Dear Local MP

I am a constituent in your local electorate writing to show my strong support for the Western Australian Government’s commitment to create the South Coast Marine Park. This is an incredible opportunity to protect a critical stretch of Australia’s globally significant Great Southern Reef – from east of Bremer Bay to the South Australian border – and to make sure future generations can enjoy WA’s much-loved south coast.    

Australia’s Great Southern Reef has more unique species than the Great Barrier Reef. But there is currently no sanctuary protection in coastal waters along WA’s south coast – a huge part of this extraordinary reef. With temperate reef species at higher risk of extinction than tropical species, I commend the WA Government and Traditional Owners for taking this important step in the creation of this marine park. 

The current draft proposal is a good first step, however, there must be an increase protection in areas where crucial sanctuaries are missing for key habitats or species. These areas include critical habitat for endangered Australian sea lions, calving hotspots for endangered southern right whales, nearshore coastal protection, and for the rich diversity of marine life in the Recherche Archipelago.  

To ensure the marine park achieves the world-class conservation outcomes the environment warrants, it is critically important that the zoning design follows the established scientific principles of representation, comprehensiveness, and adequacy to create a network of well-connected sanctuary areas. 

In addition to retaining the proposed sanctuaries in the plans, I urge the WA Government to increase sanctuary protection to adequately protect the values that are missing or fall short of best practice, including the following areas and their surrounds:  

• Point Ann area – one of only three endangered southern right whale calving hotspots in Australia. 
• Mason Bay – highest concentration of mapped shallow reefs outside the Recherche Archipelago. 
• Munglinup – connectivity with land nature reserve and a unique estuary with reefs. 
• Investigator Island – Australian sea lion breeding habitat, also some of the area’s most unique reefs, pinnacles and banks. 
• Cape Le Grand – some of the most extensive rhodolith, seagrass, rocky reefs, kelp and island habitats that are under-represented in the Recherche Archipelago. 
• Membinup – offshore area contains extensive seagrass meadows, kelp, reefs and island habitats.   
• Cape Arid – high diversity of endemic fish species and extensive bare reef habitat. 
• Round Island – critical breeding habitat for the survival of endangered Australian sea lions, also a breeding site for little penguins. 
• Israelite Bay – one of only three endangered southern right whale calving hotspots.  
• Six Mile Island – one of the highest numbers of Australian sea lion pups in the region, also a breeding site for little penguins. 

As my local MP, will you support world-class sanctuary protection within the South Coast Marine Park to help protect WA’s globally significant marine life and create a legacy for an area that is as important as Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef?