The Marine Core Zone of the Great Sandy Biosphere consists of what is now known as the Great Sandy Marine Park, which was proclaimed in 2006.
The Great Sandy Marine Park extends from Baffle Creek in the north to Double Island Point in the south.
It includes Hervey Bay, Great Sandy Strait, Tin Can Inlet and the waters off the east coast of Fraser Island, seaward to three nautical miles.
This Marine Park includes the former Hervey Bay Marine Park and the Woongarra Marine Park.
Hervey Bay Marine Park was proclaimed in 1989 over approximately 170,000 hectares of the eastern half of the Bay to manage use consistent with conservation of the area and to ensure the protection of Humpback Whales.
In 1992, the Woongarra Marine Park of 10,300 hectares was proclaimed over the tidal land of the Woongarra coast and its adjacent waters to protect unique coral reefs built on basalt boulder foreshores and to provide for reasonable use while excluding extractive activities from some areas.
The zoning plan for Woongarra Marine Park made specific provision for the protection of turtle rookeries and turtle habitat.
The Great Sandy Marine Park was extended to include all appropriate tidal lands and waters in the region and zoned in consultation with user and interest groups.
As far as practicable, management is complementary to the management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to the north. It contains existing fish habitat reserves and wetland reserves.
Other legislation which has relevance to the Terrestrial Core is the Fraser Wild River Declaration 2007.
This applies to 14 creeks on K’gari and regulates the activities which occur in and near these creeks.
There are only five other areas in Queensland which have been recognised by the Wild Rivers legislation.