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Abstract

Executive summaryThis comparative report brings together insights from the Noosa, Gold Coast, and Manly-Freshwater World Surfing Reserves (WSRs), showing how locally led stewardship delivers cultural, environmental, and economic value for coastal communities. Using a Transformative Ocean Governance lens, the analysis synthesises participant perspectives from focus groups and interviews alongside a desk-based review of official materials. Across the three sites there is clear commitment to surf culture, environmental care, and participation, with practical innovations already visible in education, etiquette, and community engagement.The sites follow different but complementary governance paths. Noosa demonstrates how independent stewardship can sit alongside council activity and deliver applied programmes. The Gold Coast shows how advisory integration within a city Surf Management Plan can scale education city-wide. Manly-Freshwater illustrates how a revitalised identity and ambassador network can mobilise participation ahead of formal programme roll out.Despite the progress, persistent challenges around crowding, complex governance interfaces, funding uncertainty, and environmental pressures remain. Nevertheless, strong pathways are evident. The report recommends: (1) embedding surf protection in policy and planning; (2) securing multi-stream, sustainable funding that reduces reliance on volunteers; (3) building a national WSR learning network to share tools and present a joint voice; (4) investing in inclusive design and access; and (5) expanding monitoring with a small, sharedindicator set and open data aligned with FAIR and CARE principles.Taken together, these reserves show how WSRs can act as credible, bottom-up mechanisms for transformative change in ocean governance. By aligning funding, participation, and shared evidence, and by creating clear policy hooks, WSRs provide a practical platform for partnership and investment that supports resilient, fair, and thriving coastal futures.This report forms part of an ongoing PhD research project on Transformative Ocean Governance, undertaken by Kizzy Beaumont at the University of Plymouth within the UK, with a focus on surf reserves and community-led marine stewardship.

Publication Date

2025-01-01

Publisher

University of Plymouth

Deposit Date

2025-10-06

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