Inquiry into Ramsar

Dr Nerina Di Lorenzo Water

2 December 2019

Birdlife at WTP. Photo: Watkin McLennan Ramsar wetlands

66 Ramsar Melbourne Water sites wetlands in

11 Ramsar wetlands in

Western Treatment Plant Edithvale-Seaford 2 MW •Site coordinator: Corangamite CMA wetlands Ramsar •Site manager (WTP): MW •Site coordinator and manager: MW wetlands The Western Treatment Plant is part of Seaford wetlands is jointly managed the (Western Shoreline) and with Frankston City Council but Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar site Melbourne Water is the primary Ramsar site manager. 2 Port Phillip (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site

Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site (six sites): 1. Point Cooke/Cheetham 2. Werribee/Avalon (including WTP) Western 3. Point Wilson/Limeburners Bay 4. Treatment Plant 5. Mud Islands 6. and the Lake Connewarre complex.

3 Western Treatment Plant

Site coordinator: Corangamite CMA Site manager (WTP): MW Part of the Port Phillip (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar site

• 10,500 ha • 179 constructed wetlands (700 ha) • Some natural wetlands • Treats 50% of Melbourne’s sewage • Rivals Kakadu for birdlife diversity and abundance Western Treatment Plant birdlife

300 100,000 Bird species Birds at any recorded on one time site

50% 1/3 Of Victoria’s Of Australia’s waterfowl birds sighted onsite in on site drought

Pink-eared ducks at WTP. Photo: John5 Barkla Edithvale-Seaford wetlands

Ramsar site coordinator and manager: MW Seaford wetlands jointly managed with Frankston Council Edithvale wetlands

Two sites: Seaford • Edithvale wetlands (101ha) wetlands • Seaford wetlands (159ha) Ramsar listed in 2001

Clockwise from left: Golden-headed Cisticola, Bar-tailed Godwit and Zebra- finch Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands bird life

190 7000 Different Birds at any bird species one time recorded

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. Photo: Danny Rogers

38 1% Protected Of global migratory Sharp-tailed species Sandpiper recorded population

Australasian Bittern. Photo: John Barkla

7 Management approach

Legislation

Healthy Waterways Strategy

Management Plans Port Phillip (Western Edithvale-Seaford Shoreline) and Bellarine wetlands: Site Peninsula: Site Management Plan Management Plan •Prepared by Melbourne Water Monitoring and •Prepared by the Corangamite CMA evaluation with input from MW and other agencies

8 Funding

Ramsar-related funding per year (average): • Controlling invasive weeds  WTP: $1.23M and pest animal species  Edithvale-Seaford: $430k like foxes • Monitoring birds and other native wildlife Funding is carefully prioritised: • Monitoring water regimes 1. Priority one: statutory obligations and levels • Maintenance checks of 2. Priority two: best management practice fences 3. Priority three: only as needed and if funding permits. Priority one works

9 VAGO audit progress

VAGO recommended Melbourne Water responded by:

 Actively participating in DELWP’s Interagency 1 Robust governance Governance Group for Ramsar-listed wetlands arrangements  Preparing or contributing to annual “action plans” for our sites

 Contributing to the Site Management Plan for the 2 Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Oversight of Peninsula site (finalised in 2018) management plans  Reporting into DELWP’s Ramsar Management System

State-wide monitoring,  Contributing to DELWP’s Monitoring, Evaluation, 3 evaluation & reporting Reporting and Improvement Framework

10 Conclusion

In summary: • We take our role seriously. • Our sites are actively managed to maintain or improve their ecological character. • We have worked alongside DELWP and Western Treatment Plant other organisations to implement the VAGO recommendations • We are benefiting from the new State- wide governance and monitoring arrangements and greater collaboration. • Questions? Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands Discovery Centre

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