Coast and marine REGIONAL REPORT 2011

REGIONAL TARGET T11

Seagrass, reef and other coast, estuarine and marine habitats halt in the decline of habitats and a trend towards restoration

Reporting on the Adelaide and Natural Resources Management Board’s annual progress towards achieving the region’s 20 year Natural Resources Management Plan targets

Together we can A collective effort of state and local governments, industries and community in meeting our Regional NRM plan targets All programs reported here are funded from the NRM levy Build community skills, knowledge and capacity to manage coast, estuarine and marine environments Coast and Over 40 coastal community groups in the is anticipated to grow and continue into the future as more AMLR region work with the Adelaide and members complete the training program. Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Demand for the Coastal gardens planting guide and 2011 Key Management Board and other partners on workshops continue. The guide itself is popular as a achievements marine rehabilitation in coastal environments. template for other regions to adapt. The South East, The ongoing Coastal Ambassadors and Northern and Yorke NRM boards, REGIONAL REPORT 2011 program increases awareness of the coast and and the South Coast NRM (WA) have released guides marine environment by running workshops on for their areas, and Tasmanian, Western Australian and reef fish, native coastal gardening and beach-nesting birds Queensland NRM bodies are developing further interstate WORKSHOPS to name a few. In addition, a targeted short course trains versions. 24 held in 2011 participants with the skills to help them become Coastal Coastal Aboriginal Site Management training Ambassadors within their local communities. workshops were run at the Living Cultural Centre These included: This year Surf Life Saving SA members participated for and along with a field trip to Moana Sands, provided

• Dogs’ breakfast • Shorebird Parham the first time with many young leaders and club members awareness and skills to staff, local councils and community (! #Webb Beach – Hooded Plover workshops #(! getting involved. This partnership with surf life saving clubs members on cultural issues. awareness • What lives in the Thompson Beach #(! • Coastal gardens – intertidal zone Port Prime using native coastal #(! Support sustainable marine industries • Teacher training day Light Beach #(! plants – coast and marine • Penguin information focus Trials to reduce the amount of by-catch (the incidental Improved marine habitat mapping Middle Beach capture of non-target species) in prawn is being funded through the board’s sessions • Marine mammal ! (# fisheries were completed. The trials achieved excellent investment plan to allow us to better information session results with a significant reduction of by-catch and no assess how to reduce the impacts of Port Gawler (! # Park Road apparent loss of prawn catches. In-net by-catch reduction land-based activities to key fisheries and #(! (! Buckland Park devices are now being introduced across the Gulf St marine habitats. Brooks Road Vincent prawn fishing industry. This work was done in (! A fishing line recycling program is St Kilda collaboration with SeaNet, OceanWatch, Wildcatch (! being scoped with local industry and council Fisheries SA, PIRSA Fisheries and SARDI Aquatic partners. This has been prompted by board- on ground Mutton Cove ! Sciences. The board’s support enabled the testing and work sites ##(#(! Little Para Estuary funded marine debris surveys and continued concern over 62 Torrens Island#(! practical refinement of by-catch reduction gear. fishing line entanglement in marine wildlife.

NORTHERN METRO SOUTHERN AREA AREA AREA Tennyson Dunes #(! Manage and protect coastal habitats and estuaries Grange Dunes 12 19 27 #(! The board continues to implement coastal An estuary action plan for the Light River Delta is underway. includes 4 estuaries West Beach #(! on-ground work priorities identified in the It will guide future management of this high conservation Southern Fleurieu and the Metropolitan value coastal wetland and is due for completion in 2012. A Minda Dunes and Northern Adelaide Coastal Action range of on-ground works are also underway to implement #(! Plans. Works include erosion and access the Bungala, Inman and Hindmarsh estuary action plans Barton Gully Kingston Park Summary of progress #(! control fencing, revegetation with local as well as continue works in the Onkaparinga estuary. #(!Marino CP Hallett Cove CP coastal species and extensive priority weed Onkaparinga estuary monitoring indicates that increased towards 20 year #(! Hallett Headland Reserve# (! control. All this has complemented the environmental flows are required to renew vigour within Regional Target significant works by coastal community groups estuarine vegetation, increase flushing and encourage Tingira #(! and council partners. The board has renewed support estuarine fish breeding. Environmental flows trials for the Port Noarlunga for three coast, estuary and marine officers to work with Onkaparinga and other key rivers commence in 2012. (! ##(!Onkaparinga Estuary local councils and coastal groups. Monitoring of on-ground work sites ensures continual On BEHIND Moana Sands Foredune Moana Sands CP TARGET target #(! Surveys of the nationally-vulnerable Fan Samphire improvement in the health of our coastal environments. Legend (Tecticornia flabelliformis) in the north have been The board’s Coastal Bushland Condition Monitoring (! NO 2011 Work Sites completed. This work will be used to prioritise on-ground Program aims to provide a baseline data set, build capacity Port Willunga Ahead of PROGRESS #(! # Coastal Bushland Condition Monitoring Sites action to protect the species. The board is leading the work to improve the quality of on-ground works and provide target IN LAST 12 Aldinga Coastal Reserve#Aldinga Scrub CP Adelaide and Mount Lofty NRM Region Boundary to develop a Port Noarlunga Dunes Management Plan tangible evidence of the success of on-ground works MONTHS #(! #Silver Sands Coastal Reserve with the City of Onkaparinga. programs. (! AMLR Coastal Regions Sellicks Cliffs #(! Region Myponga Beach (! Fleurieu Region Support management of marine pests Cliffs (! Metro Region Carrickalinga North #(! #(!Carrickalinga South Northern Region As well as containment of marine pests already present, work with SARDI Aquatic Sciences Bungala Estuary#(! #(! Normanville Dunes North the spread of pests such as the European Fan Worm to and Biosecurity SA to develop early Normanville Dunes South#(! Lady Bay (! Kangaroo Island is of concern. Yachts have been identified detection tools for serious marine Wirrina Coastal Reserve as a high-risk carrier for this species and a range of pests. DNA molecular tools for the (! Tokuremoar # Basham's Beach#(! (!#(!# (!Second Valley (!# # awareness-raising programs for small boat owners and Northern Pacific Sea Star, European Rapid Bay Victor Dunes (! (!#(!#(!Knights Beach #(! # marinas have been initiated in collaboration with the KI Green Shore Crab and Japanese Inman River Estuary Granite Island #(! (! NRM Board and Biosecurity SA, including on-going Seaweed will allow plankton tow surveys The Bluff #(! surveillance and eradication measures. Community marine to detect incursions. Trials showed positive Morgans Beach West Island Coastal Reserve(! (! pest monitoring is also undertaken through the board- results for the presence of European Green (! Lands End (! ## Newland Head CP supported Reef Watch program. Shore Crab. Targeted surveys will be undertaken ##(!Fisheries Beach (! Through its investment plan the board is funding the to monitor the distribution of the pest. Protect marine and coastal wildlife

Shorebirds A review of the potential risks to shorebird habitat posed Work continues on by proposed developments north of Adelaide has also improving shorebird been conducted. A board-initiated workshop with BirdLife conservation. A board- Australia for land managers, landholders, local councils, funded coast, estuary developers and state agencies has helped raise awareness and marine officer of shorebird habitats and the need to better integrate has been instrumental shorebird habitat in state and local plans. in the successful As well as loss of habitat, another threat is disturbance implementation of to shorebirds at roosting and feeding sites. Board-funded the Hooded Plover coastal officers have been working with Mallala Council Monitoring and and other landholders to improve fencing to manage off- Management Program road vehicle access to coastal habitats. to improve breeding success The board hosted a tour, including the northern coastal of this beach-nesting bird on area, as part of a regional tour by State Parliament’s the . It is a good Natural Resources Committee. The committee report has example of how the board, BirdLife highlighted the importance of the samphire coast and the Australia, government agencies, councils, volunteers and need to improve awareness of the value of the area for the community can work together to improve the plight migratory shorebirds. of a threatened coastal species. Eleven nest sites were monitored and managed across the Fleurieu by volunteers Fish and project partners. The board, along with the Department of Environment, Work on shorebird populations and habitats continue Water and Natural Resources, is leading in northern Adelaide and Gulf St Vincent. The AMLR and the work to monitor the potentially KI NRM boards are developing collaborative approaches to threatened Harlequin Wrasse and address declines in selected Little Penguin colonies in Gulf Blue Devil Fish off Adelaide’s St Vincent. reefs. The board also Each summer tens of thousands of migratory shorebirds fly commissioned the University of thousands of kilometres from their northern hemisphere Adelaide and State Herbarium breeding grounds to feed and shelter along our shores. to undertake a conservation assessment of marine The board, working with BirdLife Australia, is strategically algal species to developing and implementing key actions from the national better understand Wildlife conservation plan for migratory shorebirds. This these marine involves volunteer training, facilitating annual surveys with plants. Birds SA, and targeted shorebird surveys and data analysis to better understand what local habitats are important for different birds. S91989 FI

205 Greenhill Road EASTWOOD SA 5063 Phone: (08) 8273 9100 Fax: (08) 8271 9585 E-mail: [email protected] www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au

The data for the statistics provided in this report card has been collated for the calendar year unless otherwise specified. To obtain electronic copies of this and other regional report cards go to the board’s website www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au and click on the Monitoring and evaluation tab.