While information such as marine legal boundaries, economic activities and some environmental characteristics is quite readily available for planning, information about our marine recreational usage is relatively scarce. Recreational activities are a very important part of our use of the marine environment, and so through the South Coast Regional Marine Planning process we asked for the community's help, to tell us what you do, where you do it, how often, and how you value it.

We invited anyone who uses the marine environment along WA's south coast for recreation, whether on holidays or every day, to complete the Recreational Marine Usage Survey. The survey was designed to be quite broad, it aimed to show, on a regional scale, where different marine recreational activities are most important to people.

The results can then be used together with information on other marine uses and environmental values, to help planners identify and manage potential issues or impacts on the community in their future marine planning exercises. Individual results will be kept strictly confidential. Only the summary of all the survey responses will be used.

The survey period has now closed, and the data are being analysed. Results will be made available through this website and through the South Coast Regional Marine Strategic Plan as soon as possible.

Many thanks for your help! For more information, contact Ewan Buckley (DEC) on (08) 9336 0110

This project is supported by South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc., the regional group for NRM on the south coast of Western Australia. Funding provided by the Australian and Western Australian Governments through the joint National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality programme, and the Natural Heritage Trust.