Moonee Creek-Estuary Management Study Draft
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I I Caffs Harbour Department of I City Council . Infrastructure. Planning and Natural Resources I I MOONEE CREEK ESTUARY MANAGEMENT STUDY I Draft Report I June 2005 I I I I I I I I I I I I ( :' f!1f!f!! I I I I I DOCUMENT CONTROL SHEET WBM Oceanics Australia Document: R N0793 004 00 EMS&P doc I Newcastle Office TItle: Moonee Creek Estuary Management Study and Plan 126 Belford Street PrOject Manager: Philip Haines BROADMEADOW NSW 2292 I Australia Author- Jane Wicks Client: Coffs Harbour City Council PO Box 266 I Broadmeadow NSW 2292 Client Contact: Martin Rose ClIent Reference: Telephone (02) 4940 8882 Facsimile (02) 4940 8887 SynopsIs: This document has been prepared under I www wbmpl com au the provIsions of the NSW Estuary Policy and NSW Coastal Policy, and In ACN 010830421 accordance With the Estuary Management I Manual It outlines the management process that IS to be followed In order to achieve long-term sustalnabllity of Moonee Creek With regard to ecological, economic I and social values The Plan IS Intended to be used by Council to gUide future works I programs and policy changes REVISION/CHECKING HISTORY I REVISION DATE CHECKED BY REVISION ISSUED BY NUMBER DESCRIPTION ~ 0 DRAFT 010605 JAW I PEH I~P4< I ~ I DISTRIBUTION DESTINATION REVISION 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I CHCC 1 DlPNR 2 WBMFlle 1 I WBM Library 1 I I I I I H \f'JD793 MOONEE CREEK EMPIDOcs.R N0793 004 00 EMS&P DOC 2/6/05 1506 I I I FOREWORD I I FOREWORD I The estuanes of NSW represent a pnceless natural resource CollectIvely, they are I Immensely valuable from an ecologIcal, socIal and economIc perspectIve NSW has over 130 estuanes that vary m sIZe from small coastal creeks and lagoons to large lakes and nvers Estuanes con tam dIverse ecosystems that fonn the foundatIOn of I the coastal food cham They provIde Important habItats for a vanety of manne and terrestnal plants and anImals I Estuanes have a speCIal place m the lIves of most AustralIans Many people want to lIve near estuanes and If they can't, they want to take then holIdays there Over 75% of the I NSW populatIOn lIve and work m towns and cItIes near estuanes A hIgh proportIon of the State's commerCIal actIvIty occurs near estuanes as they provIde an Important focus for Industry, tounsm and recreatIOnal actIvItIes ThIs hIgh level of development pressure I means that estuanes are subject to a range of dIrect and IndIrect Impacts due to land use In the catchment, changes to hydrology and tIdal processes, and the dIrect use of the estuary waterway In recognItIon of the need for future sustamable use of these I threatened resources, the NSW Government IS ImplementIng a number of key strategIc InItIatIves, one of whIch I~ the Estuary Management Program The Estuary I Management Program commenced m 1992 to assIst local government to better manage estuanes through a strategIc process outlIned In the NSW Estuary Management I Manual' An Estuary Management Plan for Moonee Creek has been prepared on behalf of Coffs Harbour CIty CouncIl and Department of Infrastructure, PlannIng and Naturdl Resources I (DIPNR), to fulfil the reqUIrements of the NSW Estuary Management PolIcy (1992) and the NSW Coastal PolIcy (1997) The Plan provIdes a program of strategIc actIons to assIst government authontIes and other stakeholder groups to sustam a healthy estuary I through appropnate waterway, foreshore and catchment management The Plan presents an Integrated sUIte of mandgement strategIes, gIVIng due consIderatIOn to the I complex mteractIons between many estuanne processes and functIons The Moonee Creek Estuary Management Plan IS deSIgned to proVIde clear dIrectIOn regardIng responSIbIlItIes for actIOns, whIch WIll help achIeve the overall goal of a I sustaInable waterway The Plan also proVIdes InfonnatlOn on who IS responsIble for ImplementatIOn of these actIons and how they can be funded The Plan IS deSIgned to be I a dynamIC document That IS, as the needs or condItIOns of the estuary change In the future, the optIons and strategIes bemg Implemented as part of thIS Plan can be adjusted to SUIt It IS Intended that progress In ImplementIng the Pldn WIll be revIewed annually I by the Estuary Management CommIttee, whIle the entIre Plan wIll be updated every 3 - 5 years I I H W0793 MOONEE CREEK EMPOO(;Sf1 N0793 004 00 EMs&P DOC m/05 1506 I I I CONTENTS I I CONTENTS I Foreword Contents I List of Figures IV List of Tables V I I 1 INTRODUCTION 1-1 1.1 Moonee Creek 1·1 I 1.2 The Need for Long Term Management Plan 1·3 1.3 Estuary Management Process 1·3 I 1 31 NSW Government's Estuary Management Program 1-3 1.4 Legislation and Planning Framework 1·4 I 141 Environmental Planning Instruments 1-4 1411 Coffs Harbour Local Envlfonmental Plan 2000 1-6 I 1412 Moonee Development Control Plan 2004 1-6 142 State and Commonwealth Legislation and PoliCies 1-8 I 143 Other Relevant Planning Documentation 1-9 1.5 Structure of this Report 1·9 I 2 SUMMARY OF ESTUARY PROCESSES 2-1 2.1 Moonee Creek Estuary 2·1 I 22 Current Environmental Condition of Moonee Creek 2·1 2.3 Tides 2·1 I 2.4 Floods 2·2 2.5 Entrance Shoal Dynamics 2·2 I 26 Bank Erosion 2-4 2.7 Water Quality 2·4 I 2.8 Aquatic Ecology 2·5 2.9 Terrestnal Ecology 2·6 I 2.10 Conservation Areas 2·6 2.11 Future Development 2·6 212 Interaction between the Processes 2·7 I 2.13 Human Impacts on the Estuary 2·7 I H W0793 MOONEE CREEK EMPIDOCSIR N0793 004 00 EMS&P DOC 2/6105 1506 I I CONTENTS II I 2.14 Management Recommendations based on Processes Understanding 2-8 3 ESTUARY VALUES AND ISSUES OF CONCERN 3-1 I 3.1 Estuary Values 3-1 I 3 1 1 Ecological Value 3-1 3 1 2 Scenic Value 3-1 I 3 1 3 Aboriginal Heritage Value 3-2 3 1 4 Recreational Value 3-2 3 1 4 1 Active Recreation 3-3 I 3 1 4 2 PassIVe Recreation 3-3 3 1 5 Soclo-Economlc Value 3-4 I 3 1 6 Educational Values 3-4 3.2 General Issues of Concern 3-5 I 3 2 1 Issues raised through the Coastal and Estuary Management Committee 3-5 3 2 2 Issues raised through the Stakeholder Consultation 3-6 I 3 2 2 1 NSW EnVironmental Protection Agency Coastal Region 3-6 3 2 2 2 Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare Inc 3-6 3 2 2 3 Manne Parks Authonty 3-6 I 3 2 2 4 Moonee Beach Reserve Trust 3-7 3 2 3 Issues raised through the Community Consultation 3-7 I 3.3 SpeCific Issues Requiring Attention 3-8 3 3 1 Water Quality 3-9 I 3 3 1 1 Issue A Elevated Bactena and Pollutant Levels 3-9 3 3 1 2 Issue B UnsUitable Water Quality Conditions 3-9 I 3 3 2 Bank Erosion and Sedimentation 3-9 3 3 2 1 Issue C Bank ErosIOn 3-9 3 3 2 2 Issue D SedimentatIOn of the estuary 3-9 I 333 Ecology 3-10 3 3 3 1 Issue E Degradation of Estuarme Habitats 3-10 I 3 3 3 2 Issue F Regeneration of Green Bluff Reserve 3-10 3 3 3 3 Issue G Rlpanan Vegetation Actmg as Buffer 3-10 I 3 34 Future Catchment Development 3-10 3 3 4 1 Issue H Impact of Future Development 3-10 I 3 3 5 Estuarine Usage 3-11 3 3 5 1 Issue I EnVlfonmental ConSiderations by the Community 3-11 3 3 5 2 Issue J Conflict Between Users of the Estuary 3-11 I 3 3 5 3 Issue K PubliC Facilities and Access 3-11 336 Heritage 3-11 I H W0793 MOONEE CREEK EMPIDOCSIR N0793 004 00 EMS&P DOC 21&'05 1506 I I I I CONTENTS III 3361 Issue L Cultural Hentage 3-11 I 337 Estuary Management Mechanisms 3-11 3371 Issue M Management of the estuary 3-11 I 4 OBJECTIVES OF FUTURE MANAGEMENT 4-1 4.1 Water Quality Objectives 4-1 I 42 Bank Erosion and Sedimentation Objectives 4-1 4.3 Ecology I Biodiversity Objectives 4-2 I 4.4 Future Catchment Development Objectives 4-3 4.5 Estuarine Usage Objectives 4-3 I 4.6 Heritage Objectives 4-4 4.7 Estuary Management Mechanisms Objectives 4-4 I 4.8 Ranking of Objectives 4-4 5 DEVELOPMENT, ASSESSMENT AND PRIORITISATION OF POSSIBLE I MANAGEMENT OPTIONS I STRATEGIES 5-1 5.1 Formulation of Management Options I Strategies 5-1 I 5 1 1 Strategies Addressing Water Quality Objectives (Objectives 1 & 2) 5-1 5 1 2 Strategies Addressing Bank Erosion and Sedimentation Objectives I (Objectives 3 & 4) 5-1 5 1 3 Strategies Addressing Ecology I Biodiversity Objectives (Objectives 5 to 7)5-2 5 1 4 Strategies Addressing Future Catchment Development Objectives I (Objective 8) 5-2 5 1 5 Strategies Addressing Estuarine Usage Objectives (Objectives 9 to 11) 5-3 I 51 6 Strategies Addressing Heritage Objective (Objective 12) 5-4 5 1 7 Strategies Addressmg Estuary Management Mechanism Objective I (Objective 13) 5-4 5.2 Assessment and Prioritlsation of Possible Management Options 5-4 I 5 2 1 Results of the Multi Criteria Assessment 5-5 5 2 2 Short-List of Preferred Management Options I Strategies 5-5 5 2 3 Proposed Implementation Order 5-6 I 5.3 DeSCriptions of Preferred Management Strategies 5-11 531 Strategies to be Implemented IMMEDIATELY (wlthm 6 - 12 months) 5-11 I 5 3 1 1 Strategy EM-2 (Rank 1124) 5-11 5 3 1 2 Strategy Ecol-9 (Rank 2124) 5-12 I 5 3 1 3 Strategy WQ-2 (Rank 3124) 5-14 53 1 4 Strategy EM-1 (Rank 4124) 5-16 I 53 1 5 Strategy WQ-1 (Rank 5124) 5-17 53 1 6 Strategy Ecol-10 (Rank 6124) 5-19 I H W0793 MOONEE CREEK EMNJOCSIR N0793 004 00 EMS&P DOC 2J&I05 15 06 I I LIST OF FIGURES IV I 531 7 Strategy Hent-1 (Rank 7/24) 5-20 5 3 2 Strategies to be Implemented In the SHORT TERM (within 1 - 3 years) 5-23 I 5321 Strategy CD-1 (Rank 8/24) 5-23 5322 Strategy CD-3 (Rank 9/24) 5-24 5323 Strategy Eco/-3 (Rank 10/24) 5-25 I 5324 Strategy CD-4 (Rank 11/24) 5-27 5325 Strategy CD-6 (Rank 12124) 5-28 I 5326 Strategy CD-2 (Rank 13/24) 5-29 5327 Strategy CD-5 (Rank 14/24) 5-31 I 5328 Strategy Hent-2 (Rank 15124) 5-33 5329 Strategy Eco/-2 (Rank 16/24) 5-34 53210 Strategy 8S-1 (Rank 17/24) 5-35 I 53211 Strategy 8S-4 (Rank 18/24) 5-37 533 Strategies to be Implemented