Summary
About the Torbay catchment
The Torbay catchment is located on the south coast of Western Australia between the towns of Albany and Denmark, where landuse change has led to community concern about the deteriorating health of the catchment. The Torbay Catchment Group was formed in response to those concerns.
The restoration plan sets out how long-term positive change in the
state of natural resources will take place through prioritised actions
within a three-year implementation period. The plan provides a wholeof-
catchment approach to management, based on integrating research
information, local knowledge and values held by the community.
Community input has been critical in the decision-making process,
with the community setting restoration priorities and actions
underpinned by strong science.
The catchment is 30,000 ha, with 580 landholdings, stretching from
Redmond in the north to the Southern Ocean. While farming is the
dominant landuse in the catchment, almost 80% of landholders earn
their income off-farm. Many properties are small, with non-viable
farming enterprises. There are some commercial tree plantations,
although the community is resistant to an increase in this landuse.
Treated wastewater from Albany is discharged to a tree farm in the
catchment. Water resources for future public supply are from the
Marbellup Brook sub-catchment. Nature conservation values are
significant in wetland, bush and coastal habitats.
Why a restoration plan has been developed
The key environmental issues in the catchment are related to the
condition of waterways and wetlands. The natural drainage system has
been significantly altered and is now dependent upon manual
operation to control wetland water levels and reduce the potential for
flooding. Lake Manarup has been managed for flood mitigation
purposes rather than as a wetland, while Lake Powell and Torbay Inlet
are now two wetlands, with the highest occurrence of algal blooms in
Western Australia. Nutrients from a small number of point sources
contribute to the problem, but the extensive sandy soils indicate that
diffuse sources of nutrients are the most significant cause. In addition
there is recent concern about the extent of impacts caused by acid
sulphate soils.
The primary expected outcome from the restoration plan is an improvement in the condition of natural resources. Targets for resource condition change are set for the management themes, considering a period of approximately 20 years.
The community recognises that full restoration of environmental values in the catchment may not be possible without considerable loss of social and economic values. It is also understood that significant change may take a long time. There is good understanding that management of the natural systems of the catchment involves considerable uncertainty and that many factors may change with time. The full restoration plan includes a monitoring and evaluation section, outlining how change over time will be monitored, to help with reviewing the plan annually and amending it when necessary.