Community survey
The Marine Estate Management Authority has announced the results of the Marine Estate Community Survey.
The survey was conducted by Sweeney Research, on behalf of the Authority, to understand the NSW community's views on the NSW marine estate.
Key findings
Over 1,700 people across NSW were surveyed. Some of the key findings of the survey are:
- the health of the marine estate is considered to be a core value
- the marine estate is viewed as integral to the NSW community's social and cultural well-being
- benefits are amplified for coastal Indigenous communities as many of their core traditions are linked to the marine estate
- the diversity and abundance of marine life and natural beauty of the marine estate are considered key economic values for nature-based and regional tourism
- pollution of the marine estate, from littering, spills and land-based runoff, is perceived as the major threat
- less than one in five people considered overfishing a priority threat
- key management opportunities that were identified included:
- addressing pollution
- greater public involvement in decision-making
- more on-ground environmental action support programs
- improved public education
- increased public access
- actions to rehabilitate coastal habitats and address coastal inundation and erosion
Final reports
- Marine Estate Community Survey Final Report (Sweeney Research)
- Executive summary (12pp)
- Final report (minus appendices) (112pp)
- Appendix 1 - Interpretation of graphs and data (19pp)
- Appendix 2 - Additional quantitative findings, including regional analysis (88pp)
- Appendix 3 - Questionnaires used for the survey (38pp)
- Appendix 4 - Qualitative findings (135pp)
- References (1pp)
- Greater Sydney Region findings (5pp)
- Summary of results from the public online survey (Marine Estate Management Authority) (9pp) – the findings from 152 respondents to a public online survey on the qualitative findings from the survey.
- Technical Paper 2 – Surveying the Community's Views on the Marine Estate (Marine Estate Expert Knowledge Panel) (10pp) – describes why and how the survey was undertaken, lessons learnt and how the results should be used.
How are the results being used?
The NSW Government is already responding to the key findings identified from the survey through many of its current programs within the marine estate.
The Authority is also using the results from the survey to inform several priority projects in the NSW marine estate Schedule of Works to ensure community views are understood and considered in decision-making.
For more information
If you would like to receive further information and updates on this and other marine estate reforms projects, please register your interest here.
For further information please visit www.marine.nsw.gov.au or email contact.us@marine.nsw.gov.au