The comments provided to the ANAO by permit holders relating to the

ANAO Report No.3 2015–16 Regulation of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Permits and Approvals 48 Referral of applications within GBRMPA

2.20 Standard operating procedures require some permit applications to be

referred to other areas of GBRMPA to obtain specialist advice regarding issues that could potentially arise from the applications, such as applications that may significantly impact on water quality or relate to climate change research. In this regard, the permit processing procedures contain guidance that outlines, in general terms, the activities proposed in applications that would require referral to one of eight GBRMPA branchessections.

2.21 While substantive responses are generally received from those GBRMPA

branchessection to which applications have been referred, many applications are not referred when they meet referral thresholds. In relation to the 79 permits examined by the ANAO, 14 applications 17.7 per cent had been referred to, and substantive responses received from, one or more GBRMPA branchessections in respect of a range of issues. 57 However, 26 permit applications 32.9 per cent that prima-facie met requirements for referral had not been referred in respect of fishery, tourism and research-related issues. GBRMPA informed the ANAO that the specialist knowledge of the assessing officer or the frequent provision of the information required may have negated the need for such referrals. However, these reasons were not retained in assessment records. Referral of applications to QPWS

2.22 Unless an exemption applies, applications for permits covering both the

Marine Park and coast Marine Park are referred for comment via the Reef Permits database to up to four QPWS offices depending on the location of the proposed activity. 58

2.23 While many permit applications are referred to QPWS offices for

comment, a significant proportion of applications that met referral thresholds have not been referred to the relevant QPWS offices. In relation to the 70 permit applications examined by the ANAO that met referral thresholds: 57 These issues included: eco-tourism certification; proposed research methods and sampling; the preparation and content of key documentation associated with the assessment of controlled actions under the EPBC Act; and proposed permit conditions. 58 In December 2012 and March 2014, GBRMPA and QPWS agreed to streamline the processing of permits by exempting the need to refer some standard permit types including those relating to vessel and aircraft tourism, charter programs, and standard research that pose a low risk.