Maps showing new protection zones throughout the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park will be available before July.

Legislation from the Federal Government's Representative Areas Program will be enacted on July 1, increasing protection of the reef from 5 per cent to more than 30 per cent.

Bruce Kingston from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority says there has been a lot of community input into the formulation of the protection zones and it is important the information is made available.

"They'll be free...we'll be making sure that there's enough for everyone...there'll also be a lot of explanatory information and there'll be ads going about to explain some of the areas where there's been some misapprehension about how some of the rules might change," he said.

Last Update: Friday, April 30, 2004. 9:37 AM (AEST)