Heard Island And Mcdonald Islands Marine Reserve Management Plan

This highly illustrated volume is a compendium of evidence and examples of change on Heard Island, a World Heritage Site near Antarctica and one of the most remote places on earth. Drawing on records from the past two centuries, as well as his own expeditions to the island in 1997 and 2016, the author provides visual evidence for the changes wrought by climate change, erosion, and environmental policy. Various phenomena not previously observed on Heard Island are documented, such as fluid dynamic instabilities and the destruction of the seawalls of a major lagoon. Based on the past, the author makes predictions about Heard Island for specific years in the future: 2031 (decade), 2051 (tricade), 2121 (century), 3021 (millennium), and 1,002,021 (millionium). The book serves as an important link between the past and future of Heard Island.

Australia has a long, rich and significant history in Antarctic affairs. Since 1933 Australia has asserted a claim to 42 per cent of the continent as the Australian Antarctic Territory. Australia was an original signatory to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty and has subsequently played an active role in international governance of Antarctica under the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). Almost half a century after the adoption of the Antarctic Treaty, and in the first decade of the 21st century, Antarctica is better known but is still not completely understood to science. It has been designated a natural reserve devoted to peace and science and whilst some matters, such as mining, have been put on hold, other issues present both continuing and new challenges. These challenges include the implications for Antarctica of global climate change, and indeed the continent's role in the generation of the world's weather; the environmental, political and ethical implications of increasing human activity in the region; and the goals of maintaining or developing the most appropriate governance mechanisms given the complex legal circumstances. There had been no contemporary analysis of Australia's involvement in Antarctic matters until 1984 when "Australia's Antarctic Policy Options", edited by Professor Stuart Harris, brought together a diverse and intellectually powerful array of Australians focussed on Antarctic law, policy and the social sciences. This volume provided a benchmark by which to measure the tenor of Australia's Antarctic agenda and as such has been of great assistance to the development of Looking South. Consequently, 20 years on Looking South explores how the issues identified have developed, what significant new issues have emerged and how Antarctica is placed in the current political Australian agenda.

The world’s oceans cover about 70% of our planet. To safeguard the delicate ecological and environmental functions of the oceans and their remarkable biodiversity, networks of marine protected areas are being created. In some of these areas, human activity is restricted to non-exploitative activities and in others it is managed in a sustainable way. Australia is at the forefront of marine conservation, with one of the largest systems of marine protected areas in the world. Big, Bold and Blue: Lessons from Australia’s Marine Protected Areas captures Australia’s experience, sharing important lessons from the Great Barrier Reef and many other extraordinary marine protected areas. It presents real-world examples, leading academic research, perspectives on government policy, and information from indigenous sea country management, non-governmental organisations, and commercial and recreational fishing sectors. The lessons learnt during the rapid expansion of Australia’s marine protected areas, both positive and negative, will aid and advise other nations in their own marine conservation efforts.

Australian Offshore Laws brings together in one place a reference to all laws that apply to offshore Australian waters for the benefit of legal practitioners, regulators, academics and students. It demonstrates the unnecessary complexity of the Australian offshore legal regime and proposes, as a first step towards reform, a review of the Offshore Constitutional Settlement of 1979 (OCS 1979). It discusses the manner of present drafting of such laws as many Commonwealth, State, and Territory laws apply offshore but few are drafted in a manner which identifies their limits or recognises their interaction with other offshore laws of with the OCS 1979.

Effective protection of the marine and terrestrial environment increasingly requires cooperation between neighbouring States, international organizations, government entities and communities within States. This book analyses key aspects of transboundary environmental law and policy and their implementation in Asia, Australasia and Australian offshore territories, and surrounding areas beyond national jurisdiction including Antarctica. It discusses the potential for implementing key transboundary environmental mechanisms such as the 1991 Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) and its 1997 Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (Kiev Protocol) in Australia and Asia drawing on experience from other regions and the potential application of these agreements to all UN member states. The book makes an innovative contribution to research in the area of transboundary environmental governance particularly as it applies to Asia, Australasia and international areas, supplementing similar research which has predominantly focused on Europe and North America.

Australia is the custodian of a diverse range of continental and oceanic islands. From Heard and Macquarie in the sub-Antarctic, to temperate Lord Howe and Norfolk, to the tropical Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia’s islands contain some of the nation’s most iconic fauna, flora and ecosystems. They are a refuge for over 35% of Australia’s threatened species and for many others declining on mainland Australia. They also have significant cultural value, especially for Indigenous communities, and economic value as centres for tourism. Australian Island Arks presents a compelling case for restoring and managing islands to conserve our natural heritage. With contributions from island practitioners, researchers and policy-makers, it reviews current island management practices and discusses the need and options for future conservation work. Chapters focus on the management of invasive species, threatened species recovery, conservation planning, Indigenous cultural values and partnerships, tourism enterprises, visitor management, and policy and legislature. Case studies show how island restoration and conservation approaches are working in Australia and what the emerging themes are for the future. Australian Island Arks will help island communities, managers, visitors and decision-makers to understand the current status of Australia’s islands, their management challenges, and the opportunities that exist to make best use of these iconic landscapes.