Social and economic monitoring of ports and shipping in the Great Barrier Reef

Social and economic monitoring of ports and shipping in the Great Barrier Reef

CSIRO and JCU researchers from the Social and Economic Long Term Monitoring Program (SELTMP) have recently been engaging with Reef managers, stakeholders and industry representatives, to develop a monitoring framework for the social and economic aspects of ports and shipping in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR).

SELTMP’s large scale social surveys over 2013 found that shipping was perceived as one of the top three threats to the Reef by coastal residents in the GBR region, Australian residents and commercial fishers, despite the industry’s strict management and careful monitoring by REEFVTS.

In March 2014 a workshop was held in Townsville to establish a working group that will provide SELTMP with technical and expert advice to assist with developing a reporting template by December 2014. Working group participants so far include representatives from GBRMPA, AMSA, Maritime Safety Queensland, REEFVTS, Port of Townsville Ltd., Townsville City Council, North Queensland Conservation Council and North Queensland Bulk Ports Ltd. Further consultation with other industry representatives and stakeholders is planned as the reporting template is developed.

At the March workshop, participants helped to identify key questions, information needs and gaps that SELTMP can help to address, as well as existing secondary data relevant to social and economic monitoring of ports and shipping in the GBR. Workshop discussions highlighted how the social dimension of ports and shipping is not typically researched; however, there is an increasing need to better understand how the public and other user groups of the GBR perceive ports and shipping, including perceptions of threats, as well as benefits provided to communities through the efficient and safe delivery of goods.

Researchers in SELTMP have been exploring linkages between media trends and community perceptions, recognising that there has been extensive media coverage associated with recent approvals for port expansions and concerns for impacts to surrounding habitats and communities. The first technical report on social and economic aspects of ports and shipping in the GBR is expected to become available on the Tropical Ecosystems Hub website in early 2015.

For more information about the SELTMP ports and shipping working group, please contact Dr Matt Curnock (working group leader, CSIRO: matt.curnock@csiro.au) or Dr Nadine Marshall (SELTMP project leader, CSIRO: nadine.marshall@csiro.au).

 

 

 

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