The Federal Government is being strongly encouraged to join a new sustainable oceans strategy. 

Scientists have formally endorsed Future Earth Australia’s Sustainable Oceans and Coasts National Strategy 2021–2030. The strategy provides a national implementation plan to ensure healthy Australian coasts and oceans for a just and environmentally sustainable future. 

Among the Plan’s recommendations is a call for a national agency to coordinate ocean and coastal governance across all tiers of government. It also calls for new measures to empower Indigenous leadership in coastal and ocean projects, build more resilient communities, decarbonise the blue economy and support stewardship. 

Over 300 delegates backed the plan at the 15th Coast to Coast National Conference, representing a diverse cross-section of leading marine and coastal experts, spanning government representatives, natural resource managers, community organisations, First Nations peoples, industry members, researchers, and consultants. 

The conference is organised by the Australian Coastal Society, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes knowledge sharing and action in national coastal management.

Future Earth Australia has convened leaders across expertise, sectors, and the nation to prepare the National Sustainable Oceans and Coasts Strategy 2021–2030 to advance the sustainability agenda and forge pathways to a thriving future. 

The Strategy is described as a bottom-up, cross-sectoral plan that was developed through deep consultation across the country, with strategic oversight from an Expert Working Group composed of leading ocean and coastal researchers and practitioners. 

It could show the way forward for Federal and state governments and other leaders across the nation, as well as a roadmap for achieving healthy oceans and coasts.