No. 21 SWAN RIVER TRUST June 2000 SwAN-CANNING CLEANUP PROGRAM YEAR ONE IN REVIEW A comprehensive Action Plan for restoring and protecting the Swan­ A primary aim of the SCCP is to reduce nutrient input to the Swan­ Canning river system was released by the Minister for Water Canning system, but individual activities ranged from on-ground Resources in June 1999. foreshore restoration works to state of the art research trials and community education. We have reached the end of year one of the five-year program to implement the Swan-Canning Cleanup Program (SCCP - In 1999/2000 the Cleanup Program involved 22 major projects with pronounced SCOOP) Action Plan. almost 50 people from five government agencies contributing all or part of their working hours to these projects. Getting new projects started and coordinating the wide range of SCCP activities has played a central role in shaping the activities of Such a large program requires significant coordination to ensure the Swan River Trust over the past year. outcomes are most effective. More than half the entire Swan River Trust budget was directed Some of the program's major achievements in 1999/2000 are into projects and activities run under the SCCP. highlighted on pages 2 and 3. Swan River Trust Cont l ~ibuting to health of the Swan and Canning Rivers Strategic Plan 1999/2000 A projec1 of 1he Sw~n-Cannio.g Clo:!anup Program SWAN-CANNING CLEANUP PROGRAM The Trust has recent! y prepared COMMUNITY FORUM a Strategic Plan setting out four Year One In Review outcomes for the future management of the Swan and The Minister for Water Resources, Canning rivers. Dr Kim Hames invites you to attend this year's The Plan includes the key SCCP Community Forum stakeholder reach that the Trust needs to work with to achieve In June 1999 the Swan-Canning Cleanup Program Action Plan was launched by the Minister and implementation of the Plan's recommendations The plan will be distributed to is now in full swing. major stakeholders for We would like you to attend and share the feedback, including State and achievements of the year and to discuss next year's local government, catchment challenges. and recreational groups. Attendance at the forum is free Telephone enquiries: Your feedback is important to Silvana Affolter, Swan River Trust (08) 9278 0360 24 June 2000 9 am to 10.45 am Copies of the Strategic Plan are Alexander Library Theatre, Perth Cultural Centre, available by contacting our Francis Street, Northbridge office on 9278 0400. RSVP by 16 June 2000 to Maggie on tel: 9278 0400 More SCCP stories ........................................... 2-3 Out and about with the Trust field crew ................. 4 Hot off the press .............. ................................... 4 cc SwAN-CANNING CLEANUP PROGAM UPDATE Phoslock™ trials looking good Swan Catchment Centre training calendar In a joint project between the Swan The Swan Catchment Centre provides River Trust, the Water and Rivers essential support to the Swan-Canning Commission and CSIRO, PhosLock™ Cleanup Program with strategic, targeted (modified clay) has been applied to a Contributing to health of the community support for catchment section of the Canning River in an effort management. Sixteen Integrated to reduce phosphorus (P) available to Swan and Canning Rivers Catchment Management (ICM) groups phytoplankton and reduce algal A project of the Swan-Canning Cleanup Program and LCDCs, and about 200 community blooms. The project is funded by the groups are working voluntarily to restore Swan-Canning Cleanup Program. r ------------------- -, and protect the natural environment of the SUPPORT FOR CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT Swan catchment. After the addition of the PhosLock™, AND FORESHORE RESTORATION As part of this support, a training calendar and before the onset of heavy rains mid- PhosLock™ trial has been developed by the Swan month, there was a rapid reduction in Efforts to strengthen and support Integrated Catchment Catchment Centre, the Department of available phosphorus. Phosphorus is rapidly adsorbed to the PhosLock™ clay particles as it falls through Management resulted in $ 195,000 being allocated to Environmental Protection's Ecoplan and the water column and settles on the river sediments. catchment groups in priority catchments to provide Greening Australia (Western Australia) in Steve Dargie of Turf Management Solutions instructs Swan Sediment samples from the trial area show that the PhosLock™ was still present, even after the recent response to requests by community groups administrative/executive, operational and coordinator salary community conservation group members in safe methods summer rains. involved in environmental restoration and support in the first year. These catchments have been of applying herbicides to control environmental weeds protection in the Swan catchment to help identified as contributing the highest levels of nutrients to Tests conducted by the CSIRO showed that the sediment was binding phosphorus regenerated by them in planning for their year's activities. decomposing phytoplankton and other organic matter. In contrast, sediments from outside the trial area the river system. were releasing phosphorus in forms that are readily available for uptake by potentially toxic blue-green The calendar details training which is being provided to community group members by the Swan Catchment Centre, Ecoplan and other training providers. Next quarter's training (July to September) includes the algae. The SCCP also provided a further $100,000 to the Swan­ following local courses, talks and workshops: Fungi Walk and Talk; Managing Wetlands; Training in These initial results are promising and are helping the Water and Rivers Commission validate the Canning Urban Landcare Program (SCULP) to help fund a weed identification and removal and bush regeneration techniques; Habitat & Bushland Management performance of PhosLock™ in the Canning River application. range of community and local government restoration works. Workshop; Catchment Group Chairperson Skills Workshop; Landcare Education Field Study Course; This program also attracted $250,000 funding from Alcoa. Weed Control Techniques; Introduction to the Propagation of Plants; Safe Use of Herbicides Training It remains to be seen how well PhosLock™ performs over time and how much should be applied under Course and Talk on Native Pond Plants. any given circumstance. Monitoring is therefore continuing in the Canning River, and additional trials Ellen Brook have been scheduled at Marbellup Brook in Albany and the Vasse River in Busselton for 2000. $23 000 For further information or to advertise your training or educational events, please contact Bronwyn Ryan Bennett Brook at the Swan Catchment Centre on (08) 9220 5300 $44 000 Bayswater Main Drain $27 000 Spirit of the Swan goes to air Blackadder Creek $32 000 Community Channel 7 joined forces with the The community service Central Business District Swan River Trust to produce a announcements are part of a Swan­ $15 000 group directory Seven News special that celebrates Canning Cleanup Program South Belmont Main Drain the Spirit of the Swan. campaign to raise awareness about $29 000 The Swan Catchment Centre and the Yule Brook things people can do in their own Swan River Trust have undertaken to Presented by Susannah Carr and $4 000 homes, gardens and recreation to update and build on previous directories Rick Ardon, the one-hour Bannister Creek help protect the river. According to $60 000 to produce a "live" listing of active documentary which aired on 4 Channel 7 ratings, they estimated Canning River community groups that will be made March 2000 examined the river's that in the first ten days on air, over $35 000 available through the Swan Catchment central place in our city's heart, 1.13 million viewers had seen the Southern River history and future. $12 000 Centre's website. In this form, the announcements. Claise Brook $10 000 information can be easily updated. It included an Aboriginal The Swan Catchment Centre is perspective, historical footage, and responding to information requests, It also provides a terrific opportunity for wildlife on and in the river. The and a wider awareness campaign will Projects directly funded by SCCP in the priority catchments of community groups to promote themselves documentary examined the Channel 7 filming the next follow to reinforce the message that the Swan-Canning river system pressures that our activity in the announcements on the we can all help to do the right thing L-------------------~ and their activities. The Swan Catchment Find out how you can do the right thing by the catchment has placed on the Swan, Canning River by the river. These projects are just a few of the activities under way for the Centre and the Swan River Trust are also the recent blue-green bloom, and management river and catchment. You can find out more by attending the currently pursuing publication of this river- phone 1800 062 549 or check the advice initiatives in the river and the catchment. It also Copies of the documentary are available for loan Community Forum, or asking for a copy of the Swan-Canning directory in a hard copy format for on our web site www.wrc.wa.gov.au/srt highlighted what people can do to help -leading on video to use for education purposes. Please Cleanup Program Year-One In Review summary report. distribution to community conservation into a series of community service contact Silvana Affolter on 9278 0360. Telephone Silvana Affolter on 9278 0360. groups at a later date. announcements. Out and about with the Trust field crew SRT crew 'renourishing' eroded beaches with sand From January to Apri12000 the Swan River Trust field crew removed The Trust's Assessment team: From left, Ross Montgomery, over 16 tonnes of rubbish from the Swan and Canning river Ila Hayward, Rita Sputore-Keller, Kym Davis, Peter Tapsell, foreshores. Melinda Reid and Byron Davy The crew's main clean-up activity is collecting domestic rubbish The Swan River Trust received a lot of media exposure along foreshores and in waterways of the Swan-Canning rivers.