone into building the resilience of the reef, which means it is in a far better position to withstand threats to its health.
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Accelerating renewable energy industry in Queensland
The Queensland Government has unveiled a plan it says will help attract and accelerate investment and development of the renewable energy industry and projects.
The release of the plan coincides with the completion of the Queensland Solar Atlas to assist resource companies to pinpoint the best areas for potential future solar power generation projects.
The Renewable Energy Industry Development Plan (REIDP) outlines 23 initiatives to be undertaken over two years to facilitate economic development of the state’s renewable energy industry, generate green jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate deployment of renewable energy projects.
The REIDP is a key part of implementing the government’s Queensland Renewable Energy Plan (QREP). The state is already positioned to attract up to $3.5 billion investment in its renewable energy industry by 2020 and create 3,500 new jobs.
The REIDP also defines five key priorities to address market impediments and drive industry growth:
- Innovation - facilitating development of renewable energy and enabling technologies;
- Renewable Energy Zones - Mount Isa, Surat Basin, Central and the Far North Coast have been identified as regions with the best renewable energy resources, local demand and access to transmission and distribution networks;
- Jobs - prioritise opportunities for renewable energy skills development and job creation;
- Regulatory reform - streamlining regulation impacting on the renewable energy industry; and
- Incentives - renewable energy incentives to bring forward investment in renewable energy generation.
Renewable energy proponents will be assisted at the state and regional level to identify potential renewable energy development opportunities and, where possible, to access state and federal support programs.
More information about the Renewable Energy Industry Development Plan is available at: www.cleanenergy.qld.gov.au
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