Threat and risk assessment framework

There are a range of threats that can affect the NSW marine estate and the benefits we enjoy. Examples include water pollution, competing uses such as swimming and power boating in an estuary, overcrowding at a local beach and climate change.

Understanding which of these threats are most important, how they interact, whether they are cumulative and if they are likely to get better or worse over time is important to inform the management of the marine estate.

Management resources for the NSW marine estate are limited, and management effort should focus on those threats that matter the most to make the greatest improvement to economic, social and environmental benefits.

The marine estate threat and risk assessment framework and accompanying glossary of terms, provides guidance on how to identify and assess threats and their level of risk to the marine estate.

The framework outlines how to conduct these assessments to account for:

• threats and risks to environmental, economic and social benefits associated with the marine estate that contribute to community wellbeing; and
• cumulative and future threats.

Assessments of the threats and risks will be conducted at various scales within the NSW marine estate to inform management priorities.

Draft Statewide TARA

Threat and risk assessments have been completed at the statewide and regional scale (Draft Statewide TARA) to identify priority threats and associated risks to inform the development of a new 10-year Marine Estate Management Strategy and to identify options for enhancing marine biodiversity conservation in the Hawkesbury Shelf marine bioregion, while also achieving balanced outcomes including opportunities for a wide range of recreational and commercial uses.