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The Great Barrier Reef Aquarium established a Master Plan to guide long-term direction for continuous improvements and the objectives of the centre as a public institution for its long-term future.
The vision is to create a unified design character in order to sustain the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium as an educational and cultural landmark for visitors to North Queensland, well into the future. The Master Plan will direct the interpretive and functional master planning of the education, experience, and exhibits of the world-class Aquarium for the next 20 years.
This Master Plan has been developed in two parts. Section one provides the context, strategic directions, and principles that guide the Reef Authority’s work and projects at the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium. This underpins the way we work and establishes a set of agreed directions that unify our common purpose and future direction. Section two outlines priority projects to be implemented in the next five years, as well as provides a conceptual guide for potential future developments.
The main focus of the plan’s overarching vision is the establishment of a globally significant Reef Education Hub, which may include career pathway and traineeship programs, hands-on experiential learning areas and advanced coral propagation facilities as well as increased sustainability measures and enhanced technology to support learning throughout the new exhibits.
Delivery of the full Master Plan will transform the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium as the global destination of excellence in tropical coral reef education and deliver on its commitment as the National Education Centre for the Great Barrier Reef.
Located within Townsville’s Waterfront Priority Development Area’s Research and Tourism Precinct, the Aquarium is ideally placed to act as a vital centre of a world leading marine science precinct, showcasing Townsville’s reputation as a world leader in marine science, research and education.
You can download a copy of the Aquarium’s Master Plan by clicking the link here (PDF, 6.7MB) or by clicking on the image below.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority acknowledges the expertise, wisdom, and enduring connections that have informed the guardianship of the Reef for millennia. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners as the first managers of this land and sea Country, and value their traditional knowledge which continues to inform the current management and stewardship of the Reef for future generations. We pay our respects to the Gurambilbarra Wulgurukaba Traditional Owners on whose land the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium is situated on. We acknowledge their connection to Country and are honoured to be collaborating with the Gurambilbarra Wulgurukaba community to co-design exhibits highlighting culture values and connections to sea Country.
