Integrated estuary management

Linking catchments to the sea

Worshop 22 November 2005, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, East Melbourne

Presentation Outline

Background Why are we here What can you expect? What is going to happen Where to next Presentation summary

Background Estuaries are ecosystems of considerable

environmental, social and economic value:• support a diverse range of species many unique• play significant role in regional economies (shipping)• great importance to local communities (catch)

Increasing demands resulting from human activities have the potential to result in the degradation of estuaries and threaten their sustainability

Estuaries - Linking catchments to the sea

NAP/NHT project to minimise pressures on Victorias estuaries1. Whole of ecosystem scale - upstream/downstream effects 2. Combined (synergistic) affect of human activities3. Links to potential management intervention - pragmatic approach4. Turning research outputs into outcomes

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Aquatic habitat

Terrestrial habitat

Forest Fauna

Lake reeds

Aquatic Fauna

Wetland Fauna

Total wetland habitatUnplanned fire

Weeds

Domestic pets

Wildlife injury

Threatened Flora

Hazard reduction

Direct wetland habitat

Bush area

Total wetland habitat

Threatened Flora

Seagrass beds

Salt marsh

Mangroves

Flood risk

People accessing creek

Social acceptability

Fishing

Aboriginal Values

Swimming

Management of agricultural drains

Management of Cudgen plateau

Sea level rise

Urban development (lake catchment)

Urban development in creek catchment only

Entrance management

Creek ANZECC

Algal blooms

Flood frequency

Creeka -TNb -TSSc - Pathogensd -TP

Lake water qualitya - TNb - Pathogensc - Acidd - TPe - salinity f- TSS

Creek flushing

Lake ANZECC

Creek inputa -TNb -TSSc - Pathogensd -TP

Creek salinity

Disaster cost to council

Returns to cane farmers

Returns to vegetable farmers

Costs to NPWS

Maintenance cost to council

Cudgen Lake Case Study

Clothiers Creek

Reserves Creek

Cudgen Lake

Cabarita

Casuarina

Salt

Seaside City

Bogangar

Management of vegetable crop land: buffer strips, fertiliser application

Potential for new rural residentialdevelopment:sewerage management, riparian buffersFire buffers, weed restrictions

Management of sugar cane for acidrunoff:Percentage of catchment adopting these measures

Changes to current urban settlements:Increase density, retrofit stormwatermanagement systems

Possible new urban development:1: Cudgen heights (1)2: Cudgen heights (2)3: Kings Forest, 4: Duranbah, 5: Hansen6: Tanglewood)House density, stormwater management,sewerage management, riparian buffersfire buffers, weed restrictions

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What is the purpose of today

1. Information sharingQuestionnaire

2. Integrated managementCase scenario

3. Communication strategy reference group

I don’t know how it started eitherAll I know is its corporate culture

What can you expect?

1. Report on the outcomes of the workshop

2. Ongoing communication of research outputs

3. Ongoing communication with respect to estuary management

4. Web page - information portal on Vic estuaries

http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrencm.nsf/childdocs/-2594CB2F087CB6D84A2567CA0081791F-CB8C3B1FB196F9DE4A256B660015733C?open

10:30 - Developing the methodology for assessing estuary pressures: relationships with catchment condition

Prof Gerry Quinn, Deakin University

10: 50 - 10 minutes for questions

11:00 - Are there such things as indicators of estuarine health?Jan Barton, Deakin University

11:20 - 10 minutes for questions

11:30 - Fill in questions questionnaire (3 purposes)All workshop participants

12:00 - LUNCH

Estuary management and indicators

Integrated management

13:00 - Legislation relating to estuary managementIngrid Holliday, DSE

13: 30 - Development of the estuary CAP in GippslandBrett Millington, Gippsland Coastal Board

14:00 - Group Case scenarios - 20 minutes for 4 questions

14:30 - Presentation of group scenarios (4 groups) 10 minutes each

15: 00 – Summary comments (Don Hough)

15: 20 - BREAK

Matter for Targets

15:30 - Matters for targetsRob Thorman, National Land and Water

AuditIngrid Holliday, DSE

16:00 – 16:55 – Selection of matters for targets

17:00 - Close of workshop and thanks