On 14 June 2012 the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities released the Government’s final proposed network of marine reserves in Commonwealth waters. The network covers five marine regions—the Coral Sea, the South-West, the Temperate East, the North and the North-West. The broad objective of the network is to further conserve biodiversity and provide some protection against current and emerging threats to the marine environment. Stakeholders will have 60 days to comment on whether they support the proposed network. A decision will then be made on whether the marine reserves will be formally proclaimed under national environmental law. A Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) was prepared by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. The RIS was assessed as adequate by the Office of Best Practice Regulation.
