Marine park zones near the Sunshine Coast: Moreton Bay and Great Sandy
Updated 9 min read
The short answer
Two state marine parks sit either side of the Sunshine Coast. Moreton Bay Marine Park starts at Caloundra and runs south, taking in the Pumicestone Passage. Great Sandy Marine Park starts at Double Island Point and runs north. Both use zones that set what you can do: green zones let you boat, dive and look but not fish or collect, yellow zones limit your lines, and blue zones allow most activities. Go slow areas also make you come off the plane. The free Marine Parks Southern Queensland App shows which zone you're in.
Two marine parks bracket the Sunshine Coast: Moreton Bay to the south, Great Sandy to the north
Queensland has three state marine parks: Great Barrier Reef Coast, Great Sandy and Moreton Bay, according to the Queensland Government. Two of them matter if you keep a boat on the Sunshine Coast.
Moreton Bay Marine Park covers the waters of Moreton Bay from Caloundra to the southern tip of South Stradbroke Island, and three nautical miles seaward of Moreton, North and South Stradbroke islands. First declared in 1993, it covers over 3400 square kilometres and stretches 125 kilometres from Caloundra to the Gold Coast. That puts the Pumicestone Passage, between Caloundra and Bribie Island, inside it.
Great Sandy Marine Park runs from Baffle Creek in the north to Double Island Point in the south. It includes Hervey Bay, the Great Sandy Strait, Tin Can Inlet and the waters off the east coast of K'gari out to three nautical miles. A new Great Sandy zoning plan started on 21 May 2024, and a review of the Moreton Bay zoning plan is underway, so check the current maps before each season.
Green zones: you can boat through, but you can't fish or collect
A green zone, officially a marine national park zone, is a look but don't take area. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service says fishing and collecting are prohibited there, while no-take activities such as boating, diving and photography are allowed.
You can drive straight through one. Section 19 of the Moreton Bay zoning plan lets you navigate a vessel in a marine national park zone as long as gear usually used for fishing or collecting is stowed or secured. The Great Sandy FAQ says the same and adds that fish on board are fine provided they were caught outside the green zone. So reel in, unclip the lures and put the rods away before you cross the line.
Anchoring in a Moreton Bay green zone is allowed for short stays. You need permission to anchor in one area of the zone for more than 14 consecutive days or 30 days in any 60, and you only count as having moved if you shift at least 1 nautical mile. Designated no-anchoring areas apply on top of that.
Yellow and blue zones: fishing allowed, with limits in yellow
Yellow zones are conservation park zones. Line fishing is allowed but limited to two lines or rods and two hooks or lures per person, and you may use only four catch devices per person for crabbing. That's from the Great Sandy zones page, and the Moreton Bay zoning plan sets the same limits.
Dark blue zones are habitat protection zones. Most activities are allowed there, but trawling is prohibited. Light blue zones are general use zones, which aim to provide for conservation while allowing reasonable use. Most activities are allowed, though some need a permit.
In Moreton Bay, outside the yellow and green zones, recreational line fishing means up to 3 hand-held lines or rods per person with a maximum of 6 hooks or lures, which matches the Fisheries rules. Designated area rules, such as go slow and no-anchoring areas, apply in addition to the zone rules, not instead of them.
Go slow areas: come off the plane
A go slow area means you keep your boat off the plane. In Great Sandy Marine Park, a vessel in a go slow area must be off the plane and under 6 knots unless it's within a marked navigation channel or a defined transit lane. Motorised watersports, such as waterskiing, parasailing and jumping waves, are also prohibited there.
Moreton Bay has two kinds. In go slow areas for natural values, and in go slow areas for turtles and dugongs, you must not operate a vessel in planing mode or for a motorised water sport. In the turtle and dugong areas you also must not drive at a speed or in a way that could reasonably be expected to strike a turtle or dugong. Each carries a maximum penalty of 10 penalty units under the zoning plan. The turtle and dugong go slow areas, such as Tangalooma, Peel Island and Amity Banks, sit further south in the bay. Closer to home, the Pumicestone Passage has go slow areas for natural values.
For general speed rules on any Queensland water, see our Queensland boating rules guide.
Pumicestone Passage zones near Bribie Island
The Moreton Bay zoning plan names several zones and designated areas in the northern Pumicestone Passage, between Bribie Island and the mainland, which is the stretch closest to Caloundra and Golden Beach.
Habitat protection zones include HPZ01 Bribie Island (north). Conservation park zones include CPZ01 Pumicestone Channel (north) and CPZ02 Pumicestone Channel to Godwin Beach. The green zones include MNP01 Westaways Creek and MNP02 Tripcony Bight to Long Island. Two go slow areas for natural values share those last names: GSN01 Westaways Creek and GSN02 Tripcony Bight to Long Island. In GSN02, the go slow rule doesn't apply while you're in the navigation channel.
The zone codes are handy for finding each area in the zoning plan schedules and on the official maps. Boundaries are defined by coordinates and shoreline features, not signs on the water, so check the app or map before you drop a line. For the Passage's tides, speed limits and shallows, see the Pumicestone Passage guide in the related guides below.
Getting the zoning map: the free app, PDF maps and chart cards
The easiest way to check your zone is the free Marine Parks Southern Queensland App, which covers both Moreton Bay and Great Sandy. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service says it shows which zone and designated area you're in and what activities are allowed, and it works offline when you're out of mobile range. It's on Google Play and the App Store. Zoning for both parks is also in the QLD Fishing 2.0 app.
The parks pages also offer downloadable zoning maps. These aren't for navigation, so use official nautical charts to find your way. Zoning data is available to navigation software companies for chart cards on GPS fish finders and chartplotters, so ask your provider what they offer.
If you plot boundary coordinates yourself, set the right datum. Moreton Bay coordinates use GDA94, and Great Sandy coordinates use GDA2020. A plotter on the wrong datum can put a boundary in the wrong place.
Learning the water before you head out
Reading zone maps, charts and markers is part of skippering a boat, and it's easier once you've had some time on the water with an instructor. Our Boat Licence course runs from three venues: Golden Beach in Caloundra on the Pumicestone Passage, Maroochydore on the Maroochy River, and Noosaville on the Noosa River.
Going by the official descriptions, Moreton Bay Marine Park begins at Caloundra and Great Sandy begins at Double Island Point, so the Maroochy and Noosa rivers sit between the two parks. Fisheries rules, speed limits and other boating rules still apply there, and if you head north or south your trip can cross into a park, so check the app before you go.
New to all of this? Our step by step licence guide explains how the Queensland licence works, and you can pick a day on the course dates page.
Marine park zones in Moreton Bay and Great Sandy marine parks (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and the Moreton Bay zoning plan, accessed 29 October 2026)
Scroll sideways to see every column
| Map colour | What boaties can do | Main limits |
|---|---|---|
| Green: marine national park zone | Boating, diving and photography; travel through with gear stowed | No fishing or collecting; fish on board must be caught outside the zone |
| Yellow: conservation park zone | Line fishing and crabbing with limits | Two lines or rods and two hooks or lures per person; four crabbing devices per person |
| Dark blue: habitat protection zone | Most activities | Trawling prohibited |
| Light blue: general use zone | Most activities | Some activities need a permit |
| Go slow area (designated area) | Boating off the plane | No planing or motorised watersports; Great Sandy allows planing in marked channels and transit lanes |
| No-anchoring area (designated area) | Boating through | No anchoring |
Common questions
How many marine parks are there in Queensland?
Queensland has three state marine parks: Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park, Great Sandy Marine Park and Moreton Bay Marine Park. Sunshine Coast boaties sit between the last two. Moreton Bay Marine Park starts at Caloundra and runs south to the Gold Coast, and Great Sandy Marine Park starts at Double Island Point and runs north to Baffle Creek.
Can you anchor in a green zone?
Yes, for a normal stay. In a Moreton Bay green zone you only need permission to anchor in one area for more than 14 consecutive days, or 30 days in any 60. You must move at least 1 nautical mile for it to count as a new area. Designated no-anchoring areas still apply, and fishing gear must stay stowed while you're in the zone.
Can you travel through a green zone with fish on board?
Yes. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service says you can travel through a green zone with fish on board as long as they were caught outside it. Stow or secure all fishing and collecting gear before you enter. In practice that means lines out of the water, hooks unbaited and secured to the rod or line, and gear stored inboard so it can't be used straight away.
What does go slow mean in a marine park?
It means off the plane. In Great Sandy go slow areas you must be off the plane and under 6 knots unless you're in a marked channel or transit lane. In Moreton Bay go slow areas you can't plane or do motorised watersports, and in turtle and dugong areas you must also avoid a speed or manner likely to hit one. The Moreton Bay maximum penalty is 10 penalty units.
Are Maroochydore and Noosa inside a marine park?
Going by the official park descriptions, no. Moreton Bay Marine Park begins at Caloundra and Great Sandy begins at Double Island Point, so the Maroochy and Noosa rivers fall between them. Fisheries rules and boating rules still apply. If your trip heads north or south along the coast, check the Marine Parks Southern Queensland App to see when you cross into a park.
How do I know which marine park zone I'm in?
Use the free Marine Parks Southern Queensland App. It shows your zone and any designated area, lists what's allowed, and works offline. Zoning is also in the QLD Fishing 2.0 app and available on some chart cards for plotters. If you enter coordinates by hand, use GDA94 for Moreton Bay and GDA2020 for Great Sandy.
Sources
- Marine parks (Queensland Government) (accessed )
- Moreton Bay Marine Park (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service) (accessed )
- Marine Parks (Moreton Bay) Zoning Plan 2019 (Queensland Legislation) (accessed )
- Great Sandy Marine Park zones and designated areas (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service) (accessed )
- Moreton Bay Marine Park zoning app and maps (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service) (accessed )
Rules can change. This guide was last reviewed on ; check the official source before you rely on a specific figure.
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- What do you need to know before boating the Pumicestone Passage?A boater's guide to the Pumicestone Passage from official sources: the 2026 speed zones, Moreton Bay Marine Park zones, go slow areas, shallows and tides.12 min readUpdated
- How do you anchor a boat?How to anchor a boat in Queensland: the anchor and rope lengths recommended, the 5 to 1 scope, where anchoring is banned, anchor lights and pulling it up.13 min readUpdated
- What are the boating rules in Queensland?Queensland boat rules in plain English: speed near people and jetties, right of way, marks, lights, the 0.05 alcohol limit, skier observers and EPIRBs.14 min readUpdated
- What are the boating rules on the Noosa River?Noosa River boating rules from MSQ and the regulation: 6 and 20 knot zones, holiday limits, the jet ski ban, lake rules and the 28-day anchoring limit.11 min readUpdated
- What are the boating rules on the Maroochy River?Maroochy River boating rules from the MSQ speed schedule: 6 knot zones, the 20 knot reach above Bli Bli, Eudlo Creek limits, shallows, tides and jet skis.14 min readUpdated
Other Licences We Offer
One-day course at Caloundra, Maroochydore or Noosa, with all equipment provided.