Healthy Rivers, Estuary and Wetlands

Alcoa Pinjarra Wetland Project

Initiated by Greening Australia WA and facilitated by PHCC’s Rivercare Program, this water quality improvement project implemented water sensitive urban design principles, to retrofit the 3 drains that received 50% of the town of...

ARC Linkage Project

This project is a collaborative scientific venture involving more than twenty researchers and land managers from four universities, two State Government departments, two local governments and PHCC. It investigates the links between...

Building Community Capacity for Sustainable Ag Practices – Healthy Waterways

Mayfield catchment landholders have a long history of Landcare and provided critical information for the Subcatchment Implementation Plan (SIP) for Water Quality Improvement. This Healthy Waterways project, conducted in the Mayfield...

Connecting Corridors and Communities – Developing a River Action Plan: Case Study 38

The Serpentine River is a catchment of diverse landuses including urban development, horticulture, grazing, poultry farms, feedlots and hobby farms. Waters from the largely unmodified forested catchment of the upper Serpentine have been and...

Connecting Corridors and Communities: Restoring the Serpentine River

Through a collaborative approach to improve the health, biodiversity, ecosystem function and ecosystem services of the Serpentine River and the estuary, the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council (PHCC) will work with local community, focusing on...

Effective Collaboration and Catchment Management

Newmont and the PHCC have a longstanding partnership that is supporting more effective catchment management.

Hotham-Williams Rivers and Tributaries’ Natural Resource Management and Conservation Project

To assist the PHCC with the leveraging and commitment of the financial resources that will enable the effective planning, management, delivery and administration of the Project whilst delivering specific NRM objectives.

Lake Clifton Catchment Conservation Stewardship Project

Lake Clifton is a critical part of the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar Site, being one of the few places on earth where thrombolites, or living rock-like structures, are found. The Lake’s Catchment includes parts of the Yalgorup National Park and...

Lake McLarty Nature Reserve Action Plan 2017 – 2027

Lake McLarty is an internationally important wetland located in south-west Australia and an integral part of the Peel‑Yalgorup wetland system, Ramsar 482. Over recent years the lake’s condition has deteriorated due to reduced rainfall,...

Lake Mealup Recovery Project

Lying to the east of the Harvey estuary, Lake Mealup, straddles public and private lands. Collaboratively managed for its conservation values, and culturally significant to Noongars, it forms an integral part of the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar...

McLarty’s River Restoration Project

Bordering the Murray River and Marrinup Brook, within the catchment of the Ramsar-listed Peel-Harvey Estuary, Gordon McLarty’s property in Meelon, south east of Pinjarra, Western Australia, was the site of extensive waterway, riparian...

Parkfield Lake Nutrient Management Basin

The Parkfield Lake remodeled an unsightly, degraded artificial lake that suffered from flooding and algal blooms into an attractive nutrient stripping wetland with surrounding parklands removing an estimated 75kg of phosphorus per year. ...

Restoration of WA’s mighty Murray River

Most river reaches in the Peel-Harvey Catchment are in a poor condition after more than a century of uncontrolled stock access, riverbank erosion and weed invasion. With this in mind as part of its Rivers to Ramsar Project, the PHCC...

Slowing the flow: helping our farmers, waterways and wetlands

In winter, a large network of drains help farmers in the Mayfield Catchment battle waterlogged conditions. But in spring, as the land dries out, those drains funnel away much-needed water as well as valuable nutrients. This ...

Wetland Yarns

In the Wetland Yarns Project the PHCC brings together Noongar People, scientists and artists to share their knowledge and stories about wetlands with school students. The Project was developed and trialled in 2017 by the PHCC and included...

Wetlands and People

Wetlands and People, a community restoring the Ecological Character of the Peel-Yalgorup System’s wetlands, will improve over 1,000 ha of Ramsar habitat. On-ground priority actions will address key threats, and associated direct and...

B1	WETLANDS AND WATERWAYS ARE HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE
Wetlands and waterways have a special place, with all major townsites and communities living in proximity to a local waterway or wetland. Major waterway assets include the Hotham, Williams, Murray, Serpentine, North and South Dandalup and Harvey rivers. Major wetland assets include the Peel-Harvey Estuarine System and the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar System. Key threats include poorly planned development, changing hydroperiods, reduced flow, eutrophication, ASS and MBO. Strategies to achieve this goal are designed to support coordinated management of the Estuary and Ramsar System, implement management actions to improve waterway and wetland condition, and protect groundwater quality and flows into wetlands and waterways.
B1.1	Support the establishment and operations of coordinated governance frameworks for the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar System
B1.1.1	Work with key stakeholders to establish and operate a coordinated framework for the Peel-Harvey Estuarine System
B1.1.2	Continue to work with key stakeholders to operate a coordinated framework for the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar System, including but not limited to the Ramsar and subsidiary TAG’s
B1.2	Improve the condition of wetlands and watercourses
B1.2.1	Prepare and implement action plans to restore the natural function of wetlands and watercourses
B1.2.2	Prepare and implement action plans to manage drains for multiple benefits, including water availability to assist with impacts of reduced rainfall and drying climate
B1.2.3	Manage issues such as erosion, sediment, nutrients and monosulphidic black ooze to improve/protect condition of wetlands and watercourses
B1.3	Protect wetlands and watercourses
B1.3.1	Influence land-use planning to afford protection to wetland and watercourse values
B1.3.2	Encourage implementation of management plans and ongoing maintenance in accordance with planning conditions and/or best management practice
B1.4	Protect groundwater quality and quantity as hydrological inputs to wetlands and watercourses
B1.4.1	Ensure environmental water provisions are adequate for maintenance or improvement of ecosystem health
B1.4.2	Ensure groundwater monitoring is sufficient to measure and assess environmental water provision adequacy and to influence regulatory change, where required
B2	SOILS ARE HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE
Soils and landforms are the fundamental resources which shape wetlands and waterways, biodiversity and land use, especially agriculture. Agricultural production in the Catchment is worth $469.974 million per annum (source 2021 REMPLAN) and relies directly on the health and conservation of soil resources. Soils should be managed as a living resource with consideration to soil acidity, dryland salinity, prevention of erosion and discharge of sediment. Biosecurity is an issue of significant concern to the community and is included under this goal given its impact on soils, productivity and biodiversity. Issues such as water repellence and compaction of soils may also be having an impact on farm productivity levels, although the impact on productivity is not clearly understood. Healthy soils will reduce the loss of topsoil to waterways and the impact of sediment on rivers and the Estuary. Strategies under this goal aim to assist farmers and land managers to better understand their local soils, make informed decisions on soil management practices, and support biosecurity programs. Farmers own and manage over 50% of the Region, making their increased participation in NRM essential.
B2.1	Understand soil characteristics and risks
B2.1.1	Support land managers to undertake and understand risk/soil mapping at a local level
B2.1.2	Support and share research and information that improves our collective understanding of soil characteristics and their productive potential
B2.1.3	Support land managers to understand the consequences over use of fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides
B2.2	Support land managers to match land uses and management practices to soil type and land capability
B2.2.1	Support adaptive land management practices in vulnerable areas
B2.2.2	Maintain priority areas for agricultural production (while protecting valuable environmental assets)
B2.3	Support land managers to implement sound soil management practices and use suitable land productively
B2.3.1	Encourage and support farming methods to enhance soil and soil resilience
B2.3.2	Encourage use of soil amendments for multiple benefits
B2.3.3	Support ‘whole of farm’ planning to better meet social, economic and environmental objectives
B2.4	Support biosecurity practices
B2.4.1	Support, preparation and implementation of biosecurity program/s for multiple benefits
B2.4.2	Raise awareness and educate community on local, priority biosecurity issues and provide support for management
B2.5	Influence legislation and policy
B2.1.1	Influence and support decision makers in developing policy and legislation for the protection of priority agricultural land
B2.1.2	Influence and support decision makers in developing policy and legislation for the protection of priority environmental assets
B2.1.3	Advocate for and support streamlining of planning regulation and licensing for sustainable agricultural practices
B3	COASTAL AND NEARSHORE AREAS AND PROCESSES ARE RESILIENT AND VALUED
Coastal foreshores, beaches and near-shore areas have significant social, ecological and economic values. They support commercial and recreational fisheries, protect coastal residential areas and provide a diversity of habitat for flora and fauna. A key aspect of coastal management in the Region is the network of community groups, local governments and state agencies that manage coastal foreshores and maintain public access to beaches and nearshore waterways. Strategies to achieve this goal are aimed at supporting the groups and organisations who are undertaking coastal area and near-shore management.
B3.1	Protect foreshores for their ecological and recreational values
B3.1.1	Encourage/support foreshore management that enables natural process and resilience to a changing climate
B3.1.2	Support the community to value and manage coastal areas
B3.1.3	Support recreational uses consistent with environmental protection
B3.2	Protect near-shore habitats for productivity and biodiversity
B3.2.1	Support actions/activities to protect near-shore habitats for ecological, recreational and commercial productivity
B4	BIODIVERSITY IS CONSERVED
Biodiversity is the term used to describe the natural diversity of life. This diversity exists at the ecosystem, species and genetic levels. The Region is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot because of its mega-diverse and unique biodiversity and the level of threat this biodiversity is under. Biodiversity is most effectively and efficiently conserved by protecting natural areas, these being areas of bushland, forest, woodland, waterway, wetland, dune, rock outcrop, foreshore and any other area in a near-nature state. The Region is home to many globally significant natural areas, notable examples being Dryandra Woodland, our Northern Jarrah forest, and the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar System. The strategies to achieve this goal are focused on protecting priority natural areas, managing and reducing threats to biodiversity assets, and restoring ecological linkages between significant natural areas. Assisting local governments to implement local biodiversity strategies will be one of a number of ways of achieving this goal.
B4.1	Protect priority terrestrial and aquatic natural areas
B4.1.1	Influence land-use planning to afford protection to priority natural areas
B4.1.2	Undertake assessments of biodiversity status
B4.1.3	Assist land managers to protect priority terrestrial natural areas
B4.1.4	Assist land managers to protect priority aquatic natural areas
B4.1.5	Assist land managers to improve biodiversity through regenerative agricultural practices
B4.1.6	Incorporate knowledge of impacts of changing weather patterns into biodiversity programs
B4.2	Manage and reduce threats
B4.2.1	Identify, monitor and communicate threats and threatening processes
B4.2.2	Implement and support threat reduction activities in priority areas, including managing feral animals, weeds and disease, fire, extreme events and drought
B4.2.3	Implement and support management and response planning for extreme natural events
B4.3	Restore ecological linkages
B4.3.1	Facilitate and/or support collaborative landscape scale restoration for multiple benefits
B4.3.2	Encourage restoration processes being identified and embedded into the land-use planning system
B5	WATER RESOURCES ARE MANAGED AND USED WISELY
Water resources are essential to life. They shape our wetlands, waterways and biodiversity and influence the type and location of agricultural production. Water resources include both surface waters and groundwater, and the aquifer systems that link them both. Most of the forested areas of the Forest and Scarp Subsystem are proclaimed water supply catchments (Land Assessment, 2005). Water resources are managed under a regime which recognises both public and private use values as well as environmental water requirements. The strategies to achieve this goal support water allocation planning and other activities to ensure the wise use of resources for protection of ecosystems in the long term. These strategies complement the Department of Water’s role in water allocation planning.
B5.1	Support water allocation planning and management for wise use
B5.1.1	Undertake a water audit across the catchment to assist in water management in the long term
B5.1.2	Encourage adequate environment water allocations in and for all priority systems
B5.1.3	Support measuring and assessment of water supply systems, for environment and agriculture
B5.1.4	Support the development of water storage facilities for fire management
B5.2	Support land managers to manage water resources—for multiple benefits
B5.2.1	Support resource and land managers to assess and implement water capture, harvesting and storage facilities
B5.2.2	Support resource users to implement water efficiencies
B5.2.3	Support adaptive management systems to respond to reduced rainfall

B1	WETLANDS AND WATERWAYS ARE HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE
Wetlands and waterways have a special place, with all major townsites and communities living in proximity to a local waterway or wetland. Major waterway assets include the Hotham, Williams, Murray, Serpentine, North and South Dandalup and Harvey rivers. Major wetland assets include the Peel-Harvey Estuarine System and the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar System. Key threats include poorly planned development, changing hydroperiods, reduced flow, eutrophication, ASS and MBO. Strategies to achieve this goal are designed to support coordinated management of the Estuary and Ramsar System, implement management actions to improve waterway and wetland condition, and protect groundwater quality and flows into wetlands and waterways.
B1.1	Support the establishment and operations of coordinated governance frameworks for the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar System
B1.1.1	Work with key stakeholders to establish and operate a coordinated framework for the Peel-Harvey Estuarine System
B1.1.2	Continue to work with key stakeholders to operate a coordinated framework for the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar System, including but not limited to the Ramsar and subsidiary TAG’s
B1.2	Improve the condition of wetlands and watercourses
B1.2.1	Prepare and implement action plans to restore the natural function of wetlands and watercourses
B1.2.2	Prepare and implement action plans to manage drains for multiple benefits, including water availability to assist with impacts of reduced rainfall and drying climate
B1.2.3	Manage issues such as erosion, sediment, nutrients and monosulphidic black ooze to improve/protect condition of wetlands and watercourses
B1.3	Protect wetlands and watercourses
B1.3.1	Influence land-use planning to afford protection to wetland and watercourse values
B1.3.2	Encourage implementation of management plans and ongoing maintenance in accordance with planning conditions and/or best management practice
B1.4	Protect groundwater quality and quantity as hydrological inputs to wetlands and watercourses
B1.4.1	Ensure environmental water provisions are adequate for maintenance or improvement of ecosystem health
B1.4.2	Ensure groundwater monitoring is sufficient to measure and assess environmental water provision adequacy and to influence regulatory change, where required

B2	SOILS ARE HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE
Soils and landforms are the fundamental resources which shape wetlands and waterways, biodiversity and land use, especially agriculture. Agricultural production in the Catchment is worth $469.974 million per annum (source 2021 REMPLAN) and relies directly on the health and conservation of soil resources. Soils should be managed as a living resource with consideration to soil acidity, dryland salinity, prevention of erosion and discharge of sediment. Biosecurity is an issue of significant concern to the community and is included under this goal given its impact on soils, productivity and biodiversity. Issues such as water repellence and compaction of soils may also be having an impact on farm productivity levels, although the impact on productivity is not clearly understood. Healthy soils will reduce the loss of topsoil to waterways and the impact of sediment on rivers and the Estuary. Strategies under this goal aim to assist farmers and land managers to better understand their local soils, make informed decisions on soil management practices, and support biosecurity programs. Farmers own and manage over 50% of the Region, making their increased participation in NRM essential.
B2.1	Understand soil characteristics and risks
B2.1.1	Support land managers to undertake and understand risk/soil mapping at a local level
B2.1.2	Support and share research and information that improves our collective understanding of soil characteristics and their productive potential
B2.1.3	Support land managers to understand the consequences over use of fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides
B2.2	Support land managers to match land uses and management practices to soil type and land capability
B2.2.1	Support adaptive land management practices in vulnerable areas
B2.2.2	Maintain priority areas for agricultural production (while protecting valuable environmental assets)
B2.3	Support land managers to implement sound soil management practices and use suitable land productively
B2.3.1	Encourage and support farming methods to enhance soil and soil resilience
B2.3.2	Encourage use of soil amendments for multiple benefits
B2.3.3	Support ‘whole of farm’ planning to better meet social, economic and environmental objectives
B2.4	Support biosecurity practices
B2.4.1	Support, preparation and implementation of biosecurity program/s for multiple benefits
B2.4.2	Raise awareness and educate community on local, priority biosecurity issues and provide support for management
B2.5	Influence legislation and policy
B2.1.1	Influence and support decision makers in developing policy and legislation for the protection of priority agricultural land
B2.1.2	Influence and support decision makers in developing policy and legislation for the protection of priority environmental assets
B2.1.3	Advocate for and support streamlining of planning regulation and licensing for sustainable agricultural practices

B3	COASTAL AND NEARSHORE AREAS AND PROCESSES ARE RESILIENT AND VALUED
Coastal foreshores, beaches and near-shore areas have significant social, ecological and economic values. They support commercial and recreational fisheries, protect coastal residential areas and provide a diversity of habitat for flora and fauna. A key aspect of coastal management in the Region is the network of community groups, local governments and state agencies that manage coastal foreshores and maintain public access to beaches and nearshore waterways. Strategies to achieve this goal are aimed at supporting the groups and organisations who are undertaking coastal area and near-shore management.
B3.1	Protect foreshores for their ecological and recreational values
B3.1.1	Encourage/support foreshore management that enables natural process and resilience to a changing climate
B3.1.2	Support the community to value and manage coastal areas
B3.1.3	Support recreational uses consistent with environmental protection
B3.2	Protect near-shore habitats for productivity and biodiversity
B3.2.1	Support actions/activities to protect near-shore habitats for ecological, recreational and commercial productivity

B4	BIODIVERSITY IS CONSERVED
Biodiversity is the term used to describe the natural diversity of life. This diversity exists at the ecosystem, species and genetic levels. The Region is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot because of its mega-diverse and unique biodiversity and the level of threat this biodiversity is under. Biodiversity is most effectively and efficiently conserved by protecting natural areas, these being areas of bushland, forest, woodland, waterway, wetland, dune, rock outcrop, foreshore and any other area in a near-nature state. The Region is home to many globally significant natural areas, notable examples being Dryandra Woodland, our Northern Jarrah forest, and the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar System. The strategies to achieve this goal are focused on protecting priority natural areas, managing and reducing threats to biodiversity assets, and restoring ecological linkages between significant natural areas. Assisting local governments to implement local biodiversity strategies will be one of a number of ways of achieving this goal.
B4.1	Protect priority terrestrial and aquatic natural areas
B4.1.1	Influence land-use planning to afford protection to priority natural areas
B4.1.2	Undertake assessments of biodiversity status
B4.1.3	Assist land managers to protect priority terrestrial natural areas
B4.1.4	Assist land managers to protect priority aquatic natural areas
B4.1.5	Assist land managers to improve biodiversity through regenerative agricultural practices
B4.1.6	Incorporate knowledge of impacts of changing weather patterns into biodiversity programs
B4.2	Manage and reduce threats
B4.2.1	Identify, monitor and communicate threats and threatening processes
B4.2.2	Implement and support threat reduction activities in priority areas, including managing feral animals, weeds and disease, fire, extreme events and drought
B4.2.3	Implement and support management and response planning for extreme natural events
B4.3	Restore ecological linkages
B4.3.1	Facilitate and/or support collaborative landscape scale restoration for multiple benefits
B4.3.2	Encourage restoration processes being identified and embedded into the land-use planning system