1 Background & Introduction

The overarching aim of the Watershed Torbay project was to demonstrate the social (community) and environmental benefits of investing in waterways restoration at a catchment scale. These aims arose from past experience around Australia that suggested that progress towards improving catchment waterways has been hindered by two main factors. Firstly, the restriction of restoration activities to separate reaches of streams rather than a whole of catchment approach. Secondly, the roles of the community, government agencies and researchers in waterways restoration planning are not clearly defined. Consequently, management actions have sometimes led to conflict because proposed solutions, fail to recognize the needs, intuitions and knowledge of local residents.

The Watershed Torbay project aimed to address these shortcomings through developing a plan for the whole catchment that emphasizes the community as the driver of restoration priorities and actions. Part of the outworking of that plan is to provide GIS services and products to present a wide range of data, interactively, to stakeholders guiding ongoing projects.

1.1 The Objectives of this Contract

A series of base maps are to be provided for inclusion in the final Torbay Catchment Restoration Plan, and for other purposes as required, such as public consultations. These maps will be completed to a publication standard and contain all the standard map components (legend, location maps, grid, source attribution etc). The final attributes of all maps to be confirmed in negotiations with the Torbay Project Manager. The maps will include catchment-wide information on the following attributes:

• Catchment hydrology - the map shows all waterways, wetlands, stream order & sub-catchment boundaries
• Catchment soils and geomorphology with stream network overlay.
• Catchment contour map stream network.
• Remnant vegetation - map shows remnant vegetation with the stream network overlay, roads and reserves (with vesting)
• Land use - map shows general land-use categories with stream network and roads.
• Cadastre - base map

Part 2 Restoration Plan GIS Analysis

The Torbay Catchment Restoration Plan outlines a series of actions requiring GIS analysis which are the subject of this brief. On the basis of the management actions determined in the Catchment restoration Plan, the maps resulting from data analysis will provide detail of:

• Remnant vegetation areas and assist in delineation of priority remnant areas, categorised as High, Medium and Low priority for protection
• Recommended areas where perennial pasture is preferred as a hydrological control -showing property boundaries and main roads
• Recommended priority stream restoration reaches with a table of appropriate minimum buffer widths for all stream orders
• High nutrient source areas within the catchment - with stream network overlay
• Pathogen risk sources and potential waterways `hot spots' in conjunction with the Marbellup Protection Plan being prepared by Department of Environment.
• High nutrient export risk areas and potential extent of influence on associated waterways.

Part 3 Implementation of Tracking System

Datasets are required to record ongoing work undertaken in the catchment, to allow progress to be measured and specified in map and tabular form as appropriate.

The information required will include:

• The extent, type, cost of waterways fencing
• The extent, species types and numbers, cost of re-vegetation works
• The extent, type and cost of perennial pastures
• The extent of trees for farm forestry and shelter belts
• Nutrient balance survey results

Specifications for data quality control will include the following meta-data:

• Data entry standards (levels of reliability and limitations)
• Platform information (ie software used)
• Reporting methodology.

Standards:

• The contractor will design and establish the datasets in a form that allows storage of the required information.
• The contractor will provide the above services and products after consultation and agreement with the Project manager regarding each service or product.
• The contractor will provide map and data products in electronic formats compatible with current DOE IT systems.

Due to GIS developments within DoE which may supersede the above work, this 3rd part has been delayed and will be reported separately.

Project Limitations

• No provision was made for climate change.
• Land use is based on 2004.

Report Disclaimer

Nutrient exports, landuses, best management practices and catchment hydrology exhibit characteristics and properties which vary from place to place and can change with time. The preparation of this Report involved gathering and assimilating facts and other information-including opinions-about these characteristics and properties, in order to carry out the brief. The facts and opinions reported in this document have been obtained by surveys and sampling, and interpretations of these using a variety of mathematical models. They are directly relevant only to the catchments and waterways and management practices at, about or for which the surveys and sampling were carried out, and are believed to be reported accurately. The mathematical models used are intended to provide indicative results only, and are dependent on input parameters. Any interpretation or recommendation given in this document is based on judgment and experience, and not on greater knowledge of the facts that the reported investigations may imply. The interpretations and recommendations are opinions provided for the sole use by the Department of Environment, in accordance with a specific Tender Brief. Ecotones does not represent that the information or interpretation contained in this document addresses completely all issues relating to nutrient management in the Torbay catchment. The responsibility of Ecotones is solely to its client, the Department of Environment. It is not intended that this report be relied upon by any third party. Ecotones accept no liability to any third party.