The Broads Authority has released its 2017 strategy document that details how it will deal with critical issues affecting the Broads over the next five years.
The Broads Plan 2017 was launched at Whitlingham Country Park on July 27 and provides information on what action the authority and its partners will take regarding environmental, economic, social and cultural concerns.
Broads Authority chairman Professor Jacquie Burgess described the plan as a 'high level strategic document' for the Broads.
She said: 'It's the Broads Authority and all our partners telling you what we intend to do for the next five years. This is not a plan for the Broads Authority, it is a plan for the Broads.'
The plan encompasses eight strategic themes which include managing water resources, sustaining landscapes for biodiversity and agriculture and maintaining and enhancing navigation.
It provides information on projects that will be undertaken, the details of partners involved and what work is hoped to be completed at the end of the five year period.
Broads Authority Chief Executive John Packman said an act of parliament required the authority to prepare a plan for the Broads every five years.
He said although the Broads occupied a small part of Norfolk and Suffolk, its impact on both was huge.
'When we look at the Broads we need to look at its economic, social and environmental benefits. In terms of economic benefits the Broads is disproportionately huge in its impact.'
He said it attracted 7m visitors annually, was worth nearly £600m to Norfolk and Suffolk and had many benefits from an environmental point of view too.
'We recently did an interesting piece of research which looked at how many species there are in the Broads as a whole and how significant they are. What we found is that 25pc of the rarest and most important species found in the UK are on the Broads.'
He said the delivery of the 2017 plan was for all concerned.
'The success of the plan will depend on how we work with our farming colleagues, the tourism industry, our local authorities and with the harbour industry - they will all play a part.'
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