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Rivers Monitoring and Evaluation Plan V1.0 2020

Contents

Acknowledgement to Country ................................................................................................1 Contributors...........................................................................................................................1 Abbreviations and acronyms..................................................................................................2 Introduction...........................................................................................................................3 Background and context ........................................................................................................3 About the Rivers MEP.............................................................................................................7 Part A: PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES.....................................................................................18 Habitat .................................................................................................................................24 Vegetation............................................................................................................................29 Engaged communities ..........................................................................................................45 Community places................................................................................................................54 Water for the environment...................................................................................................62 Water quality .......................................................................................................................69 Stormwater..........................................................................................................................80 PART B: KEY VALUES SURVELLIENCE MONITORING – RIVERS .............................................91 Using eDNA to monitor key values .......................................................................................97 Using Habitat Suitability Models in evaluation ...................................................................102 Macroinvertebrates ............................................................................................................104 Fish ....................................................................................................................................114 Platypus.............................................................................................................................124 Birds ..................................................................................................................................136 Frogs..................................................................................................................................141 Vegetation..........................................................................................................................143 Recreation, Community Connection, Amenity.....................................................................147 Part C: WATERWAY CONDITIONS MONITORING – RIVERS.................................................151 Condition - Vegetation Quality ...........................................................................................155 Condition - Vegetation Extent ............................................................................................165

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Rivers Monitoring and Evaluation Plan V1.0 2020

Condition - Physical Form...................................................................................................169 Condition - Instream connectivity......................................................................................174 Condition - Water for environment.....................................................................................177 Condition - Water Quality – environmental ........................................................................180 Condition - Water Quality – recreational............................................................................184 Condition - Stormwater......................................................................................................187 Condition- Litter.................................................................................................................190 Condition - Access..............................................................................................................191 Condition – Organised connection......................................................................................193 PART D Research and Intervention Monitoring ..................................................................195 Research and intervention monitoring ...............................................................................195 References .........................................................................................................................209 Appendix 1 – Sub-catchment reference map......................................................................212 Appendix 2 - Stormwater harvesting and infiltration targets for priority areas..................213 Appendix 3 – Location information for the macroinvertebrate monitoring sites.................215 Appendix 5 - Summary of contextual data sets for use in evaluation of key values and conditions ..........................................................................................................................217

Appendix 6 - Summary of priority research areas and current projects .............................221 Appendix 7 - Stormwater condition targets for 2018 HWS.................................................226 Appendix 8 – Translation of Stormwater SCPOs for the website ........................................229

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Rivers Monitoring and Evaluation Plan V1.0 2020

Acknowledgement to Country

We acknowledge and respect Traditional Owners and Aboriginal communities and organisations.

We recognise the diversity of their cultures and the deep connections they have with the region’s lands and waters.

We value partnerships with them for the health of people and Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and we acknowledge and recognise the primacy of Traditional Owners’ obligations, rights and responsibilities to use and care for their traditional lands and waters.

Contributors

The Rivers MEP has relied on a significant body of knowledge inputs from many knowledge domains in which influence waterway health.

We would like to acknowledge the contribution of many Melbourne Water staff in developing the Rivers MEP. These people include Sharyn Rossrakesh, Trish Grant, Dr William Steele, Dr Belinda Lovell, Dr Rhys Coleman, Paul Rees, Leigh Smith, Penny Rogers, Shaun Corrigan, Kylie Swingler, Dan Green, Marion Urrutiaguer, Simon Pickard, Al Danger, David Reginato, Mary Catus-Wood, Yvonne Cabuang, James Frazer, Simon Catzikiris, Bronwen Hutchinson, Dan Beasley, Vaughn Grey, Andrew Grant, Elle Bartnik, Ryan Burrows, Sacha Jellinek and Tiana Preston.

We also acknowledge the critical contribution that was fostered by the Melbourne Water Melbourne University Research Practice Partnership and the CAPIM (now A3P) partnership. Some of the work that is described in this document is the result of many years of research and the development of models and methods that have integrated data collected over many decades.

We acknowledge the Healthy Waterway Strategy Science Panel for their considered advice throughout the development of the MERI framework and subsequent MEPs. Current Membership includes: Michelle Dickson (Chair), Dr Kay Morris, Associate Professor Chris Walsh, Dr Paul Reich, Dr Stephanie Lavau, Rohan Henry, Dr Sara Lloyd, Dr Matt Dell and Professor Ian Rutherfurd.

We also acknowledge our committed service providers who supported the development of the Rivers MEP. Drafting and technical support was provided by Alluvium and

Whitewater Consultancy.

A number of specialist advice has been provided along the way. We would like to acknowledge the following: Dr Andrew Weeks and Josh Griffiths (cesar) (platypus), Dr Melody Serena (APC) (platypus), Dr Matt Dell (vegetation), Streamology (physical form), Professor Nick Bond, Dr Michael Shackleton, Dr David Crook and Dr Alison King (Latrobe Uni) (Fish), AECOM 2012 (birds), Hermann 2016 (birds), Dr Reid Tingley and Dr ChungHuey Wu (Monash Uni) (eDNA sampling strategy), Dr Andrew Weeks (EnviroDNA) (eDNA sampling strategy), Bird Life Australia (Kerryn Herman, Dr Darren Quin, Chris Purnell, Andrew Silcocks, Bradley Clarke-Young) for testing and developing bird metrics,

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Rivers Monitoring and Evaluation Plan V1.0 2020

Ecoaerial (Rob Gration) for developing call recognisers for frogs, Symbolix (Elizabeth Stark) frog model, Dr Chris Jones (ARI) and Dr David Cheal (Vegetation), Dylan Osler (Ecological Perspective) (Vegetation) - field testing and Helen Watts – evaluation expertise.

Preliminary discussions with other agencies including DELWP, MAV and selected local government agencies have occurred regarding the stormwater volume performance objectives.

Abbreviations and acronyms

ARI

Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, DELWP Aquatic Values Identification and Risk Assessment Catchment Management Authority

AVIRA CMA DELWP EPA

Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Environmental Protection Authority Victoria Groundwater-dependent ecosystem

GDE HSM

Habitat Suitability Models

HWS

2018 Healthy Waterways Strategy

KEQ

Key Evaluation Question (from the 2019 MERI Framework) Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

MEP MERI Framework

Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement Framework (Melbourne Water 2019)

MWRPP

Melbourne Water Research-Practice Partnership; a research partnership between Melbourne Water and the Waterway Ecosystem Research Group of the University of Melbourne

PPWCMA PV

Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority Parks Victoria

RLG

Regional Leadership Group – the decision-making body overseeing implementation of the HWS

RPO SCPO SoBS SW

Regional Performance Objective Sub-catchment Performance Objective Melbourne Water Site of Biodiversity Significance Stormwater

WQ

Water Quality

WSUD

Water sensitive urban design

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Rivers Monitoring and Evaluation Plan V1.0 2020

Introduction

The Rivers Monitoring and Evaluation Plan describes the monitoring indicators and reporting requirements needed to effectively track the progress towards targets and objectives set in the Healthy Waterways Strategy. It outlines how to evaluate the success of the strategy for rivers in the region.

Background and context

The 2018 Healthy Waterways Strategy

The 2018 Healthy Waterways Strategy (HWS) (Melbourne Water 2018) is the overarching planning document for the management of rivers, wetlands and estuaries in the Port Phillip and Westernport region. It is a 10-year plan that takes a 50-year outlook and aims to ensure that the values of waterways in the region are protected and improved.

The development of the HWS was led by Melbourne Water, with a stakeholder co-design approach used to determine collaboratively the goals and management actions to be undertaken in each major catchment (Yarra, Maribyrnong, Werribee, Westernport and Dandenong).

The HWS Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement
Framework

The HWS commits Melbourne Water to developing and implementing a Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement (MERI) plan to support implementation. To address this, Melbourne Water prepared a MERI Framework (Melbourne Water 2019), under which there are three Monitoring and Evaluation Plans (MEPs), one for each waterway “asset class”: rivers/streams, estuaries and wetlands. In addition, there will be a separate MEP for regional performance objectives.

Key Evaluation Questions

Under the MERI Framework (Melbourne Water 2019), key evaluation questions (KEQs) were developed to ensure we measure the effectiveness, impact, efficiency, appropriateness, and legacy of the HWS (see Table 1). Accordingly, these KEQs include both bona fide monitoring questions regarding environmental change but also administrative and environmental survey-type questions. Monitoring requirements outlined in this MEP will contribute directly to addressing KEQs 1, 2, and 3 in the MERI Framework. KEQs 4 and 5 are not focused on river environmental conditions or values and these are addressed in the MERI Framework rather than this Rivers MEP.

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Rivers Monitoring and Evaluation Plan V1.0 2020

Table 1. Healthy Waterways Strategy key evaluation questions (from Melbourne Water 2019).

• Evaluation
• When it is asked

Annual
KEQ No. 1 - To what extent have the performance objectives of the Strategy been achieved?
Event-based (as needed) Mid-term (2022)
KEQ No. 2 - To what extent has progress been made towards the longer-term environmental condition targets for rivers, wetlands and estuaries?
Mid-term (2022) End of Strategy (2026)

Mid-term (2022)
KEQ No. 3 – What is the state of waterway values?
End of Strategy (2026)

Mid-term (2022)
KEQ No. 4 -To what extent have the delivery methods of the

Strategy been cost effective and efficient?
End of Strategy (2026)

KEQ No. 5 – To what extent have legacy items been identified and managed for?
End of Strategy (2026)

Reporting timeframes

Although the HWS has a temporal scope of ten years, 2018/19 – 2027/28 (inclusive), data will be needed to inform reporting midway, in 2022, and again in 2026 (to allow time for evaluation and for findings to be adopted before the preparation of a new strategy) (see Figure 1). Although reporting on river condition and key values will occur at mid-term and towards the end of the HWS most significant improvements are expected to take longer than this to become evident. Therefore, reporting during the HWS will involve a mix of output reporting (the measurable result of management activities, such as hectares of revegetation) and outcome reporting (the resulting impact of these activities, such as increased area of native vegetation).