Turning the Tide Newsletter – Spring 2024
Sandy Green Zones Begin
Green zones increased by threefold to make up 12.8% of the Great Sandy Marine Park.
The Great Sandy Marine Park, covering 6,000 km2 including Hervey Bay, the Great Sandy Strait, Tin Can Inlet and surrounding K’gari (Fraser Island) World Heritage Area, has held exceptionally high natural and cultural value since its establishment in 2006.
Thanks to your submissions, the Queensland government has made significant steps towards restoring the health of the Great Sandy Marine Park with new initiatives coming into effect in May.
This is wonderful news for the region’s threatened species, such as dugongs, grey nurse sharks, Australian humpback dolphins and a variety of migratory shorebirds.
Other improvements you have helped bring about include:
• Destructive commercial gillnet fishing will no longer be permitted in the Great Sandy Strait.
• Better protection for vulnerable habitats and associated biodiversity.
• New go-slow areas to improve protection for turtles and dugongs.
• New no-anchoring areas to reduce impacts on sensitive habitats.
• New provisions to reduce disturbance to migratory shorebirds.
This overdue win for the region’s marine life will ensure that the Great Sandy Marine Park is a special place for generations to come.
