Guidelines for Long-term Maintenance Dredging Management Plans

The Guidelines for Long-term Maintenance Dredging Management Plans (the Guidelines) support the Maintenance Dredging Strategy by providing guidance on long term planning and management approaches for maintenance dredging of ports in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

The Guidelines assist each Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area port in preparing a Long-term Maintenance Dredging Management Plan, and can be applied to ports Queensland wide. The Guidelines must be read in conjunction with relevant legislation. 

Long-term Maintenance Dredging Management Plans

It is a requirement of the Maintenance Dredging Strategy for Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area Ports to develop Long-term Maintenance Dredging Management Plans. A Long-term Maintenance Dredging Management Plan is used by individual ports, developed in a transparent manner and aimed at creating a framework for continual improvement in environmental performance.

Queensland ports outside the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area have proactively elected to apply the principles of the Maintenance Dredging Strategy in the development of Long-term Maintenance Dredging Management Plans.

Long-term Maintenance Dredging Management Plans:

• contribute to maintaining and enhancing the Outstanding Universal Value of the Great Barrier Reef
• are based on the best available science
• utilise the principles of ecologically sustainable development
• ensure continued efficient operation of the port
• are developed in consultation with key stakeholders.

Long-term Maintenance Dredging Management Plans for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area ports have been developed and are available on the port authorities’ websites:

• Gladstone Ports Corporation
• North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation
• Port of Townsville
• Far North Queensland Ports Corporation