Management and regulation of estuary management Ingrid Holliday DSE, Marine Biodiversity

Many impacts, many players As 96% of Victorian foreshore - publicly owned estuaries and river systems – many owners/ managers Image of estuary with many people involved

What is the management framework? “land” –includes not only the face of the earth, but has an indefinite extent, upwards as well as downwards including everything under, or over it. management responsibility is defined by –land tenure (who owns land) –functions (responsibility for activities).

Land Tenure Private land –land sold to private parties under the Lands Act (Freehold land). –responsibility of owner Crown land –All other Victorian ‘land’ (land, beds and banks of waterways and watercourses) National Parks, State Parks and other Parks Crown land reserves State forests Unreserved Crown land –responsibility of Minister for Environment May be delegated Native Title

Additional classifications of ‘land’ Coastal Management Act –Establishes Victorian Coastal Council and Victorian Coastal strategy - from catchment drainage boundary to 3nm –Establishes consent for use and development of ‘Coastal Crown Land’ - subject to the Victorian Coastal Strategy When making a decision affecting this land - local government must consider Strategy. ‘Coastal Crown Land’ (subset of the “coast”) –Crown Land within 200m of the highwater mark, –the seabed of internal state waters and that out to the 3 nautical mile Victorian limit, –all Crown Land Reserved for the Protection for the Coastline

Additional classifications of ‘land’ Fisheries Reserves –Fisheries Act provides for the declaration of ‘Fisheries Reserves’ spawning, hatching or nursery, critical habitat, aquaculture, harvesting, management or monitoring, education, research or scientific purposes. –These reserves can only be waters that are not reserved under National Parks Act; or land that is Crown Land.

Responsibilities for functions Water –Water authorities - responsible for regulation and management of regional drainage, waterways, floodplains and stormwater quality Fisheries –regulation, management and conservation of Victorian fisheries, including aquatic habitats. Ports –declaration of a ‘port’ and a ‘port manager’. –declaration of a ‘local port’ and a ‘local port manager’. Boating activities Roads

Legislative approvals process for estuaries Water Act 1989 –establishes an approvals process for any ‘works on a waterway’ (estuaries included) –requires a licence be obtained to ‘construct, alter, operate, remove or decommission any works on a waterway, including works to deviate a waterway’. –Minister’s powers for issuing licences -delegated to CMA’s. Coastal Management Act 1995 –Establishes an approvals process for ‘use and development’ of Coastal Crown Land (including banks, beds & entrances of estuaries) Reserved Crown land – approvals powers delegated to DSE Land reserved under National Parks Act – approvals powers delegated PV

Documents guiding estuarine management State Environment Protection Policy (Waters of Victoria) –statutory framework for protection of the uses and values of fresh and marine water environments. –sets out environmental quality objectives and indicators to measure whether beneficial uses are being protected. Regional Catchment Strategies –Estuaries are part of the catchment. –provide framework for long-term integrated management and protection of catchments, their land and water resources, and their associated plant and animal life

Documents guiding estuarine management Victorian River Health Strategy –estuaries -ecological functioning component –Government's long-term direction for the management of Victoria's rivers Victorian Coastal Strategy –requires development of Victorian Coastal Strategy - long term planning for the Victorian coast. –‘coast’ - land to the Victorian 3nm limit, and land within the coastal catchment. Coastal Action Plans

Documents guiding estuarine management Fisheries Reserve Management Plans –formalise management arrangements for a particular location Harvesting Other impacts on fish habitat Other –Estuary Opening Management in Western Victoria (Parks Victoria Technical Series No. 15)

Many classifications of ‘land’ and ‘functions’ = many managers = Clear need for coordination CMA’s-play an important role in co-ordinating decisions in catchment (including estuaries)

Clear need for coordination The Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 –framework for integrated management and protection of catchments, land and water resources, and associated plant and animal life (Regional Catchment Strategy) –responsible for ‘co-ordinating and monitoring the regional catchment strategies implementation’ ‘promoting the co-operation of persons and bodies involved in the management of land and water resources in the region’. The Water Act 1989 –functions of an Authority include; identify and plan for needs relating to the use and to the economic, social and environmental values of land and waterways; develop and implement effectively schemes for the use, protection and enhancement of land and waterways; investigate, promote and research any matter related to its functions, powers and duties in relation to waterway management; to educate the public about any aspect of waterway management.

Estuary pressures, relationship with catchment condition = informing decision making and supporting integrated estuary management