About the Project

Funding

Research Areas

Using and Building on Local Resources

Communications Plan
Communications Log

Papers
Case Study

Milestone Reports

The National Rivers Consortium (NRC) has established two whole of catchment river restoration demonstrations in Australia. One of the projects is in Western Australia, here in Torbay catchment. This project will run in partnership with the Department of Environment (formerly the Water and Rivers Commission) and Land and Water Australia, over a period of four years.

The overall aim of the project is to demonstrate the benefits to the environment and the community of river restoration at the catchment rather than paddock scale. In other words to carry out activities at a meaningful scale which will show us why river restoration is worthwhile.

The aims of the project are to:

  • Develop agreed management objectives with all stakeholders for the catchment and receiving waterbodies

  • Improve understanding about the state of the catchment, sources of nutrients, management of receiving waterbodies and other issues

  • Write an integrated drainage management plan for the declared drainage district

  • Prepare a whole of catchment river restoration plan

  • Identify the environmental water requirements for waterways

  • Implement restoration activities throughout the catchment

  • Monitor and evaluate the project

Detailed information about the project covers:

 

Why Torbay catchment was selected by the NRC

The selected project site had to meet a number of requirements to ensure the project has a high degree of success. The basic requirements were:

  • A manageable sized catchment with a diversity of landform and river form, land uses and river management issues.

  • An existing catchment data set in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) format.

  • Community awareness of river management issues.

  • An existing catchment group to assist in engagement of the community.

  • The support and commitment of a lead management agency.

  • A local person to act as Project Coordinator
 

What are some of the issues to be addressed?

  • Algal blooms in Lake Powell and Torbay Inlet

  • Protecting potential future sources of public drinking water

  • Management of the drainage district and lower catchment floodplain to improve bebfits to the environment, landholders and fishermen

  • Reduce catchment nutrient sources affecting water quality and algal blooms

  • Development of a monitoring and evaluation program with strong community participation.

  • Other issues to be identified by the catchment community and Steering Committee
 

Steps taken so far

  • Community Steering Committee set up to guide the project

  • Research and investigations have commenced

  • Torbay Catchment GIS database for community use being developed - see the WA Atlas online

  • On ground funds are available to implement waterways restoration works
 

Funding

The project is principally funded by the Federal Government through Land and Water Australia's National Rivers Consortium and the Western Australian Department of Environment. Other contributors are the Western Australian Department of Agriculture and the Water Corporation.
 

Using and Building on Local Resources

Watershed Torbay has endeavoured to use the talents of local people wherever feasible.

The project is completely run from the south coast office of the Department of Environment. The Albany campus of the University of Western Australia is involved in the project administration and the research, and the South Coast Regional Information Centre is providing technical support. The principal investigator, Naomi Arrowsmith, lives in the catchment. Of pivotal importance to the project is the direction and insights provided by members of the community. Since their inception in 1999, the Torbay Catchment Group has provided leadership and focus in restoration efforts.

Where possible other goods, services and expertise will be sourced by the local catchment community. This web page was created and is maintained by Kaye Stott and Geoff Prince, from Youngs Siding (just outside the catchment) and the graphics and home-page layout are the work of Craig Chappelle, from Denmark. Louise Duxbury from Denmark is undertaking the communication and community involvement components.

 

Project Evaluation

As the project gets established, we will be publishing the results of research and activities, and evaluation of results.
 

Papers

Julie Pech: Watershed Torbay: Restoring Torbay Catchment (424Kb), IndoPacific Ecosystem Health Conference November 2002

Louise Duxbury: Watershed Torbay Western Australia - Beyond awareness to behaviour change, Working on the Frontier, EIANZ Christchurch 2005