Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning (Administrative) Boundaries

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) was established in 1975 and covers an area of approximately 345,000 square kilometres. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was subsequently accepted for inclusion upon the World Heritage List in 1981, meeting all four of the natural heritage criteria: geological phenomena, ecological and biological processes, aesthetics and natural beauty, and biological diversity (including threatened species).

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 provides for the establishment, control, care and development of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Since the gazettal of the first area (or Section) of the Marine Park in 1983, the Marine Park has been progressively increased to its present area by the addition of new Sections. The Amalgamated Great Barrier Reef Section (the AGBR Section) was proclaimed under subsection 31(1) of the Act in 2003 (Gazette No S119 dated 21 April 2004).

This dataset is a representation of the boundaries described in the schedules of the 2003 Zoning Plan for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP). The Zoning Plan identifies 8 different zones within the marine park and sets out the purposes of use for each zone. The zones are:

GU - General Use Zone
HP - Habitat Protection Zone
CP - Conservation Park Zone
B - Buffer Zone
SR - Scientific Research Zone
MNP - Marine National Park Zone
P - Preservation Zone
Commonwealth Islands Zone

For further information regarding marine park zoning please refer to publications on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) website: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/