Marine park plan opened for public comment

Quite a few people have contacted my office about the marine parks flagged by the State Government. It's clearly an issue which has polarised a lot of people and the truth is getting lost in some of the debate.

The Government released the Marine Estate Management Strategy earlier this month for public comment. It contains some very good initiatives aimed at protecting marine environments from pollution, climate change and overfishing.

The sticking point for some people is the plan to establish 17 coastal sanctuary zones between Newcastle and Wollongong. The two closest to the Lake Macquarie electorate are a proposed marine reserve around Bird Island (off the coast of Munmorah) and another near Norah Head. Under the plan, fishing of any kind would be banned in those ocean zones.

Most importantly, the plan is simply a discussion paper at this stage which has been opened for public comment. Now is the time to have your say. If you have views on the issue, please read the document and make a formal submission. Feel free to send me a copy as well so I can gauge what our local community is thinking. You have until September 27 to lodge a submission. All the information you need is at the link below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HawkesburyDP