Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio, today introduced the Marine and Coastal Bill 2017 – a new legislation to provide a better future for Victoria’s coastal and marine environments.
The bill has been developed in close consultation with communities and organisations working to look after marine and coastal areas, as well as the guidance of a panel of experts, chaired by Associate Professor, Geoff Wescott.
“ Victoria’s marine and coastal environment is under pressure from the long-term challenges of climate change and population growth. Infrastructure along the coast is also ageing, which makes it harder to take action on the ground, ” according to the minister’s official release.
“ Providing a better future for Victoria’s coastal and marine environments is our priority and putting strong, effective legislation in place is critical to get this done, ” said D’Ambrosio.
“This is about providing a simpler, more integrated approach to planning and managing the marine and coastal environment – to address the key challenges for the next 20 years and beyond .”
The Marine and Coastal Bill 2017 – together with a range of complementary reforms and actions in the proposed Transition Plan – is part of the Government’s 2014 election commitments outlined in ‘Our Environment, Our Future’.