Overview of the zoning plan Jervis Bay Marine Park

The zoning plan

Sanctuary zones

Sanctuary zones account for approximately 20 per cent (4,253 hectares) of the marine park. Seagrass meadows, estuaries, beaches, intertidal rocky shores, soft sediments, subtidal reefs and mudflats are the major habitat types in the marine park. Sanctuary zones protect examples of these habitats in the following areas:

estuaries – protection includes Carama Inlet, Wowly Gully and Blacks Cave Creek, as well as the upper sections of Currambene Creek and the majority of Moona Moona Creek.
sandy beaches – protection includes a section of Warrain Beach, in the northern section of the marine park, and Hare Bay, Shark Net Beach, Greenfield Beach and Blenheim Beach within the bay.
intertidal rocky shores – protection includes Hammer Head Point on the northern exposed coastline, a stretch of rocky coastline south from Crocodile Head to Point Perpendicular, an area south from Steamers Beach to St. Georges Head adjoining Booderee National Park, and inside the bay, the Tapalla Point platform, adjacent to Huskisson, and the Groper Coast, Greenfield and Blenheim shores.
seagrass meadows – the sanctuary zone in Hare Bay will provide a high level of protection for the most significant area of seagrass within the marine park.
soft sediments (muddy, sandy or gravelly seafloor) – protection includes shallow inshore areas inside the embayment at Hyams Beach and Hare Bay, and areas outside the bay to depths of 50-60m adjacent to Crocodile Head and St Georges Head.
subtidal reefs – deeper rocky reef communities are represented in two sanctuaries outside the bay by approximately 4km of rocky coast in the northern and southern oceanic areas of the marine park at Steamers Head and Crocodile Head. The northern site includes steep boulder habitat that rapidly descends from the coast to the nearshore shelf sediments.
mudflats – the Currambene Creek mudflats sanctuary zone protects the only extensive area of mudflats with adjacent seagrasses and mangroves in Jervis Bay Marine Park. These mudflats are feeding areas for wading birds, including migratory species listed for protection under international agreements, and provide habitat for numerous invertebrate species.
Additional small sanctuary areas at Bowen Island to Governors Head, Drum and Drum Sticks and The Docks will also allow for the conservation of rare or threatened species such as the blue devil fish, grey nurse shark and weedy seadragon.

Habitat protection zones

Habitat protection zones account for approximately 72 per cent (15,600 hectares) of the marine park. This zone type provides for a high level of environmental protection and prohibits high impact activities such as fish and prawn trawling, whilst allowing many other activities including recreational fishing. All estuarine systems not already protected within sanctuary zones are protected within habitat protection zones. Substantial areas of the other major habitat types are also incorporated within habitat protection zones, within Jervis Bay and in inshore areas generally out to the marine park boundary.

General use zones

General use zones account for approximately 8 per cent (1,618 hectares) of the marine park. Two areas are designated as general use zones, both outside the Jervis Bay embayment in the northern and southern areas of the marine park. This zone allows for a wider range of commercial and recreational activities

Special purpose zones

Special purpose zones account for approximately 0.2 per cent (48 hectares) of the marine park. Two areas are designated as special purpose zones, catering specifically for sites requiring special management. These include an area of existing infrastructure within Currambene Creek at the Huskisson wharves and an area immediately adjacent to HMAS Creswell.