From the Marine Estate Management Authority Chair, Dr Russell Reichelt

The Marine Estate Management Authority met on 29 September and discussed the progress of 100+ projects being delivered under the Marine Estate Management Strategy. The Authority Chair Dr Russell Reichelt commended the staff across the many agencies involved, for their work over the last four years and highlighted the exciting future work program including new Blue Carbon and Blue Economy projects.

Dr Reichelt regularly engages with international experts on ocean sustainability and stated:

“… if I sense a shift [internationally], it is towards where NSW already is.”

Dr Reichelt reaffirmed at the meeting that understanding the cumulative impacts to the marine estate; undertaking a quadruple bottom line approach to management and research; and focusing on equity such as better integrating Aboriginal people in to planning and management are important, as well as the existing focus on values, threats and risk to the NSW marine estate.

He noted the rise of public and private finance partnerships globally, with market-based incentives in ocean accounting and blue carbon, which are projects NSW is already working on. He further stated:

“It has given me a very positive view that NSW is really ahead of the game and needs to keep going and continue to lead.”

The next Authority meeting is early December 2022.

On behalf of the Authority, Dr Reichelt gave the opening keynote address to the Australia Saltmarsh and Mangrove Network Conference in Ballina on 04 October 2022. Several DPI Fisheries staff chaired sessions and provided presentations focusing on governance, planning and approvals for protection and restoration of coastal wetlands, blue carbon, climate change impacts and latest on status of mangroves and saltmarsh and restoration efforts from around Australia and overseas. The conference had over 100 attendees and was well attended by DPI Fisheries research and management staff.