ID: 1508
Presenting Author: Kimberley Swords
Session: 540 - Transformative IA - System Changing Leadership and Communication
Status: pending
Learn about transformative communication & responses to dis-information that shaped long term management of the Great Barrier Reef, and legacy 10 years post the UNESCO WHC endorsed 2015 LTSP.
In 2011 the UNESCO World Heritage Committee found that Australia had approved LNG processing facilities on Curtis Island and urged the State Party to undertake a comprehensive strategic assessment of the entire property, identifying planned and potential future developments and enabling a Long Term Sustainability Plan.
This presentation takes a deep dive ‘behind the scenes’ into how the WHC decision was shaped and responded to, and how it delivered transformative change to the long term management of the Great Barrier Reef. The presentation describes the governance and working arrangements established, institutional engagement and progressive waves of engagement and communication locally, regionally, nationally and globally.
While challenges remain, the LTSP provides a robust framework for ongoing protection and sustainable use of the reef, serving as a model for large-scale marine conservation efforts globally. Impacts include: improved water quality; enhanced reef restoration including coral re-seeding; strengthened indigenous engagement; improved monitoring and reporting, and increased national and international collaboration.
The ongoing updates and transparent reporting required by the LTSP have continued to shape the Committee’s assessments and recommendations regarding the Reef’s World Heritage status, reinforcing the importance of comprehensive management strategies for globally significant sites.
Kimberley Swords shaped communication and responses to dis-information about the Great Barrier Reef for Australia (2010 – 2015). She is now Program Director of the UQ/Oxford Transformative Project Lea