An additional 67 million hectares of ocean could be protected in Australia, as the government has announced a landmark, once-in-a-decade review of the nation’s Marine Parks Network.

 The expansion would allow Australia to achieve its international commitment of safeguarding 30% of its total sea area well ahead of the original 2030 deadline.

At the centre of the proposal is a boundary expansion and strengthened environmental protections for the ecologically significant Norfolk and Lord Howe marine parks.

These areas serve as vital biodiversity corridors in the South-west Pacific, supporting a blend of temperate and tropical marine habitats while acting as crucial transit zones for migratory seabirds, cetaceans, fish, and sharks. As part of the update, the Gifford Marine Park is slated to be incorporated directly into the Lord Howe Marine Park.

The changes are part of a broader initiative to draft six new management plans for 44 Australian Marine Parks. In total, the network spans 2.37 million square kilometres of ocean – an expansive territory larger than the combined landmass of Queensland and New South Wales. 

The upcoming plans will focus on how to best manage and protect these vast marine ecosystems for future generations.

To ensure local communities are involved, the government has launched a public consultation process, inviting Australians to help shape the future of their oceans.

Additionally, a further $5.6 million in grant funding has been announced to support ongoing conservation engagement. Grants ranging between $50,000 and $500,000 will fund eligible projects that enable First Nations peoples, regional communities, scientists, and fishers to undertake activities that enhance the long-term sustainability and understanding of the parks.

Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt, emphasised the critical importance of these steps. “Protecting our ocean ensures it continues to thrive into the future, which is critical for the survival of threatened species, our coastal communities, our tourism industry, and also our fishing industry which rely on healthy catch and ecosystems.”

Watt added that since 2022, the Albanese Government has increased highly protected maritime zones by 490,000 square kilometres, calling the new 671,500-square-kilometre announcement a “really significant achievement.”

Environmental advocacy groups are urging the government to go further. Greenpeace Australia Pacific welcomed the review but highlighted major concerns over current regulations, noting that more than half of the existing network still permits extractive industries like long-lining, bottom trawling, and oil and gas mining.

With the first Ocean COP approaching – and following Australia’s recent ratification of the Global Ocean Treaty – Greenpeace is calling for a complete ban on industrial activities within protected waters.

“This review presents a rare opportunity to create more ocean sanctuaries, true blue havens where ocean life can recover, thrive and repopulate the surrounding waters,” Greenpeace said.

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