The processing of each permit application is assigned to an assessment

ANAO Report No.3 2015–16 Regulation of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Permits and Approvals 47 ANAO, including in relation to all eight non-routine applications. GBRMPA generally received substantive responses to its information requests, with only a small number of applicants three not providing all of the requested information. The information not provided in relation to two of these applications was not material to the processing of the permit applications. Nevertheless, evidence has not been retained to indicate that significant information requested of the applicant of a non-routine application relating to vessel registration and design, and the need for the permit applicant to upgrade its moorings covered under a separate permit had been received prior to the approval of the application. Native title notifications

2.17 GBRMPA is required by the Native Title Amendment Act 1998 to notify all

registered AboriginalTorres Strait Islander bodies, registered native title bodies corporate and registered native title claimants, of a proposed activity that is to be subject to a permit and that is to occur at or near to their claim areas. However, maps available to help staff to determine the relevant native title bodies to notify are not comprehensive.

2.18 Where a notification is required, it must describe the general nature of

the application and provide the notified bodies an opportunity to comment before a permit is issued. GBRMPA has established class notifications for particular categories of routine permit applications such as vessel operations—up to a specified number of permits per year—that eliminates the need for GBRMPA to undertake native title notifications on an application-by-application basis.

2.19 In general, GBRMPA has notified native title bodies of permit

applications including 76 of the 79 permit applications examined by the ANAO and considered responses received as part of the assessment process. Evidence of responses received was not, however, retained in all cases including eight of the 25 responses received in relation to the permits examined by the ANAO. The small number of responses received had no documented impact on the assessments’ content and recommendations, the delegates’ decisions and the nature of permit conditions. 56 56 GBRMPA informed the ANAO in May 2015 of its intention to examine additional methods to more effectively engage with Indigenous groups during permit application assessments.