| Legislation
|
Relevance
|
Provisions
|
| States
Grants (Nature Conservation) Act 1974 |
Financial
assistance to States for conservation measures |
Provides
financial assistance to State and Territory initiatives
in nature conservation. These special purpose grants apply
to land acquisition, management, and the provision of facilities
by the States (Parker 1995) |
| Environment
(Financial Assistance) Act 1977 |
Financial
assistance to States for conservation measures |
Facilitates
Commonwealth financial assistance to the States for environmental
planning projects |
| Fisheries
Management Act 1991 and Fisheries Administration Act 1991
|
Commonwealth
fisheries, excluding organisms covered under the Continental
Shelf Act |
Replace
the Fisheries Act 1952 (repealed). Objectives are to: (a)
implement efficient and cost effective fisheries management,
(b) ensure that fisheries activities are conducted according
to ESD principles, and (c) maximise economic efficiency
in the exploitation of fisheries. Allow the Minister to
gazette proclaimed areas, to prohibit and regulate the taking
of fish or classified fish, to prohibit the possession of
unlicensed equipment, etc. |
| Torres
Strait Fisheries Act 1984 |
Control
of fisheries in the Torres Strait Protected Area established
under the Torres Strait Treaty |
|
| Pollution
of the Sea by Oil (Shipping Levy) Act 1976; Pollution of
the Sea by Oil (Shipping Levy Collection) Act 1972; Protection
of the Sea (Powers of Intervention) Act 1981; Protection
of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983-86
|
Control
of pollution from shipping |
|
| Australian
Biological Control Act 1984 |
Control
of non-indigenous species |
|
| Quarantine
Act 1908 |
Control
of import of non-indigenous species into Australia |
Some
voluntary agreements to encourage ships to undertake mid-ocean
ballast exchange and also mechanisms exist whereby ships
may be banned from discharging ballast water in port |
| Australian
Heritage Commission Act 1975 |
Potential
avenue for protection of sites |
The
Australian Heritage Commission advises the Commonwealth
on the protection of Australia's National Estate, places
of natural, historical or Aboriginal heritage value. The
Commission keeps a list of such places on the Register of
the National Estate. Listing in the Register gives some
protection to a place under Section 30 of the Act, which
aims to ensure that the Commonwealth Government does not
unnecessarily damage Australia's heritage unless there is
no prudent alternative. It does not cover the actions of
State or Local Government, or of private owners (Yen and
Butcher 1997). |
| Australian
Institute of Marine Science Act 1972 |
Establishes
AIMS to carry out research in marine science |
|
| Great
Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Amendment Act 1991) |
Establishes
the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) |
Region
extends to low water mark and is not affected by the Offshore
Constitutional Settlement. Makes provision for Commonwealth
financial assistance to Queensland for Park mana gement.
Requires
compulsory pilotage for all vessels carrying oil or toxic
chemicals as cargo and for large vessels navigating within
the Park |
