Wetland Management
Wetland Management Initiatives - Great Lakes LGA
Contributor: Mathew Bell
Senior Environmental Officer
Great Lakes Council
02 6591 7222
The Great Lakes LGA, on the lower north coast of New South Wales, contains a series of significant coastal lake and estuary systems including Wallis Lake, Smiths Lake, Myall Lake and the northern foreshore of Port Stephens. The economy of the region critically relies on the health and quality of its environment and particularly, the health of its rivers, estuaries and lakes. As such, Great Lakes Council is acutely aware of the importance of wetlands and their ecosystem services that they provide.
Great Lakes Council has commenced a series of programs and actions to ensure that wetlands are appropriately conserved, managed and, where required, restored.
The wetland management program comprises a number of elements which are summarised below.
Wallis Lake Wetland Management Strategy
The first phase of this Strategy involves a detailed description and mapping exercise to map and define the vegetation and collate data on the existing condition, state and threats to the wetland communities of the catchment. This phase is aimed at increasing biological data and knowledge of wetlands and using this to inform, guide and direct subsequent proactive decision-making. Phase 1 is nearing completion
The second phase provides for the establishment of a Wetland Working Group and external expert input to the development, exhibition and finally the implementation of an Action Plan to guide positive, effective, equitable and appropriate conservation, management and restoration actions for wetlands across the catchment. The project is seen as a pilot for the investigation and management of wetlands of the remainder of the LGA.
Darawakh/ Frogalla ASS Wetland Restoration Project
The Darawakh/ Frogalla Wetland is approximately 800-hectares of coastal floodplain wetland and swamp forest underlain by acid sulfate material. The wetland has been subjected to the creation of artificial drains from the period <1950 through to the 1980’s, which in 1999 were found to be producing significant acid and iron outflows. Drains are up to 5-metres wide and 2-metres deep.
A scoping study conducted in 2000 identified pH values as low as 2.77 in the constructed drains and a range of environmental impacts across the wetland and in the receiving waters (Wallamba River and Wallis Lake). The landscape outputs have been likened to a toxic waste dump.
A Management Plan was prepared by WetlandCare Australia in 2004, outlining a number of management responses. Since this time, Council, in partnership with various agencies, has been implementing the actions outlined in the Plan. Principally, this involves the reinstatement of natural hydrology across the wetland through the removal of levees and infilling of drains.
To reinstate the hydrology required the public acquisition and management of the wetland landscape. As a consequence, over 50% of the wetland landscape has been acquired to date through negotiated purchase with affected landholders using funding support from Council, DEC, Hunter/ Central Rivers CMA, the Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services and State Estuary Funds.
Drain infilling and large-scale ecological restoration has also commenced with the support of the aforementioned agencies and external grants including Environmental Trust and NHT. The program is guided by a Technical Advisory Group, a Draft Restoration Action Plan that is currently in preparation and a Memorandum of Understanding between Great Lakes Council and the Department of Environment and Conservation.
This project represents a significant, proactive and innovative approach to reversing the environmental harm associated with draining and clearing acid sulfate coastal floodplain wetlands, and achieving longer term natural wetland restoration and conservation outcomes. This program may serve as a useful model for other landscapes in coastal NSW.
Wallis and Myall Lakes Catchment Management Initiatives – Rural Landholders NRM Incentives
Through partnership funding and technical support from the Hunter/ Central Rivers CMA, Great Lakes Council has commenced a strategic and targeted program to provide assistance to rural landholders to achieve NRM outcomes on their lands. The conservation (by way of covenant or instrument) or the protection (by way of stock exclusion fencing, weed control/ eradication, feral animal control) of wetlands is a priority catchment NRM issue that is being targeted with this funding.
A previous phase of this project achieved the protection and conservation of 135-hectares of high quality wetland ecosystems in the Great Lakes LGA. The project provides opportunities for on-ground outcomes as well as ongoing support and education for rural landholders.
Wetland Management and the Great Lakes Council LEP
Great Lakes Council is developing a landscape values system in which environmental values and attributes of the land are identified as a layer over and which serve to instruct and augment the Local Environmental Plan zonings.
One of the key ecological settings that is to be delineated and adopted is a wetland layer, giving regard to the ecosystem value of these natural systems. Further work on this and other settings will give effect to the development of provisions for effective biodiversity conservation and amendment of strategic and development assessment procedures.
This program is in its early phase but is hoped to achieve proactive and positive NRM outcome by facilitating the increased development of unconstrained landholdings while providing a framework for the conservation and management of significant landscapes.
Information on the future development of this program will be provided as it is achieved.
Partnerships
All of these programs are supported by funds generated by Council through its Environmental Special Rate, in-kind contributions of Council technical and planning staff and external funds through grants. All programs rely on key partnerships with relevant State and Commonwealth agencies and the community, including DEC, Hunter/ Central Rivers CMA and DNR.
Further information:
Mr Gerard Tuckerman (Council’s Manager – Natural Systems)
T: (02) 6591 7274
E: gerard.tuckerman@greatlakes.nsw.gov.au
Mr Mat Bell (Council’s Senior Environmental Officer)
T: (02) 6591 7243
E: Mathew.bell@greatlakes.nsw.gov.au
0 comments on this article
