The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority) is using Australian-made technology to support its operations and help strengthen its fight to protect the world’s largest coral reef.

The Townsville-based agency manages permits, compliance, and reef protection programs across 2,300 kilometres of Queensland coastline. The Reef Authority re-implemented TechnologyOne’s OneGovernment solution in 2023 via the world-first SaaS+ methodology to modernise operations and direct taxpayer funds where they matter most - safeguarding the Reef.

The overhaul saw the Reef Authority upgrade to TechnologyOne’s CiA platform and expanded its use of core products, including Financials, Supply Chain Management, Enterprise Asset Management and Corporate Performance Management.

Kim Corrie, Chief Finance Officer, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, said, “The more efficiencies we achieve in procurement and financial administration, the more funds we can dedicate to protecting the Reef. In today’s economic climate, every dollar counts.”

The system now embeds Commonwealth Procurement Rules directly into procurement workflows, sharpens forecasting and monthly reporting to the Department of Finance and accelerates payments and compliance processes. The Reef Authority also shares its best practices with other government agencies, strengthening governance across the Commonwealth.

“Decision makers have accurate, timely data to make informed decisions. Ultimately, our long-term goal is to keep the Reef as resilient as possible for as long as possible,” Ms Corrie said.

For the Authority, the payoff goes beyond internal efficiency, it channels taxpayer money into programs tackling crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, reef education, regulation and compliance.

Looking ahead, the Reef Authority plans to expand its use of the platform with sourcing and asset management modules to support major projects including the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium project.

Edward Chung, Chief Executive Officer, TechnologyOne, said, “Protecting the Great Barrier Reef is a mission of global importance - and Australian innovation is playing a vital role. We’re proud to partner with the Reef Authority, Australia's lead management agency for one of the world's greatest natural treasures. By embedding compliance into everyday workflows, our technology allows the Authority to focus less on administration and more on its critical work sustaining the UNESCO World Heritage Reef for future generations.”

TechnologyOne’s world-class solutions are trusted by more than 230 Federal and State Government departments and agencies across Australia and New Zealand.