Table 12: Management strategies (Note that not list all partners that will be involved in the delivery of this activity are listed. Other partners will include landholders, traditional owners, not-for profits, NGOs and others). Management Strategies Responsibility Linkages to existing programs / activities Man. Units Continue to implement the actions in the Glenelg-Hopkins Waterway Strategy aimed at managing pest plants and animals within the Glenelg Estuary (Management activities 38-201.8 and 38-201.9) and Freshwater wetlands (Management activities 20501.5, 20502.3, 20614.4, 20614.5, 20562.1 and 20562.2). Parks Victoria CMA DELWP Glenelg-Hopkins Waterways Strategy Glenelg Ark Estuary Freshwater wetlands Continue to implement the actions in the Ngootyoong Gunditj Ngootyoong Mara South West Management Plan aimed at managing pest plants and animals within the Glenelg Estuary, Freshwater wetlands and Beach and dune fields. Parks Victoria CMA DELWP Ngootyoong Gunditj Ngootyoong Mara South West Management Plan Glenelg Ark Threatened species recovery plans All Continue to implement estuary opening protocols at the Glenelg Estuary in accordance with the Estuary Entrance Management Support System. CMA Glenelg Estuary Management Plan Glenelg-Hopkins Waterways Strategy Estuary Continue to develop and implement environmental watering in the Glenelg River and consider needs of Freshwater wetlands in Seasonal Watering Proposals. CMA VEWH Glenelg Seasonal Watering Proposals Freshwater wetlands Consider impacts to the ecological character of the site when implementing the Regional Groundwater Plan and Border Groundwater Agreement. Southern Rural Water CMA Border Groundwaters Agreement – South Australia-Victoria Glenelg Water Supply Protection Area Local Management Plan South West Limestone Aquifer Local Management Plan Estuary Freshwater wetlands Manage visitor activities in the Lower Glenelg National Park and the Discovery Bay Coastal Park to minimise disturbance of shorebirds and beach nesting birds. Parks Victoria Ngootyoong Gunditj Ngootyoong Mara South West Management Plan Estuary Beach and dune fields Investigate options to mitigate the impacts of climate change (sea level rise) on coastal habitats and improve resilience. DELWP CMA Estuary Beach and dune fields Protect high priority locations from extensive shoreline erosion Parks Victoria Beach and dune fields Develop and implement measures to control carp within the Glenelg Estuary and CMA Estuary
Invasive species Non-native aquatic animals (Gambusia) Predation affects abundance of Ancient greenling Possible Moderate Medium Invasive species Native terrestrial weeds (coastal wattle) Increased competition alters vegetation diversity, affecting freshwater sedge/tall marsh Almost certain Moderate High Pollution: Agricultural effluents Increased nutrients Increased nutrients from the catchment result in increased algal growth, adversely affect lake bed vegetation Rare Moderate Negligible Pollution: Agricultural effluents Increased nutrients Increased nutrients from the catchment result in increased algal growth and impacts on habitat supporting waterbird feeding Rare Minor Negligible Pollution: Agricultural effluents Increased nutrients Increased nutrients from the catchment result in increased algal growth adversely affects recreation and tourism (land based via reduced visual amenity, water based by reduced water quality) Rare Moderate Negligible Geological events: blowouts Increased windblown sediments from exposed dunes Increased sediments (abrasion, smothering) affects the area and quality of drought refuge Rare Extreme Medium Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Reduced surface water runoff reduces wetland depth and area Likely Major High Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Reduced infiltration lowers groundwater table and reduces wetland depth and area Likely Major High Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Adversely effects freshwater sedge/tall marsh Likely Moderate Medium Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Adversely effects lake bed vegetation Rare Major Low Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Reduced habitat available to maintain fish diversity and abundance Possible Moderate Medium Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Loss of habitat for waterbirds Possible Moderate Medium Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Reduced opportunity to fulfil or maintain Aboriginal cultural values Possible Moderate Medium Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Reduced area and quality of drought refuge Likely Moderate Medium
Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Reduced habitat available for threatened plant species Possible Minor Low Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Loss of habitat for Australasian Bittern Possible Moderate Medium Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Loss of habitat for Growling grass frog Possible Major High Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Reduced habitat available to maintain threatened fish Likely Major High Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Reduced habitat available to maintain Ancient Greenling Likely Major High Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Loss of ecological connectivity (fish migration between freshwater units and estuary) Likely Minor Medium Risk assessment for the Glenelg estuary management unit Threats Stressors Impact pathway Likelihood of impact Consequence of impact Risk Agriculture and aquaculture: Wood and pulp plantations Decreased groundwater levels Reduced area and quality of seagrass Rare Moderate Negligible Agriculture and aquaculture: Wood and pulp plantations Decreased groundwater levels Reduced freshwater inputs affects estuary water quality - salinity regime Rare Major Low Agriculture and aquaculture: Wood and pulp plantations Decreased groundwater levels Reduced habitat available to support fish diversity and abundance Rare Moderate Negligible Energy production and mining: Oil and gas drilling Decreased groundwater levels Reduced area and quality of seagrass Rare Major Low Energy production and mining: Oil and gas drilling Decreased groundwater levels Reduced freshwater inputs affects estuary water quality - salinity regime Rare Major Low Energy production and mining: Oil and Decreased groundwater levels Reduced habitat available to support fish diversity and Rare Moderate Negligible
gas drilling abundance Biological resource use Recreational and commercial fishing Increased catch reduces target fish diversity and abundance Rare Moderate Negligible Biological resource use Recreational and commercial fishing Increased catch reduces value of recreational fishing Rare Minor Negligible Biological resource use Eel harvesting Increased catch reduces Aboriginal cultural heritage Unlikely Moderate Low Human intrusion & disturbance Increased noise Increased noise disturbs waterbird breeding Likely Moderate Medium Human intrusion & disturbance Physical damage (vegetation) Increased damage reduces quality and extent of coastal saltmarsh Possible Moderate Medium Human intrusion & disturbance Physical damage (vegetation) Increased damage reduces habitat availability and quality for waterbird breeding Rare Minor Negligible Human intrusion & disturbance Increased litter Increased litter affects waterbird abundance Possible Minor Low Human intrusion & disturbance Increased litter Increased litter reduces landscape and visual amenity - spiritual and inspirational Likely Major High Natural systems modifications: wildfire (and/or inappropriate management) Increased nutrients and sediments Increased sediments and nutrients and results reduced light availability and increased algal growth that reduces seagrass extent Possible Major High Natural systems modifications: wildfire (and/or inappropriate management) Increased nutrients and sediments Increased sediment and nutrients from the catchment result in increased algal growth, decreased dissolved oxygen and impacts fish diversity and abundance (including those targeted by recreational fishing) Possible Major High Natural systems modifications: wildfire (and/or inappropriate management) Increased nutrients and sediments Increased sediment and nutrients from the catchment result in increased algal growth and decreased water quality - dissolved oxygen Possible Minor Low Natural systems modifications: wildfire (and/or inappropriate management) Increased nutrients and sediments Increased sediment and nutrients from the catchment result in increased algal growth, decreased dissolved oxygen and impacts fish migration (including those targeted by recreational fishing) Possible Minor Low Natural systems modifications: wildfire (and/or inappropriate management) Increased nutrients and sediments Increased sediment and nutrients from the catchment result in increased algal growth, decreased dissolved oxygen and impacts fish reproduction (including those targeted by recreational fishing) Possible Minor Low
Natural systems modification: water resource use Decreased freshwater inflows Decreased inflows alters surface water regime and the frequency of opening and closing of the estuary mouth Likely Major High Natural systems modification: water resource use Decreased freshwater inflows Decreased inflows alters the groundwater regime and the frequency of opening and closing of the estuary mouth Possible Major High Natural systems modification: water resource use Decreased freshwater inflows Reduced inflows alter the salinity regime, which affects fish diversity and abundance Possible Moderate Medium Natural systems modification: water resource use Decreased freshwater inflows Decreased inflows alters estuary water quality - salinity regime Likely Moderate Medium Natural systems modification: water resource use Decreased freshwater inflows Decreased inflows alters estuary water regime - intermittently opening and closing estuary Almost certain Moderate High Natural systems modification: water resource use Decreased freshwater inflows Altered salinity regime reduces opportunity to fulfil or maintain Aboriginal cultural heritage Possible Moderate Medium Natural systems modification: water resource use Decreased freshwater inflows Hydrological processes support wetland type and extent Possible major High Natural systems modification: water resource use Decreased freshwater inflows Decreased inflows reduces ecological connectivity for fish migration Likely Minor Medium Invasive species Non-native woody weeds (Italian buckthorn, boxthorn, polygala, pine wildlings) Increased competition displaces native plant species and affects landscape and visual amenity - spiritual and inspirational Almost certain minor Medium Invasive species Non-native non-woody weeds (e.g. bridal creeper, blue bell creeper, ivy spp. Juncus acutus) Increased competition displaces native species and communities and reduces quality of riparian vegetation. Possible Moderate Medium Invasive species Non-native woody weeds (Italian buckthorn, boxthorn, polygala, pine wildlings) woody vegetation species Increased competition displaces native species and communities in riparian vegetation Almost certain Moderate High Invasive species Non-native non-woody weeds (e.g. Sicilian sea lavender) Increased competition displaces native species affecting extent and quality of coastal saltmarsh community. Possible Extreme High Invasive species Non-native weeds (Italian buckthorn, boxthorn, polygala, pine wildlings) woody plants Increased competition displaces native plant species and affects landscape and visual amenity, recreation and tourism - land based activities Rare Minor Negligible
Invasive species Native terrestrial weeds (coastal wattle) Increased competition alters vegetation diversity, affecting dune scrub Possible Major High Invasive species Non-native terrestrial animals (foxes, cats, pigs) Predation and disturbance affects waterbird breeding Almost certain Moderate High Invasive species Non-native aquatic animals - carp Altered habitat reducing fish diversity and abundance Possible Major High Invasive species Non-native aquatic animals - gambusia, goldfish, red fin, trout Increased competition reducing fish abundance and diversity Rare Minor Negligible Invasive species Problematic native species - Australian bass, Catfish Tandanus tandanus, Murray cod, Yellow belly/Callop Macquaria ambigua Increased competition reducing fish abundance and diversity Rare Minor Negligible Pollution: Agricultural effluents Increased nutrients Increased nutrients from the catchment result in increased epiphytic algal growth, impacting on seagrass Unlikely Moderate Low Pollution: Agricultural effluents Increased nutrients Increased nutrients from the catchment result in increased algal growth and affects recreation and tourism - water based activities Possible Minor Low Pollution: Agricultural effluents Increased sediments Reduced light affects seagrass Unlikely Major Medium Pollution: Agricultural effluents Increased sediments Reduced habitat diversity affects fish diversity and abundance Possible Moderate Medium Pollution: Industrial and military effluents Increased toxicants from mine seepage Increased toxicity reduces coastal saltmarsh extent Rare minor Negligible Pollution: Industrial and military effluents Increased toxicants from mine seepage Reduced area and quality of seagrass Rare Major Low Pollution: Industrial and military effluents Increased toxicants from mine seepage Increased toxicity reduces fish diversity and abundance Rare Major Low Climate change and severe weather: seas level rise Increased ingress of marine water Increased marine water inputs alters coastal saltmarsh extent Possible Minor Low Climate change and severe weather: seas level rise Increased ingress of marine water Increase salinity (or change in salinity regime) affects fish diversity, especially the breeding of estuarine specialists Possible Negligible Negligible
that includes important recreational fishing species Climate change and severe weather: seas level rise Increased ingress of marine water Increased sea level affects surface water regime and changes character from an intermittently opening and closing estuary Unlikely Major Medium Climate change and severe weather: seas level rise Decreased access Decreased access reduces the value of the estuary for recreation and tourism - water based activities Unlikely Major Medium Climate change and severe weather: seas level rise Decreased access Decreased access reduces the value of the estuary in terms of Aboriginal cultural heritage Unlikely Minor Low Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Decreased inflows alter the surface water regime and the frequency of opening and closing of the estuary mouth Likely Moderate Medium Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Reduced inflows alter the salinity regime, which affects fish diversity and abundance Possible Moderate Medium Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Decreased inflows alters estuary water quality - salinity regime Likely Major High Climate change and severe weather: Drought Decreased rainfall and freshwater inflows Altered salinity regime reduces opportunity to fulfil or maintain Aboriginal cultural values Possible Moderate Medium Climate change and severe weather: Strom and flooding (increased extreme events) Increased deposition of marine sediments Alters pattern of opening and closing of the estuary mouth Possible Minor Low Climate change and severe weather: Strom and flooding (increased extreme events) Increased erosion of beach sediments Altered beach profile Possible Minor Low Risk assessment for the Beach and Dune fields management unit Threats Stressors Impact pathway Likelihood of impact Consequence of impact Risk Agriculture: Wood and pulp plantations Decreased groundwater levels Altered groundwater interactions affecting hydrological processes which support dune slack wetlands Unlikely Major Medium
(e.g. foxes, cats) Invasive species Native terrestrial animals (e.g. ravens) Increased predation affects waterbird breeding Likely Moderate Medium Invasive species Non-native terrestrial animals (e.g. foxes, cats) Increased predation affects migratory birds Likely Moderate Medium Invasive species Native terrestrial animals (e.g. ravens) Increased predation affects migratory birds Likely Moderate Medium Invasive species Native species (e.g. coastal wattle) Increased competition alters vegetation diversity, affecting dune scrub Likely Major High Pollution: garbage and solid waste Increased marine pollution and litter Increased marine pollution and litter affects landscape aesthetics (land based recreation) Almost certain Moderate High Pollution: garbage and solid waste Increased marine pollution and litter Increased marine pollution and litter affects habitat quality for waterbird feeding Possible Minor Low Climate change and severe weather: seas level rise Increase ingress of marine water Increased sea level leads to loss of beach profile and reduced area for waterbird breeding Possible Major High Climate change and severe weather: seas level rise Increased ingress of marine water Loss of beach profile and access affects land based recreation opportunities Unlikely Minor Low Climate change and severe weather: seas level rise Increased ingress of marine water Loss of beach profile reduces habitat available for migratory birds Possible Major High Climate change and severe weather: extreme storm events Increased beach and erosion Increased in large storm frequency and erosion leads to loss of beach profile and reduced area for waterbird breeding Possible Major High Climate change and severe weather: extreme storm events Increased beach erosion Increased erosion leads to reduced primary dune stability and increased chances of blowouts Unlikely Major Medium Climate change and severe weather: extreme storm events Increased beach erosion Loss of beach profile leads to reduced waterbird feeding habitat Possible Major High
Protect high priority locations from extensive shoreline erosion Parks Victoria 8, 15 10 Beach and dune fields Develop and implement measures to control carp within the Glenelg Estuary and prevent movement into the Long Swamp Complex. CMA Parks Victoria 6, 12, 13 5 Estuary Freshwater wetlands Continue to implement recovery plans for the threatened plant species at the site: maroon leek-orchid (Prasophyllum frenchii) and swamp greenhood (Pterostylis tenuissima) DELWP Parks Victoria Maroon Leek Orchid Recovery Plan Recovery Plan for Three Orchid Species in South Australia and Victoria 9 Freshwater wetlands Continue to implement the recovery plan for the Yarra pygmy perch (Nannoperca obscura). DELWP Parks Victoria Yarra Pygmy Perch Recovery Plan 12 Freshwater wetlands Implement the management strategies in the Ngootyoong Gunditj Ngootyoong Mara South West Management Plan aimed at reducing the impacts of bushfires and fire management on wetland and coastal habitats. Parks Victoria DELWP Ngootyoong Gunditj Ngootyoong Mara South West Management Plan 3, 4, 9 8 All Continue to monitor the effects of the Long Swamp Restoration Trial and adaptively manage the program of works to maintain or improve ecological character. CMA DELWP NGOs 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14 4, 5, 8 Freshwater Wetlands Develop and implement a Glenelg Estuary and Discovery Bay Ramsar Site wetland information and interpretation program. Parks Victoria DELWP CMA Councils All All All Work with Aboriginal groups to improve understanding of Aboriginal values associated with the Ramsar site and develop opportunities for Aboriginal involvement in Ramsar site management CMA DELWP Parks Victoria Ngootyoong Gunditj Ngootyoong Mara South West Management Plan All All All Build capacity and collaboration with community and industry groups by supporting citizen science and CMA DELWP All All All