Community Panels

Reef’s massive size may be an asset in helping it withstand climate change

One of the core activities of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP) is the formation of geographically based community panels to explore and discuss specific reef interventions (i.e., new technologies to help the reef) being investigated by the Program

The aim of establishing community panels is to explore a new way of involving community members in a longer-term and deeper discussion with scientists and reef managers about proposed novel reef interventions for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The panels seek to draw on diverse community perspectives and aspirations for the Reef and its management.

The first of these panels, the Townsville Community Panel on Novel Reef Interventions for the Great Barrier Reef, ran from July 2022 – May 2023, and brought together 13 community members from the broader region who applied to a call for Expressions of Interest. The panel focused on technologies being researched and developed through the Cooling and Shading, Enhanced Corals and Treatments, Coral Aquaculture and Deployment Sub-Programs. The panel members met in five one-day workshops and also participated in several interim virtual meetings and tours to learn more about the reef intervention research. Scientists leading the focal interventions were actively engaged in the panel meetings.   

Learnings from this panel have now informed the design of a second panel in the Cairns-Port Douglas Region which will commence in early 2024 and will run for approximately 6 months.

Cairns-Port Douglas Community Panel for Novel Reef Interventions

The second panel has been formed for community members living in the Cairns-Port Douglas region. 

To ensure we attracted diverse views and interests, we asked interested community members to fill out a short questionnaire that collected personal information including name, age in years, suburb of residence, postcode and contact details, along with brief statements about their interest in the Reef and motivation for being involved.

Expressions of interest for this panel are now closed. 

Please follow this link to find out more about the Panel. 

Townsville Community Panel for Novel Reef Interventions

The first panel has been formed for community members living in the Townsville, Hinchinbrook or Burdekin Local Government Areas. This panel is known as the Townsville Community Panel and its focus includes novel reef interventions such as marine cloud brightening, coral restoration and other potential approaches being explored.

To ensure we attracted diverse views and interests, we asked interested community members to fill out a short questionnaire that collected personal information including name, age in years, suburb of residence, postcode and contact details, along with brief statements about their interest in the Reef and motivation for being involved.

Expressions of interest for this panel are now closed. 

Please follow this link to find out more about the Panel.