SUMMARYSUMMARY This booklet is a summary of the Port Phillip and Western Port Regional Catchment Strategy (RCS) 2004-2009, which was launched in December 2004. It includes the tables from the RCS which give an overview of its objectives and targets for catchment condition, and the 97 priority actions the RCS identifies for healthier catchments and bays in the region. The Port Phillip and Western Port region

The Port Phillip and Western Port region is a spectacular, Major natural assets: diverse, productive, vibrant, valuable and exciting place. • 8 national parks, 6 state parks, 8 marine It includes Port Phillip Bay and Western Port plus their ocean protected areas, 3 frontages, French and Phillip Islands and the rivers and wetlands of streams of five catchments that flow to these bays. It contains international metropolitan Melbourne, a thriving international city that is importance and home to more than two-thirds of Victoria’s population. It is several sites of the hub of much of the State’s commercial, industrial and international and transport infrastructure, an important rural and agricultural national importance region and a centre of social and cultural interaction. for shorebirds • Port Phillip Bay and The activities, livelihoods and lifestyles of the region’s 3.4 Western Port which million urban and rural residents, and of the visitors who support generate an important tourism industry, depend on the commercial fishing, aquaculture, three major ports and sustainable use of its land and water, the health of its fauna Victoria’s most popular recreational and flora and the habitats they live in. These are our fishing areas. Tourists make some 70 million visits a year to “catchment assets”. the bays and region’s coastal beaches. • One-third of the region retains remnants of locally indigenous vegetation of which 41% is protected in parks The region at a glance and reserves, 31% is on other public land, 28% is on private land Total area: 1.3 million hectares • 1,860 species of native flora and 600 species of native Land uses: 18% urban, 40% rural farmland, vertebrate fauna make the region one of the most 42% forest biologically diverse in the State. Demography: 3.4 million people, 1.4 million • Tourism and recreation attractions such as Port Phillip Bay dwellings, 180,000 business locations and Western Port, the Yarra River, Phillip Island with its Agriculture: 4,500 commercial agricultural fairy penguin parade, You Yangs, Brisbane Ranges, Mt holdings producing more than Macedon, upper Yarra forests, Sherbrooke Forest, $1 billion per year which is 15% of Dandenong Ranges, renowned wine districts in the Yarra Victoria’s gross value of Valley, Macedon Ranges and Mornington Peninsula, agricultural production. Industries are beaches of Port Phillip Bay and the Mornington Peninsula many and varied including vegetables, poultry, dairy products, Some of the main pressures on the region’s catchment assets: grains, wool, meat, flowers and fruit. • increasing population, relatively high per capita water Local governments: The Port Phillip and Western Port consumption and energy use region includes all or part of • changing land-use and urban development, inappropriate 38 municipalities. land management practices Community groups: Over 500 active environmental • habitat and species loss community groups in the region • pest plants and animals including Landcare, Coastcare, • climate change Bushcare, Rivercare and • salinity ‘Friends’ groups. • water pollution.

2 Port Phillip and Western Port thresholds and we must ensure that we do not reach these Regional Catchment Strategy thresholds.

Achieving good catchment management requires everyone to The Regional Catchment Strategy describes our catchment consider the downstream impacts of their activities and to find assets and how they are interrelated. It indicates what needs solutions where these cause problems. to be done to manage and use the assets in a sustainable and integrated way, and outlines goals and priorities for the As we produce goods and services and modify landscapes to future. While many of our catchment assets are in good meet our economic and social needs, we must ensure that we condition and well managed, the health of some others is at respect environmental limits, avoid environmental damage serious risk. and prevent environmental costs being transferred to others, into the public domain or into the future. For every activity, The 2004-2009 Regional Catchment Strategy is the there are ways to minimise damage and make the most of culmination of two years work. environmental values. This is the path to sustainability.

The CMA has coordinated the development of the Regional Catchment Strategy in cooperation with government Vision, goals, objectives and targets agencies, councils, non-government organisations, agricultural and industry groups, indigenous organisations The RCS outlines a vision for the region plus a regional goal, and hundreds of volunteer community groups in the region. objectives and quantifiable targets for the four main groups of catchment assets - water resources, land, biodiversity and the people of the region. From the targets, our 97 priority actions Protecting and improving our catchment assets for healthier catchments and bays have been identified and agreed. Achieving sustainability and protecting our catchment assets is a major challenge for our society. We all have a responsibility and an opportunity to be good stewards of our catchment assets.

We must acknowledge that there are real limits and consequences to the way we use and manage our catchment assets. We have to understand that there are critical

Vision for the region

The Port Phillip and Western Port region will have people working to achieve productive land, habitat for native plants and animals and clean water in the catchments, rivers and bays, making it a healthy, attractive and prosperous place to live, work and visit.

Water goal Land goal Biodiversity goal People goal

Sustainable water use and healthy Healthy land used Healthy and enduring The community valuing, under- waterways, wetlands, estuaries, appropriately and productively ecosystems with a diversity standing and celebrating the coasts and bays of habitats and native species region’s catchment assets and working to achieve sustainability

Summary tables listing the targets and 97 actions are included in the following pages.

3 Goal Substainable water use and healthy

Objectives

WO1. Ensure effcient management WO2. Protect and improve the WO3. Protect and improve the of water resources with environment health and environment health and minimal new impacts on social and economic values of social and economic values natural hydrological processes watersway and wetlands of estuaries, coastal and marine systems

Targets (pre-existing targets in Bold)

WT1. Average potable water WT5. Maintain the condition of the WT17. Reduced the proportion of coast in the consumption per person 13% of region’s rivers that are region where environmental values, reduced by15% by 2010 currently in excellent condition recreational beaches, Indigenous cultural values and public infrastructure WT6. Improve the condition of the WT2. The volume of recycled water are at high risk from accelerated region’s waterways so that: used inthe region increased to coastal erosion and other • At least 50% of all natural 20% of thetotal treated degading processes. volume by 2010 waterways will be in good or excellent condition by 2015 WT18. A net gain in the extent and quality of WT3. Diversions from all waterways • All natural waterways will be native coastal vegetation as measured to be withinSustainable in good or better condition by habitat hectares Diversion Limits by2015 by 2025 WT7. Progressive improvement in the WT19. Public access to the region’s beaches WT4. Improved average value of irrigated condition of waterways across the and bays maintained agricultural production per megalitre region as measured by the Index of WT20. The number of days that beaches are Stream Condition, including beds WT11. Levels of extraction from each classified unsuitable for swimming and banks, streamside zone and GMA in the region to be within the reduced to zero by 2010 permissible annual volume by 2025 aquatic Life WT15. No net loss in the extent and WT24. Reduced the amount of litter and WT12. Groundwater levels in key regional health of wetlands of each other gross pollutants entering Port aquifers to be stabilised at existing types Phillip Bay and Western Port by sustainable levels by 2025 70% by 2015 WT16. Progressively improve the overall WT13. Progressively increase the average health and social value of natural value of production per megalitre of wetlands, including those that are groundwater extracted nationally and internationally recognised

Actions (pre-existing targets in Bold) WA2. Determine, and ensure compliance with WA1. Implement the relevant directions of WA33 Investigate, assess and manage accelerated Sustainable Diversion Limits and Bulk the ‘White Paper–Securing Our coastal erosion and other degrading processes Water Entitlements for the region Water Future Together’. at high value sites where recreation, heritage, Indigenous culture, environmental values and WA3. Implement the State Government’s policy WA7. Implement the Port Phillip and public infrastructure are at risk. for the establishment of diverson caps Westernport Regional River and an environmental reserve for the Health Strategy. WA34 Communicate the requirements of contingency region’s rivers plans for oil spills to all relevant stakeholders WA28. Develop and apply an Index of Wetland WA4. Complete Stream Flow Management Plans Condition method to determine the WA36 Map the occurrence of coastal acid sulphate for the plenty, Upper Maribyrnong, Watts overall health of wetlands in the region soils and develop overlays for inclusion in Little Yarra, Don and Bunyip Rivers and and establish a benchmark to measure relevant planning schemes Olinda, Stringbark, Pauls, Steels, Dixons, change into the future. Woori Yallock and Coranderrk Creeks plus WA38 Ensure planning schemes in coastal areas additional waterways as required WA29. Consolidate and distribute data on reflect the content of the Victorian Coastal regional wetlands to relevant Strategy. WA5. Develop local stream flow management stakeholders, including local rules for waterways where Stream Flow government, landholders and WA39 Audit coastal public facilities and develop Management Plans are not required; eg. Kulin people. guidelines for coastal infrastructure that reflect Merri, Moonee Ponds and environmental and social values and provide Gardiners creek WA30. Develop a Regional Wetland Plan to for public access and use. WA8. Design amd implement schemes for establish and implement piorities recycling water from the Eastern and for investment. WA41. Continue to investigate marine ecosystems and Western Sewerage Treatment Plants and the links with key threatening processes and WA31. Develop planning policy and protocols Smaller plants in the region identify an appropriate set of indicators that contribute to the protection of and targets. WA15. Investigate the hydrological and ecological wetlands, and incorporate them in WA42. Research the health of and risks to estuaries in relationships between surface waters and relevant planning schemes the region. groundwater and develop catchment-based water budgets WA32. Implement Wetland Management plans for all three Ramsar wetland areas in the WA49 Implement priority litter management WA16. Benchmark rural water use efficiency in major region (Port Phillip – Western Shoreline, programs that include installation of gross agricultural areas and increase water use Western Port and aEdithvale-Seaford) pollutant traps at key sites on drainage effciency by agricultural industries systems

WA19. Clarify the organisational arrangements for the WA50 Develop and implement environmental management of aquifers and groundwater management plans for the region’s ports in this region and marinas

WA20. Further develop the regional risk assessment WA51 Ensure adoption of best management practices model to indentify the level of risk facing for marine dredging groundwater assest. WA52. Regularly review the marine pollution WA21. Complete Groundwater Management Plans for contingency plans to ensure world’s best all GMAs with allocations that approach or practice procedures are incorporated exceed their permissible annual volume WA53. Develop and implement a coordinated WA22. Assess the practices and efficiency of monitoring, evaluation and reporting groundwater use in GMAs and develop framework regarding the condition of the strategies to archieve higher efficiency and region’s marine enviroment, risk and sustainable use of groundwater effectiveness of actions.

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WO4. Improve water quality in waterways, WO5. Ensure the management of water aquifers, wetlands, estuaries, resources minimises risks to natural bays and seas ecosystems, public land, private assests and public safety.

WT8. Improve water quality in rivers and WT9. No loss of hydrallic capacity and environmental streams so that: values of flood plains • At least 80% of monitoring sites attain SEPP objectives or WT10. Timely flood warnings provided for all major regional targets by 2009 waterways and risks to infrastructure minimised • All monitoring sites attain SEPP objectives or regional targets by 2030 WT14. All groundwater monitoring sites to attain SEPP objectives or regional targets by 2030 WT21. Impove water quality in esturaries, bays and seas so that all monitoring sites attain SEPP objectives or regional targets by 2030 WT22. Reduce the average annual nitrogen levels entering Port Phillip Bay by 1000 tonnes by 2006 WT23. Reduce, by 2015, the total sediment load annually entering Western Port, as measured against existing benchmarks.

WA6. Map the land-based sources of nutrients, WA9. Complete an audit of stormwater management plan sediments and other pollutants to waterways, implementation for all municipalities and design and Port Phillip Bay and Western Port and develop implement a program to address key gaps and implement a Regional Water Quality Improvement Plan to address the major sources. WA11. Reduce by 500 the number of properties vulnerable to a one in 100 years flood WA10. Meet best practice standards in urban stormwater discharges in new urban areas. WA12. All new developments constructed with floor levels at WA17 Review and implement a surface and ground the required safety margin above one in 100 years water quality monitoring system to ensure flood levels adequate and coordinated coverage across the region, including reservoirs, high discharge WA13. Develop and incorporate into relevant planning areas, bays and seas, high rainfall events and schemes, protocols that contribute to the protection of nutrient loads the environmental values of floodplains WA18 Continue regular assessment of the Index of Stream Condition [ISC] across the region. WA14. Develop and implement Special Area Plans for water supply catchments where appropriate. WA23. Develop and implement groundwater quality management plans for GMAs with a high level WA26 Meter all significant existing groundwater of risk to groundwater quality extractions used for commercial and irrigation WA24 Develop guidelines and codes of practice for purposes and all new licenses and monitor the management of risks to groundwater groundwater levels within key aquifers to assess trends quality, and undertake programs with relevant in relation to sustainable levels. land and water managers WA25 In the local governments that contain GMAs, WA35 Map areas susceptible to inundation in Port Phillip Bay, develop planning scheme guidelines/regulations and Western Port. to protect groundwater quality. WA37 Develop and implement plans to increase the extent WA27 Develop and implement a comprehensive and quality of coastal ecological vegetation classes regional ground water quality monitoring and evaluation program. WA40 Identify coastal areas with significant stormwater and sewage effluent discharge directly to the bays and WA44 Implement the Port Phillip Bay implement programs to manage the quantity and Environmental Management Plan with a quality of these discharges. focus on reducing the annual nitrogen input into Port Phillip Bay by 1,000 tonnes WA43. Establish coordination forums for Port Phillip Bay and per year and review and extend the plan Western Port to identify priorities for research, planning to address additional risks to the Bay. and implementation programs. WA46 Initiate research and major integrated programs to identify the specific sources WA45 Investigate and pilot ways for new nitrogen inputs to and reduce the inputs of sediments, Port Phillip Bay to be offset by reduced inputs from nutrients and other pollutants to Western Port. elsewhere. WA47. Refine and implement key actions in municipal Stormwater Management Plans to reduce inputs of sediments, nutrients, toxicants and litter to the bays WA48. Implement ammonia reduction work at the Eastern Treatment Plant by 2007

5 Goal Healthy land used

Objectives

LO1. Achieve prosperous and LO2. Protect and improve the health sustainable primary production of land systems

Targets (pre-existing targets in Bold)

LT1. Increase the overall real net farm LT2. No more than a 10 per cent income per hectare and increase increase (from 2004 levels) in the the proportion of rural land being area with shallow water tables used for profitable and (<2m) and the area of saline sustainable agriculture discharge

LT3. The structure and biological LT5. ‘Long-term’ rabbit control health of the region’s soils achieved on 400,000 ha of maintained rural land by 2008 LT4. No establishment of ‘new and emerging’ weed species and no further spread of ‘high- priority established’ weeds

Actions (pre-existing targets in Bold)

LA1. Develop a comprehensive profile LA3. Develop and apply a and understanding of rural land methodology for comprehensive ownership and regional risk assessment of soil health, as demographics as a basis for a basis for development of a determining appropriate land use Regional Soil Health Plan and management. LA4. Undertake detailed mapping and LA9. Implement the regional Weed modelling of salinity hotspots as a and Rabbit Action Plans basis for completing and implementing the regional Salinity LA10. Design and deliver programs to Management Plan achieve adoption of environmental management LA5. Develop and implement a systems across 25 per cent of the strategic plan to promote region’s commercial horticulture, productive and sustainable viticulture, dairying and intensive agriculture in the region animal enterprises LA11. Implement a regional Farm Forestry Action Plan to increase the area of farm forestry in the region by 25 per cent

6 appropriately and productively

LO3. Ensure sensitively located and LO4. Match rural land-use, LO5. Provide a high-quality functional urban and urban-rural development and management network of parks and open fringe areas with minimal impacts to land capability and minimise space across urban and rural areas managed for on the region’s biodiversity, water impacts on the region’s biodiversity, water resources and community and resources and heritage values environmental benefit heritage values

LT6. All new development kept LT8. All designated water supply LT10. Increase the environmental within urban growth and catchments delivering water of quality of parks and other township boundaries the required quality public land , and community satisfaction LT9. Increase the ratio of urban with these features LT7. Increase the area for which open space to total urban area rural and use matches and the connectivity between land capability regional open space and habitat assets

LA6. Develop and implement LA2. Develop a comprehensive risk LA12. Increase and extend the urban growth area and assessment of rural and urban- park system in the green wedge action plans, rural land use compared to region, and implement as identified in Melbourne land capability best management 2030, and major transport practices for parks and planning, in line with the LA7. Investigate and promote other public land principles, objectives market- based mechanisms and targets of the RCS that reward landholders providing environmental LA13. Ensure that urban design services considers landscape and catchment values through the LA8. Capitalise on opportunities development of performance within greenhouse gas standards for planning abatement programs to create applications and building carbon dioxide sinks and permits that include water modify production systems sensitive design and other environmental and catchment parameters

7 8 9 Goal Healthy and enduring ecosystems with a

Objectives BO1. Achieve a net gain in the quantity BO2. Maintain the diversity of and quality of indigenous indigenous habitats and species vegetation in terrestrial, aquatic and marine environments

Targets (pre-existing targets in Bold)

BT1. The total extent of indigenous BT4. All ecological vegetation classes vegetation increased to at least in the region to have at least 35% of the region by 2030 15% of their current extent protected by 2030 BT2. At least 95% of the region’s ecological vegetation classes BT5. Reduce the number of threatened (EVC) represented to at least flora species to less than 250 by 10% of their pre-1750 extent by 2030 and reduce the number of 2030 threatened fauna species to less than 100 by 2030, with no BT3. A net gain in the quality and further regional extinctions extent of native vegetation in the region, with the total BT6. Increase the connections between “habitat hectares” increased by the region’s fragments of 10% by 2030 native vegetation

Actions (pre-existing targets in Bold)

BA1. Finalise and implement the BA4. Undertake further mapping of regional Native Vegetation native vegetation extent at an Plan including programs to appropriate scale to assist protect, maintain or enhance vegetation protection existing high quality measures by State vegetation, increase government, local connectivity and revegetate government and community heavily-depleted native groups vegetation types BA5. Assess and map the habitat BA2. Strengthen the controls on the hectare values of native clearing of native vegetation vegetation in the region and ensure adequate implementation and BA7. Develop and implement enforcement mechanisms to offset native vegetation clearance and achieve BA3. Undertake a program of a net gain in habitat hectares education, training and support for local government and other organisations to achieve consistency in the understanding and application of operational guidelines for vegetation protection and other mechanisms to achieve net gain

10 diversity of habitats and native species

BO3. Achieve sustainable BO4. Improve the connectivity BO5. Encourage intelligent use of populations of indigenous and long-term security of introduced flora and fauna flora and fauna species indigenous habitats and species with minimal impacts species on indigenous habitats and species

BT7. Increase the diversity of native BT10. Total annual seafood catch BT9. No human-induced reduction species in modified landscapes by both commercial and in species diversity for the and aquatic systems recreational fisheries to be freshwater, estuarine and maintained at ecologically marine environments of BT8. Achieve a net gain in the extent sustainable levels the region and quality of seagrass communities by 2020 and retain the extent of all other broad marine habitat classes in the region at 2004 levels

BA9. Develop and implement BA6. Increase the area and BA10. Implement safe and Biodiversity Action Plans, quality of heavily environmentally-beneficial Flora and Fauna Guarantee depleted vegetation fire management regimes Action Statements and types that are protected in in high risk areas recovery programs for parks/reserves or under threatened species and covenant programs BA13. Develop and implement communities in the region’s programs to prevent the terrestrial and BA8. Assess the risks to biodiversity introduction and spread of aquatic systems from pest plants and animals, marine pests in the region and establish integrated BA11. Develop and implement management programs to BA15. Develop an inventory of Action Plans for the region’s reduce the impact of urban biodiversity and 8 Marine Protected Areas and environmental weeds and undertake research, other areas with special values pest animals on native community education vegetation and fauna and involvement campaigns BA14. Investigate and record the to promote and pilot urban diversity of native freshwater fish BA12. Develop and implement practices that contribute to species in the region and the Fishery Management Plans the health of extent and health of the for the region natural ecosystems populations, and establish links between this data and planning approval processes

11 Goal The community valuing, understanding and celebrating the

Objectives PO1. Enhance regional planning, coordination, resource allocation, monitoring and reporting

Targets (pre-existing targets in Bold)

PT1. All key catchment management stakeholders participating in and agreeing on a ‘regional investment planning’ process to implement the RCS by 2005

PT2. All Victorian government agencies with key roles in catchment management to be directly implementing the RCS through their annual works programs by 2006

PT3. At least half the region’s 38 councils to have formally adopted the RCS as a reference document by 2008, reflecting relevant sections of it appropriately in their planning schemes and/or implementing relevant actions through their annual programs

PT4. Each year to 2008, secure an increase in: • the proportion of available Victorian and Australian government funding for RCS programs in the region

• the total amount of corporate investment in RCS programs

Actions (pre-existing targets in Bold)

PA2. Establish a whole-of-region research forum to identify gaps and the needs for research and development

PA3. Establish sub-regional forums that enable local government to help identify, discuss and resolve priority issues relevant to catchment management and to cooperate at a catchment scale

PA6. Develop and deliver education programs for catchment management across the region

PA7. Align the directions and actions of the RCS with Municipal Strategic Statements, planning schemes and other local government processes related to catchment management

12 region’s catchment assets and acting to achieve sustainability

PO2. Increase the capacity and participation of PO3. Reduce the overall impact of people and organisations in catchment the regional community management on catchment assets

PT5. Maintain or increase the number and PT7. Maintain the region’s total geographic coverage of community ecological footprint at or groups participating in catchment below the 2003 level, and management in the region, and reduce the average ecological increase the active membership of footprint (per capita) for the community groups by 20 per cent region by 25 per cent by 2030 (from 2001 levels) by 2008

PT6. Increase community awareness and understanding of the condition of catchment assets and associated trends

PA1. Review existing forums and committee PA8. Implement the strategy for structures and identify efficient the support and ways to: coordination of Landcare • plan and conduct community and community groups in involvement in integrated the Port Phillip and Western Port region catchment management • facilitate coordination and share PA9. Pilot and evaluate the use of information methodologies including the • identify local issues and develop ecological footprint as an priority programs educational and monitoring tool to drive behavioural PA4. Establish forums that enable rural change in key sectors of the communities, industries and community, and identify landholders to identify, discuss and resolve opportunities for regional priority issues relevant to catchment programs to reduce the management including rural total footprint development, land use and land management PA10. In the catchments in the region, develop and begin PA5. Develop and implement protocols for the implementing major involvement of Indigenous groups and projects that fully engage incorporation of Indigenous cultural and involve key values in the implementation of this RCS stakeholders and that attracts major new funding

13 Goal A strong understanding of the health of our enabling evidence-based planning and action,

Objectives

MO1. Adequate, appropriate, efficient and cost effective monitoring of catchment assets, ecosystem processes, trends, risks, implementation of actions and outputs

Targets

MT1. Monitoring programs for key catchment assets agreed and in place by 2007

MT2. Monitoring programs for all RCS actions and other major actions of key stakeholders agreed and in place by 2006

Actions

MA1. Develop an agreed framework for integrated monitoring of regional catchment condition

MA2. Develop and implement regional monitoring and reporting programs for key catchment assets including: • Surface water, rivers and streams • Groundwater and aquifers • Wetlands • Coasts • Estuaries, bays and seas • Land • Biodiversity • People and organisations

14 catchment assets, ecosystem processes, trends and risks, coordination of effort and continual improvement

MO2. Timely, rigorous, efficient and cost effective MO3. Timely, tailored, efficient and cost evaluation of catchment management effective reporting on catchment assets, planning and implementation ecosystem processes, trends, risks, catchment management planning and implementation

MT3. Evaluation processes to assist priority setting MT4. A regional catchment management and assess links between actions and reporting framework agreed and in outcomes agreed and in place by 2008 place by 2006

MA3. Further develop an asset-risk assessment MA4. Establish an independent scientific panel methodology and apply it consistently to to evaluate and report on the condition catchment assets to assist integrated of catchment assets, ecosystem priority setting processes, trends and risks

MA6. Design and establish an RCS Action MA5. Ensure that all RCS projects include Tracking Database appropriate monitoring, evaluation and reporting processes

15 Implementing the RCS – More detailed assessment of resource conditions, impacts of the next challenge particular activities and the detail of actions required at a more local level are provided in several current or forthcoming regional management plans and strategies. These The 97 actions for healthier catchments and bays are have been, or are being written to help inform and implement proposed to be led and contributed to by various agencies in the Regional Catchment Strategy. They include: • The Port Phillip and Western Port Regional Weed the coming years. Among the actions are some major projects Action Plan (completed in collaboration with the with significant funding and resource implications. Department of Primary Industries in 2003) • The Port Phillip and Western Port Regional Rabbit So where do we start? Action Plan (completed with DPI in 2003) • The Strategy for support and coordination of The RCS contains a risk analysis methodology which will landcare and community groups (completed in 2003) enable us to ascertain the most important tasks that are • Studies on Western Port’s health and sustainability affordable and achievable, and which will address the most (by several agencies and research oganisations significant risks to our natural assets. in 2003) • The Regional Salinity Management Plan (to be The methodology assesses the value of each action by completed with DPI) considering its environmental, social and economic benefits • The Water Quality Management Plan (to be and costs. It also assesses the achievability of actions by completed with DSE, DPI Melbourne Water rating them on six criteria: and EPA) • urgency of the action • The Regional River Health Strategy (with Melbourne • level of community and partner support Water – released in draft in November 2004 for • confidence in the action achieving desired outcomes public consultation). • the likelihood of funding being available, including agreed cost-sharing arrangements For further information, contact: • the adequacy of technical knowledge and expertise Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management to implement, monitor and evaluate the action Authority • the opportunities for integration and multiple benefits from the action. Level 1 Landmark Corporate Centre 454 Nepean Hwy More detail provided in Regional Plans Frankston, VIC 3199

The Regional Catchment Strategy provide only a regional Phone: 03 8781 7900 overview of catchment condition and priority responses Fax: 03 9781 0199 required at a catchment scale. Email: [email protected] Website: www.ppwcma.vic.gov.au

Port Phillip and Western Port Regional Catchment Strategy ISBN 0975 070 983

© Copyright Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, 2004. Reviewed and reprinted 2007.

This publication may be of assistance to you but the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, its Board and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes. The Authority therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.

Designed and printed by Docklands Group

Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority Level 1 Landmark Corporate Centre, 454 Nepean Hwy, Frankston, VIC 3199 Phone 8781 7900

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