The Queensland Government, through the Department of Environment, Science, and Innovation (DESI), Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships (QPWS&P) is providing forward procurement advice of its intention to commence an expression of interest (EOI) process in March 2024 to operate commercial whale watching activities in the Great Sandy Marine Park (GSMP).
The Marine Parks Regulation 2017 (the Regulation) provides for commercial whale watching to occur in the GSMP. The number of commercial whale watching programs is limited to 20 under the Regulation. Commercial whale watching in the GSMP was also declared a prescribed commercial activity in March 2019. This means the activity can only be conducted under a commercial activity agreement (CAA).
Proponents will be invited to express their interest in a new CAA by responding to an EOI – Guidelines for Submission which will provide all the information needed to make an application, such as the basis for calling the EOI, desired outcomes, the EOI process and how to lodge your application. In particular, the EOI will detail:
- criteria required from existing commercial whale watching CAA holders to be considered for new CAAs post December 2024; and
- criteria required from new proponents interested in entering the market via unallocated authorities.
QPWS&P employees have an obligation to always act in an ethical manner. The Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service sets out the standards of conduct required of employees to meet these ethical obligations. For probity reasons, any further information about this EOI process can only be made via a further Forward Procurement Schedule or formal advertising of the EOI.
It is intended that the entire EOI process would be completed by December 2024. However, efforts will be made to complete the process in time for any new proponents to commence operations in time for the 2024 whale watching season. The timing and activities in this schedule are indicative only and may be updated or modified at any point in time.
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