Policy development
WHAT SYSTEMS NEED TO CHANGE?
Overview
A tangible climate and ocean policy package.
This policy package is a starting point for building recognition of ocean climate disasters, elevating the experiences and priorities of ocean-dependent communities, and establishing the policy foundations for a stronger response. Our longer-term ambition is to build a lasting, organised ocean constituency that strengthens protections for ocean-dependent communities, economies and ecosystems.
LONGER-TERM AMBITION
- A coordinated national constituency with the reach and credibility to influence public sentiment during climate disasters in the ocean
- A dive industry that is visibly leading on climate resilience and advocacy
- Stronger, more consistent engagement between frontline communities and decision-makers
- Increased alignment between climate policy and the needs of ocean-dependent communities and economies
READ MORE ABOUT THE POLICY PACKAGE
Marine heatwaves, coral bleaching and harmful algal blooms can disrupt ecosystems, livelihoods and regional economies. Yet disaster systems have largely been designed around land-based emergencies, leaving gaps in how we prepare for, respond to and recover from major marine events. This means marine disasters can go unrecognised in disaster planning and response frameworks, communities may lack the resources and coordination needed to prepare and respond, and affected workers and businesses can be left without clear pathways to support or recovery. These communities are also among those best placed to support ecosystem recovery. Divers, marine tourism operators and other ocean-dependent communities have deep local knowledge, ongoing connections with their marine environments and an important role in caring for them. Protecting and supporting these communities is part of protecting the ecosystems they depend on — giving them the capacity to respond, contribute to recovery and help build resilience for the future. DFC is turning frontline experience of these events into a practical policy package that addresses these gaps, strengthens resilience and reduces avoidable harm to ecosystems and communities.
IS JUST A HEADLINE.
- Marine heatwaves, mass bleaching and harmful algal blooms can disrupt jobs, dive businesses and coastal communities.
- Support systems have largely been built around land-based emergencies such as floods and bushfires.
- Slow-onset marine events do not fit neatly into those systems, leaving gaps in preparedness and recovery support.
- We want affected marine communities to have clear, appropriate pathways to assistance.
The framework
SO WHAT ARE WE ASKING FOR?
Reduce emissions, support research and development of practical clean-energy alternatives for the marine tourism industry, and ensure policy and investment decisions account for future climate risk to marine environments and the communities that depend on them.
Our policy asks for this phase
Accelerate low-carbon marine tourism
HOW? Invest in research, development and uptake of practical alternatives to diesel for marine tourism.
Make marine decisions climate-safe
HOW? Ensure decisions about new fossil fuel projects are informed by attribution science and properly account for impacts on marine environments and the regional economies that depend on them.
OUR APPROACH
The asks come from the community, not the other way around.
Our policy positions are built from what divers, operators and ocean communities tell us — in hubs and workshops, on site after a marine event, and in the consultations and briefings that follow.
The policy pack brings those priorities together into a form decision-makers can act on. It is one piece of the work, not the whole of it: the same conversations continue in local hubs, training programs, response work and research, and each of those keeps shaping what we put forward.
That is what we mean by the ultimate goal — not a document on its own, but a dive community with the knowledge, confidence and connections to advocate for climate solutions that protect people and oceans.
POLICY DEVELOPMENT
Pillar
Community
Events, workshops and discussions with local community members and leaders to understand shared concerns, needs and priorities.
Brings the constituency and public backing to the policy development process.
What we do with it
Turning policy into impact.
Developing policy positions is only part of the work. We use frontline experiences, community evidence and our policy recommendations to advocate for the changes dive communities need and influence decisions affecting the future of the ocean and marine tourism.
Meet with decision-makers
Engage MPs, ministers, local councils and other decision-makers to raise issues affecting dive communities and advocate for practical policy responses.
Bring frontline voices to Parliament
Create opportunities for regional dive communities to engage directly with decision-makers, including through parliamentary delegations and meetings.
Make submissions and contribute evidence
Respond to inquiries and consultations, drawing on frontline experiences and research to inform policy discussions and recommendations.
Read our submissionsBuild relationships and public awareness
Work with partners, industry and wider audiences to elevate the issues facing dive communities and build support for stronger responses to marine climate impacts.
