A broad-based State marine policy stakeholder group has been established to provide advice to the government on a new regional marine planning framework and on the south coast regional marine planning project. The group is chaired by former EPA head Barry Carbon. A reference panel of leading scientific experts will also be appointed to provide advice on planning and policy development. 

The ‘New Horizons in Marine Management' policy, adopted by the State government in 1994, is to be reviewed and updated with input from the policy stakeholder group and the scientific panel to create a new policy on marine conservation reserves for Western Australia.