The arrangements established by GBRMPA to process permit

ANAO Report No.3 2015–16 Regulation of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Permits and Approvals 19 customised assessments prepared for non-routine applications also took into account most, but not all, mandatory and discretionary regulatory requirements such as the condition of some existing structures current at the time of permit assessment.

26. Risk assessments also template-based are to be prepared as part of

permit application assessments. However, 48 per cent of risk assessments in the sample of permits examined by the ANAO did not consider all relevant risks posed by the permitted activities, including the potential for damage tointerference with coral and marine life, and the impact on other Marine Park users. Further, risk assessments have not been prepared for approximately 8.5 per cent of permit assessments involving activities such as moorings undertaken by GBRMPA over the period from July 2012 to June 2014. Weaknesses in the identification of risks to the Marine Park posed by proposed activities makes it more difficult for GBRMPA to design appropriate conditions to attach to permits.

27. As a consequence of the weaknesses in permit processing and

assessment activities, the assessment reports prepared for delegates did not incorporate all relevant information to inform the delegate’s decision to issue or refuse a permit. In addition, the assessment of permit applications by GBRMPA has not been timely. Over the period from July 2012 to June 2014, GBRMPA achieved its 60-day target timeframe for assessing routine applications in 57 per cent of cases 413 of the 720 routine applications, with a further 81 applications taking between 120 days and around two years to complete. Over the same period, assessments of 22 of the 63 non-routine applications for which no target assessment timeframes have been established took between one year and nearly four years to complete. The comments provided to the ANAO by permit holders and general stakeholders identified assessment timeliness as an area of concern in relation to GBRMPA’s regulation of permits. Permit Decisions and Approval Conditions Chapter 4

28. The 786 permit assessment decisions during the period July 2012 to

June 2014 were made by an authorised GBRMPA delegate. In 78 of the 79 permit assessments examined by the ANAO, the assessment reports contained recommendations that were supported by the assessments prepared, with the delegate agreeing to all recommendations 76 of which were to grant a permit and two to refuse a permit. The remaining permit application assessment report