The Marine Estate Management Strategy aims to protect and manage NSW waterways, coastlines and estuaries in a way that delivers the maximum benefit to the community. These benefits are identified by identifying the social, cultural, environmental and economic values of key assets of the Marine Estate. This approach offers a ‘benefits’ orientated prioritisation process allows for policy makers to implement arrangements for shared resources that deliver the most benefits to the NSW community. Some key examples are discussed on how the Strategy can contribute to policy decisions on resource sharing and spatial planning.