DELWP Marine and Coasts Newsletter

DELWP marine and coasts newsletter

Issue 05 December 2020

Welcome to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Victorian Marine and Coastal Planning’s (DELWP’s) quarterly Awards 2020 marine and coasts newsletter. The hard work and dedication of those who enhance and protect Victoria’s precious coastal and marine In this issue: environments has been celebrated at the inaugural Victorian Marine and Coastal Awards. Victorian Marine and Coastal Awards 2020 On 20 November Minister for Energy, Environment and Victorian Marine and Coastal Council engages online Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio virtually presented Great Ocean Road management reforms eleven awards on behalf of the Victorian Marine and Coastal Council (VMaCC) to a diverse range of Protecting our coast from climate change individuals and groups. Marine and coastal knowledge Coastal protection projects Coastcare Victoria’s Coastline

Please email [email protected] to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter The Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio MP, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change and MC Dr Anthony Boxshall, Chair VMaCC. and for more information. Among the award winners was the Mornington Peninsula’s Kent Stannard for his research and education programs on the protected but often misunderstood Great White Shark. Kent was a recipient of the Outstanding Individual Achievement Award for his work over 18 years as a passionate marine environment advocate and driving force behind the ‘Tag for Life’ shark research program.

delwp.vic.gov.au

DELWP marine and coasts newsletter

Also celebrated was St Kilda-based marine biologist VMaCC asked the various groups to outline their Fam Charko who leads several research projects for priorities in the Strategy development, specifically in the Port Phillip EcoCentre, specialising in ecology, responding to challenges such as climate change, nature conservation and marine plastic pollution. population growth and ageing infrastructure. Fam has been recognised for her incredible power to mobilise people into action and build better partnerships between community groups, businesses and agencies to achieve better outcomes for the care of Port Phillip Bay. Gippsland also featured in the awards with the Yarram Yarram Landcare Network acknowledged for biodiversity and ecosystem conservation through its Corner Inlet Broadleaf Seagrass Restoration Project. The project successfully addressed the impact of Purple Sea Urchins on broadleaf seagrass meadows which provide crucial food and habitat for fish populations at the Corner Inlet between Wilsons Promontory and Ninety Mile Beach. The Victorian Marine and Coastal Awards build on the legacy of the former Victorian Coastal Awards. Explore all award winners and finalists at marineandcoastalcouncil.vic.gov.au/news-and- events/victorian-marine-and-coastal-awards VMaCC online stakeholder engagement. The following sectors have participated in the online engagement sessions to date: • Boating: Better Boating Victoria, Boating Industry Association Victoria • Local government: Moyne Shire Council, Surf Coast Shire Council, City of Port Phillip, East Gippsland Shire Council and Municipal Association of Victoria • Emergency management: DELWP, Emergency Management Victoria (EMV), State Emergency Service (SES), Life Saving Victoria • Water: East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA), West Gippsland CMA, Corangamite CMA, Glenelg Hopkins CMA, Victorian Catchment Awards trophies by talented glass artist Dave Hobday. Management Council (VCMC), Melbourne Water, Barwon Water, Birrarung Council Victorian Marine and Coastal • Ports: Port of Portland, Port of Apollo Bay, Regional Council engages with Channels Authority (Port of Geelong and Port of stakeholders online Hastings channels), Port of Melbourne, Gippsland Ports Over the past six months, VMaCC has held monthly • Victorian Fisheries Authority: board and senior round table discussions with a broad range of marine executive representative and coastal stakeholders to inform the development of • Parks Victoria: chief executive officer (CEO) and the Victorian Marine and Coastal Strategy in 2020. senior executives

DELWP marine and coasts newsletter

• DELWP Marine and Coastal Policy, management and For more information about GORCAPA board members implementation – senior executives and the Great Ocean Road Action Plan, visit planning.vic.gov.au/policy-and-strategy/great-ocean- • Non-government organisations (NGOs) and volunteer road-action-plan. stakeholders (15 December). Great Ocean Road management Protecting our coast from reforms climate change

Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority The Victorian Budget 2020/21 provided $15.8 million to commences safeguard the future of our state’s coastline, build resilience in our marine and coastal areas and provide The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority economic stimulus to metropolitan and regional (GORCAPA) officially commenced on 1 December economies. The Safeguarding Marine and Coastal 2020, providing a single, dedicated body to manage the Environments program was also allocated $11.04 region’s public land, beaches, national parks, tourism million from the Government’s $2.7 billion Building operations and accommodation. Works Package earlier in the year. GORCAPA sees the transfer of responsibilities from the The projects are guided by the Marine and Coastal Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC) and the Policy 2020 and will prepare the Victorian coast for Otway Coast Committee (OCC), with further coastal climate change challenges ahead through research, Crown land from Torquay to Warrnambool being policy implementation and on ground action. progressively transferred to the Authority over several years. Visit the Victorian Budget for detailed information. The Victorian Budget 2020/21 provided $47.5 million to improve visitor infrastructure and support these Great Marine and coastal knowledge Ocean Road management reforms, while boosting jobs across the region. This includes: The Victorian Coastal Monitoring Program wins the coveted Eureka Award • $18.3 million to deliver upgrades to visitor facilities The Victorian Coastal Monitoring Program (VCMP) such as toilets, caravan parks, viewing platforms, team has won the prestigious Eureka Award for trails, beach access and car parking innovation in citizen science. • $23.8 million for a coastal walking trail from Fairhaven DELWP partners with communities and universities to to Grey River predict how beaches respond to storms and rising sea • $3.4 million for management reforms including levels. This includes scientists from the University of development of a strategic framework plan for future Melbourne, Deakin University, Monash University, the use, protection and development of land across the University of Wollongong, Macquarie University, broader region and support for Traditional Owners to Propeller Aerobotics and citizen scientists from around develop opportunities to share economic benefits the state. within the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks. You can find information about all the prize finalists on The GORCAPA Board includes a nominee of each the Australian Museum website: recognised Traditional Owner group in the region, the https://australian.museum/get-involved/eureka- Wadawurrung Corporation and the Eastern Maar prizes/2020-eureka-prizes-finalists/. Aboriginal Corporation. Board members have strong links to local community groups and organisations along the Great Ocean Road and include individuals with substantial experience in marine and coastal environmental conservation, public administration and governance, tourism, and planning.

DELWP marine and coasts newsletter

CoastKit – DELWP’s new marine and coastal mapping portal DELWP is excited to release CoastKit Victoria’s first marine and coastal knowledge management system – CoastKit.

For the first time, coastal communities across Victoria Volunteers and DELWP officer with Blake Allan (Deakin have the opportunity to access, explore and share University) during a drone flying training session at Marengo. publicly available marine and coastal information Photo: Kimberley Macdonald. through a single web portal. The world-first initiative involves more than 100 citizen CoastKit is a decision support system that is built on the scientists using lightweight drones to produce 3D department’s Mapshare technology. models that precisely measure shoreline changes. The citizen scientists are trained in flying the drones, Users such as government agencies, councils, mapping techniques, data analytics and safety and community groups, universities and professional service wellbeing procedures. The open-source data ultimately providers can access the best available environmental informs coastal management and policy decisions. and socio-economic datasets. Watch the VCMP Eureka Prize YouTube video here. It supports an efficient pathway for accessing data for environmental planning and assessments, major project approvals and future marine spatial planning exercises.

The CoastKit mapping portal. Karina Sorrell (University of Melbourne). Photo: David Kennedy. The first version of the CoastKit web portal provides Initiated in 2017, the VCMP received $4.9 million from over 50 datasets. The biodiversity theme includes the the Victorian Government, which was then matched by compilation of all historic marine survey data since the investment of $4.7 million from partners. early 1990s to generate habitat maps of the seafloor, with video player links to the actual survey footage. An additional funding partnership of $470,000 from There is a new Feature Atlas that spatially represents DELWP and $200,000 from university partners has marine activities, management areas and important enabled the citizen science program to be extended to cultural heritage sites. new locations around Port Phillip Bay in 2021. The coastal assets theme provides data representing For more information on the VCMP, visit infrastructure and facilities, coastal hazard assessments marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/coastal-programs/victorian- and outputs from the Victorian Coastal Monitoring coastal-monitoring-program. Program.

DELWP marine and coasts newsletter

CoastKit complements the terrestrial mapping tool For more information about this project, please see NatureKit – marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/ppbcha or contact Tamara environment.vic.gov.au/biodiversity/naturekit – which van Polanen Petel, provides information on Victoria’s flora and fauna [email protected]. distribution, native vegetation and land classification. Both systems employ similar interactive elements, technology and navigational features. Users are able to activate ‘map tips’ to identify layers, overlay data, perform queries and create printable maps.

You can launch CoastKit here: marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/coastal-programs/coastkit The Port Phillip Bay coastline.

Port Phillip Bay Coastal Hazard Assessment Coastal protection projects The Port Phillip Bay Coastal Hazard Assessment (PPBCHA) is a collaborative project between DELWP, Apollo Bay coastal erosion management CSIRO and coastal managers around Port Phillip Bay, As part of $3 million allocated to help safeguard Apollo including councils, Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water, Bay from ongoing erosion, 4,660 cubic metres (m3) of two catchment management authorities and the sand has been placed along the Apollo Bay Foreshore Association of Bayside Municipalities. in preparation for the construction of new permanent The aim of the project is to generate information that coastal infrastructure in 2021. Sand was sourced from can be used to plan and manage current and future Wild Dog Creek following consultation with local natural, cultural and economic assets under different Hooded Plover volunteers, Birdlife Australia and Parks climate scenarios. It will help guide future coastal Victoria. planning and management. There are two parts to the project: 1. Scientific assessment, that defines the extent of land expected to be threatened by the coastal processes of: • inundation • erosion, and

• groundwater change. Sand placement along the Apollo Bay foreshore. 2. Building the capacity of people and groups to use The new permanent structures will consist of an and respond to the findings of the coastal hazard extension to the current rock revetment and two new 70 assessment. metre rock groynes. The groynes will help capture sand The hazard assessment is nearing completion, with as it drifts along the beach, helping to create a wider results expected in mid-2021. While CSIRO is finalising beach for beach users. the scientific outputs and the work undergoes peer The two groynes will run perpendicular to the shoreline, review, the project team is getting ready to meet with a south of the existing Milford Street revetment and to the group of stakeholders to develop a communications and south of Milford Creek. engagement reference pack. Beach renourishment will also be used to help fill the This pack will be used to develop communication and groyne compartments to reduce the impact of the engagement resources that will assist project delivery groynes down drift. partners and DELWP to communicate the outcomes of the PPBCHA project to all stakeholders that manage the coast or have an interest in the Port Phillip Bay coastline.

DELWP marine and coasts newsletter

Concept design of the proposed groynes at Apollo Bay. Taylor Reserve will be renourished with sand just in time for the The rock revetment will act as a permanent barrier from summer holidays. oncoming tidal activity and will help protect key public The beach renourishments are designed to protect the assets including the dune, walking path, cypress trees coastline from further erosion, caused by more severe and the Great Ocean Road that are at high risk from storms and rising sea levels attributed to climate further erosion damage. The revetment will be change. constructed between the two groynes. Increasing the width of the beaches will provide up to Detailed engineering work, including geotechnical, ten years of protection for these vulnerable sections of wave and sediment transport modelling has been coastline. undertaken to determine the location and design of the new structures, while ensuring the works are cost Earlier this year, feedback from community consultation effective and will deliver results. indicated a preference for sand that would stay in place for the longest time and match the sand currently found Extensive community engagement on the issue of on these beaches. coastal erosion has occurred over several years which has been incorporated into the design, with strong local The new sand will be sourced from trapped deposits at support for physical structures to help reduce the boat ramps around Portarlington and the Queenscliff impacts of erosion at Apollo Bay. Ferry Terminal and will be similar in colour and texture to the existing sand on the beaches. Keep up to date with the works at Apollo Bay at marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/coastal-programs/apollo- Access to Taylor Reserve and Wrathall Reserve bay-and-marengo beaches will be restricted during the works, as trucks and large earthmoving equipment deliver and shape the Building better Bellarine beaches new sand over approximately two weeks. Nearly 7,000 m3 of sand will be deposited at two Delivery of $1.9 million of beach renourishments on the popular Bellarine beaches, just in time for the summer northern Bellarine Peninsula will continue next year, holidays. with works to take place at Half Moon Bay in Indented Head and at multiple sites at St Leonards. DELWP will deliver the works at Indented Head to address coastal erosion, as part of the Victorian Staff and contractors will adhere to physical distancing Government’s $8 million Port Phillip Bay Beach and hygiene requirements to ensure operations are Renourishment Program. carried out safely. This month, trucks will transport approximately 5,000 m3 of sand to a stretch of beach at Taylor Reserve, and close to 2,000 m3 to the shoreline at Wrathall Reserve.

DELWP marine and coasts newsletter

Lakes Entrance seawall replacement Following the project at McCrae, a renourishment of approximately 20,000 m3 will be completed at Edward Construction works to replace a section of the old Street Beach, Sandringham. This will be followed by a bluestone seawall to the west of the Cunninghame Arm renourishment at the southern end of Half Moon Bay of footbridge at Lakes Entrance is complete. The new approximately 5,000 m3. seawall features concrete panels and a boardwalk with handrailing. This project will also utilise sand dredged onto the beach from offshore, with the sand source having been tested to be free of contaminants and to have a similar grain size to that onshore. For more information visit marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/coastal-programs/beach- renourishment.

Keep reading for Coastcare Victoria’s ‘Coastline’ news…

Progress on the Lakes Entrance seawall. The seawall, concrete capping, handrails and boardwalk is complete. East Gippsland Shire Council will complete road drainage and landscaping adjoining the seawall before Christmas.

Port Phillip beach renourishments DELWP is undertaking beach renourishment at the Dromana and McCrae beaches between November 2020 and February 2021, and at Sandringham and Half Moon Bay beaches between February and April 2021. The works program will commence in early December at Dromana, northeast of Anthony’s Nose boat ramp, before pausing on 23 December for the Christmas break. Construction will then restart in mid-January 2021 to finish Dromana before moving across to complete the McCrae section, southwest of Anthony’s Nose seawall. A total volume of approximately 50,000 m3 of sand will be dredged onto the two beaches from an offshore sand source identified by coastal engineers. Testing showed the sand source is free of contaminants and has a similar grain size to that onshore.

DELWP marine and coasts newsletter

Introducing our new Coastcare Bellarine and Surf Coast region Ally Clark is our new facilitator for the Bellarine and Surf Victoria facilitators Coast region. Coastcare Victoria warmly welcomes two new Ally comes to us with a background in marine biology facilitators to our team! and previous experience in environmental management. She cares deeply about the conservation Far South West region of our marine and coastal ecosystems and is passionate about sharing her knowledge with others. Ellie Morrow will be working with the community and This has led her to volunteer all around the world in volunteer groups of the Far South West area. both environmental and educational roles.

New Coastcare Victoria facilitator, Ellie Morrow (Far South West). New Coastcare Victoria facilitator, Ally Clark (Bellarine and Surf Having grown up in the area, Ellie has a strong interest Coast). and appreciation for this part of the Victorian coastline. Ally believes it is important to learn something new Her background in environmental management and each day and is eager to do so by meeting and getting education brings together a diverse set of skills and involved with the Bellarine and Surf Coast communities. experience, through roles in pest plant and animal management, forest firefighting, classroom teaching Visit the Coastcare Victoria website for all facilitator and environmental compliance. contact details and further information. Ellie is looking forward to connecting with you all and supporting you in taking care of our magnificent marine and coastal environments.

DELWP marine and coasts newsletter

Friends of Venus Bay Peninsula duties to natural resource management field tasks as COVD-19 lock-down restrictions were gradually lifted. comes to a close The attitude and eagerness of support from Coastcare Victoria volunteers, committee of management The Friends of Venus Bay Peninsula closed as an members and various land managers from Port Phillip incorporated group in November 2020, after almost and Westernport is highly commendable. fourteen years of working to protect and enhance the biodiversity on the Venus Bay Peninsula in South One of the many highlights included a concerted effort Gippsland. planting more than 450 mangrove seedlings on a section of the Westernport coastline prone to severe The group has worked extensively with the community, shoreline erosion, leading to siltation and smoothing of other volunteer organisations and industry partners and significant seagrass beds near Grantville. has undertaken many nature conservation projects including re-vegetation of coastal landscapes, community education, pest plant and animal control, and wildlife care. The strength and success of the group was due to the commitment of their management committee, and the ongoing support of their members.

The Port Phillip Working for Victoria crew planting hundreds of mangrove seedlings on the Westernport coastline. Seagrasses are the only flowering plants that grow in the sea. Not only do seagrass beds accumulate and stabilise sediments and contribute to food sources for other estuarine animals, they act as nursery areas for juvenile fish and serve as an important grazing area for Volunteers from Friends of Venus Bay Peninsula at the Coast ducks and swans. Banksia Woodland, 2014 (left-right) Kylie, Lorraine, Gudrun, Our crews are adhering to appropriate physical Dorota, Kevin, Janet, Will (standing) and Gill at front. Photo by Mae Adams. distancing and hygiene requirements to ensure we can safely continue our operations across the state. Coastcare Victoria would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the Friends of Venus Bay Peninsula Skills gained and networks made are testament to committee past and present, and to all of their members individuals who have embraced these opportunities to for their dedication and hard work. The tremendous secure further employment beyond the program. The efforts will have a lasting impact on precious wildlife and program finished on 9 December 2020. coastal landscapes. Working for Victoria

Working for Victoria has created employment opportunities for people who have lost their jobs due to the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19), while delivering a valuable community service. A credit to members from the Port Phillip Working for Victoria crews who pivoted from primarily desk-based

DELWP marine and coasts newsletter

© The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning 2020 Accessibility This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. You are free to re-use the work under that If you would like to receive this publication in licence, on the condition that you credit the State of Victoria as author. The licence does not apply to any images, photographs or branding, including an alternative format, please telephone the the Victorian Coat of Arms, the Victorian Government logo and the Department of DELWP Customer Service Centre on 136186, Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) logo. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ email [email protected], or Disclaimer via the National Relay Service on 133 677 This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate www.relayservice.com.au. This document is for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this also available on the internet at publication. www.delwp.vic.gov.au.