AUGUSTA-MARGARET RIVER SHIRE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2009 Acknowledgements: In 2007, the Environmental Protection Authority released the ‘State of Environment Report 2007 for Western Australia. The Shire of Augusta Margaret River would like to express appreciation to the EPA for permitting the use of their reporting frame work and relevant images to ensure alignment and collaboration towards a healthier environment and improved quality of life for the local community and all Western Australians. Contributors: D and A McKenzie T/A Litoria Ecoservices – Theme 2 Biodiversity. Verity Steptoe – Theme 3 Coastal and Marine. Katie Biggs Merryn Delaney Dr Ernie Stead Richardson Greg Simpson Front cover depicts Hardy Inlet 2008, courtesy of Stephen Smith 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW 5 Report Framework 6 Western Australian Report cards 6 Western Australian Environmental priorities 7 Environmental Issues 7 ABOUT THIS REPORT 10 Purpose 10 History 10 Theme structure 10 Issue Structure 10 THEMES AND ISSUES THEME 1 ATMOSPHERE 11 1.1 Air Quality 12 1.2 Green House Gas Emissions 14 THEME 2 BIODIVERSITY 18 2.1 Biodiversity 18 2.2 Native Vegetation and Natural Areas 25 2.3 Feral or Introduced Animal species 28 2.4 Environmental Weeds 31 2.5 Pathogens 34 2.6 Riparian Vegetation 37 THEME 3 COASTAL AND MARINE 40 3.1 Coastal environment 41 3.2 Marine environment 46 3.3 Marine contamination 51 Emerging issue – Introduced marine species 55 Emerging issue – Marine debris 56 THEME 4 INLAND WATERS 58 4.1 Erosion and sedimentation 60 4.2 Salinisation 64 4.3 Eutrophication 69 4.4 Acidification 78 4.5 Altered water regimes 82 THEME 5 LAND 88 5.1 Soil erosion 89 5.2 Soil acidification 94 5.3 Soil health 96 5.4 Contaminated sites 100 THEME 6 HERITAGE 103 6.1 Natural heritage 104 6.2 Aboriginal heritage 107 6.3 Historic heritage 110 THEME 7 SETTLEMENTS 113 7.1 Population and settlement patterns 113 7.2 Waste management 117 7.3 Water use in settlements 122 7.4 Energy use 133 THEME 8 TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY 137 8.1 Tourism 137 8.2 Agriculture 141 APPENDIX Appendix 1 : Summary of Actions 149 Appendix 2: Vegetation complex retention and protection 160 information Appendix 3: Definition categories for threatened ecological 162 communities REFERENCES 167 4 OVERVIEW The following report card presents a synopsis for the Shire of Augusta Margaret River environment in 2008. This report has been modelled on the Governments 'State of the Environment Report Western Australia 2007’, and considers a number of indicators relating to the condition of the natural resources or assets, the pressures or threats present and the adequacy of current responses. 'Status' refers to the current overall condition of the natural resources or assets, while 'trend' refers to the likely change in natural resources or asset condition over the past decade. The following table summarises the current status and likely trend direction for the major environmental themes identified in the report. THEME STATUS & COMMENT TREND Seasonal factors influence air quality. More effort is required to Atmosphere monitor air quality and to reduce corporate and community greenhouse gas emission levels. There is insufficient knowledge about biodiversity in the South Biodiversity West. Most biodiversity issues are under pressure and appear to be getting worse. Further effort is required to protect coastal vegetation and habitat in Coastal & Marine the most accessible areas. There is inadequate knowledge of the ecology and biodiversity of the local marine environment. Some wetland and water ways are degraded, due to loss of Inland Waters vegetation and excess nutrient levels contributing to algal bloom. Better management and protection of inland waters is required. Soil acidification is a significant threat to soil health in some part of Land the Shire and requires appropriate management. Many heritage places are being lost or degraded. Better Heritage management, protection, and recognition of heritage values are required. Settlement growth is increasing the demand for land, water and energy and increasing waste generation. Settlements The sectors considered in this report are tourism and agriculture neither of which have fully implemented an environmental Sustainability management system approach, developed sustainability indicators and targets and implemented performance monitoring. Legend Current Status Trend Direction Good Likely improvement Average Steady Of Concern Likely deterioration Reporting framework: In Australia, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's 'pressure-state-response' model provides a framework for SOE reports. The term 'Pressure' (or threat) refers to human activities that affect the environment. The term 'State' (or condition) refers to the quality of the environment and the functioning of important environmental processes. The term 'Response' (or actions) refers to initiatives that have been made to address pressures on the environment or to improve or maintain its condition. In WA, a modified version of the model is used, ‘condition-pressure-response-implication’. This assists in environmental policy planning while retaining the benefits of an internationally agreed framework for environmental reporting. Similar to many other state and national reports, the Western Australian SOE report has been structured around environmental themes, issues and indicators. Western Australia’s Environmental report Card The following report card presents the Environmental Protection Authority's (EPA) synopsis for WA's environment in 2007. The EPA has considered a number of indicators relating to the condition of the natural resources or assets, the pressures or threats present and the adequacy of current responses. THEME STATUS & COMMENT TREND Fundamental pressures Increasing pressures on the environment from WA’s economic boom, consumption of natural resources, and climate change require new approaches to environmental management. Atmospheric pollution issues across WA are generally with Atmosphere guideline limits and appear under control. Some issues appear to be worsening. Many Land problems in the South West are getting worse. There Land are fewer problems in other parts of WA. Many waterways and wetlands in WA are degrading, especially in Inland Waters the South West. Better management and protection of inland waters is required. There is insufficient knowledge about biodiversity in WA. Most Biodiversity biodiversity issues are serious and appear to eb getting worse. A few marine areas in WA have recognised problems. Improved Marine knowledge of the marine environment is required. Many heritage places in WA are being lost or degraded. Better Heritage management, protection and recognition of heritage values are required. Some WA settlements are growing at an unsustainable pace with increasing demand for land, water and energy and increasing waste Human Settlements generation. Legend Current Status Trend Direction Good Likely improvement Average Steady Of Concern Likely deterioration Western Australia’s environmental priorities: Each environmental issue identified in the State of the Environment Report: Western Australia 2007, was given a priority rating. The priority rating table uses five levels to indicate the relative priority to WA, ranging from Priority 1 (highest priority) to Priority 5 (lowest priority). The environmental issues appearing within each priority rating are in no particular order. It should be noted that while all the environmental issues identified in the State of the Environment Report: Western Australia 2007 are important, the priority ratings will help to prioritise policy development, management focus and allocation of resources. A number of factors were considered in determining the priority rating for each environmental issue including the extent of its impact across WA; the reversibility of the impact; the rate at which its worsening; the impact on the environment, society and the economy; and the potential consequences for future generations. Community input and advice from technical experts helped the EPA to decide the priority ratings (EPA 2007). Priority rate 1 Priority rating 2 Priority rating 3 Priority rating 4 Priority rating 5 Top priority Lowest priority Climate change Particulates Photochemical Land contamination Stratospheric ozone smog depletion Population and Changed fire Soil acidification Marine Sulfur dioxide consumption regimes contamination Greenhouse gas Loss or degradation Acidification of Loss or degradation emissions of native vegetation inland waters of natural heritage Introduced animals Soil erosion Erosion and sedimentation of inland waters Weeds Altered water Eutrophication regimes Phytophthora Loss or degredation Introduced marine dieback of wetlands species Land salinisation Loss or degradation Transport of fringing and instream vegetation Salinisation of inland Degradation of Water use in waters marine settlements environments Settlement patterns Energy use in settlements Loss or degradation Waste generation of Aboriginal and disposal heritage Loss or degradation of historic heritage Environmental Issues: In the State of the Environment Report Western Australia 2007, the term 'environmental issues' refers to problems or threats. The EPA released a discussion paper and determined the environmental issues based on the community submissions that where received in response to the discussion paper and also advice from technical experts. A 'Priority rating' is shown for each issue and 'trend' direction is used