The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) this week received two major national planning awards relating to the recent rezoning of the Great Barrier Reef.

The comprehensive planning program for the Great Barrier Reef, which culminated last year with the new zoning plan, was recognised last night at the National Awards for Planning Excellence in Melbourne attended by The Federal Minister for Local Government, Roads and Territories, the Hon Jim Lloyd who presented the GBRMPA with Australia's peak national planning award, The Planning Minister's Award on behalf of all the Planning Ministers in Australia.

GBRMPA was also announced winner of the Community Based Planning Award at the 2005 National Awards function for the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) held at the Melbourne Convention Centre.

In determining both awards, the PIA national judges recognised the enormous and complex issues involved in rezoning the Great Barrier Reef, and noted, "This Planning Minister's Award recognises the international importance of this project, both in scale and the excellence of the process."

"The Planning Minister's Award is a significant national recognition of the tremendous effort which we put into the consultation and planning processes of the Representative Areas Program," the Chairman of the GBRMPA, Virginia Chadwick, said in Townsville today.

The Planning Institute of Australia is the national organisation representing the entire Australian planning profession. National Award winners are selected from those who have already received PIA awards within each State.

The GBRMPA has now received 9 major regional or national awards connected to the Representative Areas and Rezoning Program including awards for environmental planning, research, science and mapping.

Photo: The Hon Jim Lloyd, Fedral Minister for Local Govt Roads and Territories presents GBRMPA's Conservation, Heritage and Indigenous Partnerships Director Jon Day with the Planning Misister's Award. Photo courtesy GBRMPA's Photo library