With the exception of research applications, the work of assessment

ANAO Report No.3 2015–16 Regulation of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Permits and Approvals 52

3. Permit Application Assessment

This chapter examines the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s preparation of permit application assessment reports for the delegate’s consideration. Introduction

3.1 The GBRMP Regulations specify a number of mandatory considerations

that must form part of the permit application assessment, as well as a number of discretionary considerations. The information gathered from the assessment process is assessed by GBRMPA and presented in a report for the delegate’s consideration. The assessment reports also generally contain a recommendation to the delegate as to whether the application should be granted with conditions or refused.

3.2 To assist with the processing of routine or lower risk permit applications,

which comprise in excess of 90 per cent of all permit applications, GBRMPA has developed permit assessment templates that cover the most common permit types including in relation to vessel-based tourism, aircraft-based tourism, research and moorings. Within the context of each application type, the templates document GBRMPA’s broad assessment against the mandatory considerations and those discretionary considerations that GBRMPA considers are relevant to the assessment of the particular application type. Risk assessments many of which are also template-based are also attached to most permit application assessments. Where permit assessment templates are used 61 , cover sheets are attached that summarise GBRMPA’s consideration of each application, including additional matters relevant to mandatory or discretionary considerations not contained in the templates.

3.3 Permit assessment templates are not used for the assessment of permit

applications for major structures, works or facilities which comprise less than 10 per cent of all permit applications. In these cases, GBRMPA customises the permit application assessments to the requirements of the applications. 61 Multiple templates can form part of a single permit application assessment report where the applicant has applied for multiple permission types for example, vessel-based tourism and moorings. ANAO Report No.3 2015–16 Regulation of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Permits and Approvals 53

3.4 The ANAO examined GBRMPA’s assessment processes and the

preparation of permit application assessment reports for consideration by the delegate. 62 Mandatory and discretionary considerations

3.5 The GBRMP Regulations outline six common mandatory considerations

that must be considered by the delegate when making a decision to grant or refuse all Marine Park permits, as well as mandatory considerations for permit applications that involve particular activities, such as ‘the take of protected species’. 63 In addition, the Regulations outline 11 discretionary considerations that the delegate may take into account when making a decision. Mandatory considerations

3.6 The permit assessment templates used by GBRMPA contain broad

assessments against each of the six common mandatory considerations that are relevant to the respective permit type. The matters considered by GBRMPA when assessing each mandatory consideration are outlined in Table 3.1 on the following page.

3.7 Overall, GBRMPA’s assessments of permit applications contained

information that sufficiently addressed each of the common mandatory considerations. While 88 of the 93 template-based assessments 94.6 per cent examined by the ANAO satisfactorily assessed all common mandatory considerations, five assessments did not contain evidence to demonstrate that all common mandatory considerations had been fully addressed including in relation to exceeding limits imposed by assessment templates and addressing risks unique to particular applications. 62 The ANAO selected a sample of 79 permits from a population of 786 GBRMP permits assessed during the period July 2012 to June 2014—10 per cent of the population—was broadly selected in proportion with 12 key parameters of the population, including: the assessment officer; and the permits’ risk level, status and permission type. The 79 permit applications involved 100 separate permission assessments as some applicants sought multiple permissions under a single application. 63 Protected species in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park include, among others: any species that is a listed threatened species, a listed migratory species or a listed marine species under the EPBC Act; any species of marine mammal, bird or reptile prescribed as endangered, vulnerable, near-threatened or least concern under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 Qld. Dugongs, turtles and some shark species are examples of protected species.