1. The Coastcare Program
• South Metropolitan Coastal Region
• North Metropolitan Coastal Region
2. Coastwest - Perth Metropolitan Coastal
Biodiversity Project
Perth's coastline and offshore waters are the playground for a large part of the growing population. The brilliant colours and clarity of the water and the rich diversity of the sea life attract thousands of recreational users throughout the year. Power boating, yachting, surfing, sailing, fishing, snorkelling and beach usage are at their height in summer.
Four large marinas have been built between Fremantle and Yanchep and two further marinas are proposed for Cockburn Sound. Gage Roads provides the entry route for the vastly increased amount of commercial shipping coming to Fremantle and Cockburn Sound. Rottnest Island remains a premier recreational and environmental focus for many Perth residents and tourists. Accordingly protection of the estuarine, coastal and marine habitat integrity and the cultural values associated with the marine environment must be a high priority for the Perth Region.
Symptoms of degradation of the Region's coastal and marine environment are biodiversity decline, exotic marine species and exotic plants. Prominent causes are recreational activities urban or industrial discharges and infrastructure development, leading to erosion and sedimentation, nutrient export and enrichment, and chemical contamination. Beach access is an ongoing issue for dune preservation. There is generally inadequate recognition of the long-term effects of usage and development along the coastal strip.
The Coastcare Program has continued it's highly successful work along the Perth metropolitan coastline. Both the North and South metropolitan coastcare Officers have expanded their working partnerships in the 2008-2009 transition year, to assist a wider range of stakeholders.
On ground activities in the south region have been abundant and have involved a diverse range of stakeholders. Activities have included community planting days with a number of Friends Groups and also with Malibu Special Needs School; rehabilitation and weeding days with Conservation Volunteers Australia; walk track construction activities with Green Corps Trainees and Indigenous Horticultural Trainees; and construction, vegetation pruning and seed collection activities with corporate groups, including Chevron and Woodside. The following areas/sites listed have involved on ground coastal rehabilitation or revegetation activities this year;
Point Peron
Coogee Beach
Port Beach
Woodman Point
View St, Warnbro
Kwinana Beach
Challenger Beach
South Beach
City of Cockburn
Rockingham Foreshore
Lake Richmond
Golden Bay
East Rockingham Beach
The Adopt a Beach program has continued successfully for another
year. This awareness raising program consists of in class
presentations and beach activities. Over 130 students from five
primary schools were involved and more than 1000 plants were
planted.
There has been a number of training workshops held throughout the
year. Indigenous Horticulture trainees, volunteers from
Conservation Volunteers Australia, volunteers from Woodside and
students from a number of schools have been educated and trained in
coastal activities such as plant identification,
planting techniques, plant propagation and coastal infrastructure
construction.
The coastal Local Governments in the south metropolitan area have continued their support for the Coastcare program. The South Metropolitan Coastcare Officer has successfully worked with Natural Areas Managers, Environmental Officers and Works Managers and staff to provide assistance and expert advice on current and proposed coastal projects and coastal area management.
Coastal rehabilitation and revegetation activities have been
numerous and successful. There are a large number of active
community coastcare associations in the northern region who have
worked closely with the North metropolitan Coastcare Officer
undertaking a variety of coastal works. In addition, there has been
strong support for, and involvement with, the Coastcare Program
from all north coastal Local Governments.
Stakeholder number and involvement increased in the 2008-2009
transition year. Offering support from the corporate field was Lion
Nathan, Chevron, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Woodside and HBF.
This year has seen much greater interest and participation in the Coastcare Program from the education sector. The Adopt a Beach program gained more support with three new primary schools participating in activities and a number of other primary schools engaged in presentations and on ground activities. Presentations relating to coastal management and rehabilitation were given at the 2009 Catchments, Corridors and Coasts, a professional development course for teachers and the 2009 Seaweek Teachers Expo. The North metropolitan Coastcare Officer was also an integral part in facilitating and organising the 2009 Waves Clean Beach Challenge, which involved 6 secondary schools.
The partnership with Curtain University has also strengthened over the last financial year, with Urban and Regional Planning students participating in field sessions and tutorials arranged and run by the North metropolitan Coastcare Officer.
In 2007, Perth Region NRM funded a project "Ecological Assessment and Management of Coastal Natural Areas". This project established information about the ecological condition of and management requirements for, the coastal vegetation of the Perth Region. Coastal vegetation communities were broken down into 3 levels of priority. Areas given a Priority 1 rating were areas with higher vegetation integrity than other sites and in very good condition.
The Perth Metropolitan Coastal Biodiversity (PMCB) Project has built on the outcomes from the above mentioned project and focused specifically on management, revegetation, restoration and strengthening of the following listed Priority 1 coastal vegetation sites.
City of Joondalup - Iluka, Mullalloo and Sorrento.
City of Stirling - North Beach, Trigg Regional Open Space.
Town of Cambridge - North Floreat Beach.
Town of Cottesloe - Grant Marine Park, Bryan Way, Vlamingh
Memorial, Muderup Rocks and Cottesloe Native Garden.
City of Cockburn - Coogee Beach, Manning Lake, Redemptora
Reserve.
City of Rockingham - Bayeux Dune Blowout, Golden Bay.
These Priority 1 sites form the core vegetation communities and have benefited from community based on-ground works to reduce the impacts from invasive weeds, erosion and human impacts.
