Local Government Land Access Forum

1. Local Government Land Access Forum Tony Flaherty & Caroline Taylor July 2009

2. Natural Resources Management Act 2004 • Chapter 2—Objects of Act and general statutory duties • Part 1—Objects • Part 2— General statutory duties • 9 — General statutory duties • (1) A person must act reasonably in relation to the management of natural resources • within the State. Thompsons Beach Photo: Bill Doyle www.flickr.com/photos/amlrnrm

3. (2) In determining what is reasonable for the purposes of subsection (1), regard must be had, amongst other things, to the objects of this Act, and to — • a) the need to act responsibly in relation to the management of natural resources, and the potential impact of a failure to comply with the relevant duty; and • b) any environmental, social, economic or practical implications, including any relevant assessment of costs and benefits associated with a particular course of action, the financial implications of various measures or options, and the current state of technical and scientific knowledge; and • c) any degrees of risk that may be involved; and • d) the nature, extent and duration of any harm; and • e) the extent to which a person is responsible for the management of the natural resources; and • f) the significance of the natural resources, including in relation to the environment and to the economy of the State (if relevant); and • g) the extent to which an act or activity may have a cumulative effect on any natural resources; and • h) any pre-existing circumstance, and the state or condition of the natural resources. Middle Beach Photo: Bill Doyle www.flickr.com/photos/amlrnrm

4. Natural Resources Management Act 2004 • Chapter 7 - Management and protection of water resources • Part 2 - Control of activities affecting water • Division 2- Control of activities • 133 - Specific duty with respect to damage to a watercourse or lake • (1) It is the duty of the owner of land on which a watercourse or lake is situated or that adjoins a watercourse or lake to take reasonable measures to prevent damage to the bed and banks of the watercourse or the bed, banks or shores of the lake and to the ecosystems that depend on the watercourse or lake. Middle Beach Photo: Bill Doyle www.flickr.com/photos/amlrnrm www.flickr.com/photos/amlrnrm

5. The Region • 443 km of coastline • Goolwa to Port Wakefield Proof Range • 12 Coastal Councils • 2 Coastal Action Plans • 3 Coast, Estuary and Marine Officers • hosted by Local Government

6. Adelaide & Mt Lofty Ranges NRM Board • Sustainable Seascapes • Staff & Officer Support • BOARD STAFF • Manager Coast & Marine • (1FTE NRM Board – Tony Flaherty) • Seascapes Liaison Officer • (1FTE NRM Board - TBA) • Coastal Projects Coordinator • (1 FTE NRM Board, Caroline Taylor ) • BOARD SUPPORT EXTERNAL • 3 Coast, Estuary & Marine officers ASO 3/4 equivalent • Fleurieu (1 FTE resourced by NRM & Councils • (Corey Jackson, hosted by DC of Yankalilla) • Metro (1 FTE resourced by NRM & Councils ) • (Emma Stephens,hosted by City of Holdfast Bay) • Northern (1 FTE resourced by NRM & Councils ) • (Aleisa Lamanna, hosted by DC Mallala) Webb Beach Photo: Bill Doyle www.flickr.com/photos/amlrnrm

7. Seascapes Strategy 1 • Manage and protect coastal habitats and estuaries • Seascapes Strategy 2 • Mitigate impacts on Reef & Seagrass Ecosystems • Seascapes Strategy 3 • Improve collaborative management of coast, estuary and marine environments • Seascapes Strategy 4 • Protect Marine and Coastal Wildlife • Seascapes Strategy 5 • Build community skills, knowledge & capacity to manage coast, estuary & marine environments • Seascapes Strategy 6 • Support Management of Marine Pests • Seascapes Strategy 7 • Support Sustainable Marine Industries Glenelg Barge Wreck Photo: Antony King Flinders Uni Underwater Club

8. Seascapes Strategy 1 • Manage and protect coastal habitats and estuaries • Key Actions 08/09 • Coasts • Fleurieu -$42,114 worth of work across 9 sites • Metro - $45,710 worth of work 7 sites • Northern -$18,115 worth of work plans across 9 sites • Sellicks to Middle Spit Coastal Action Plan for August 09 • Successful Australian Government Community Coastcare funding obtained for 18 months • Fleurieu ($123,857) • Northern ($113,442 ) • Estuaries • Onkaparinga Estuary Plan - $25,000 on-ground works & water quality monitoring program • Scoping Estuary Action Plans for Hindmarsh / Inman / Bungala estuaries Tennyson Dunes Photo: Bill Doyle www.flickr.com/photos/amlrnrm

9. Coastal Action Plans • Southern Fleurieu Coastal Action Plan (2007) • Metropolitan Adelaide & Northern Coastal Action Plan (2009 In Press) • All of the Board’s region now has Action Plans determining key conservation priority areas to undertake activities based on: • -Conservation priority • -Threat Analysis • Region divided into series of ‘cells’ • -Small sub regional landform units ~6km in length

10. Photo: DEH

12. Threat Analysis- Off-road Vehicles • Identified as a threatening process in both CAP’s. • Legal vs illegal access • 14 (of 51) cells affected • -High, Medium and Low threat • Dune and saltmarsh areas most affected • -highly sensitive nature of the vegetation and soils. • -slow recovery times

13. ORV’s impacts (Caton et al 2009) • Wildlife disturbance, harassment, displacement & destruction. • Disruption of wildlife feeding and breeding • Disruption of predator-prey relationships • Vegetation and wildlife habitat change, fragmentation or destruction • Pedestrian and vehicular traffic impact on vegetation • Introduction of weeds and plant diseases • Soil disturbance, compaction & degradation • Soil and Beach erosion • Litter and Waste (including human waste) • Noise and chemical pollution • Alteration to drainage pattern • Disfigurement of coastline • Use of dead wood for fires • Increased fire risk • Loss of heritage values • Vandalism, including damage to areas already cleared for other purposes

14. Why ORV’s? • Used to get to remote fishing, picnic or camping areas • Cross dunes and travel along beaches • General ‘fun’ of driving off road or to out of the way places • Areas affected: • Appear to be low value by many people • ‘unused’, low/ few habitations • Historical used by others

15. Examples of ORV impacts • Many sites are currently affected across the region. • -Dunes (Goolwa, Morgan’s Beach) • -Coastal Slopes (Fishery Beach) • -Coastal Cliffs (Moana (Ochre Point)) • -Saltmarsh (including samphire, sabkhas, sand ridges and supratidal areas) • -Le Fevre Peninsula • -Pt Gawler/ Middle Beach • -Baker’s and Thompson Beach

16. ORV- Northern Adelaide • Areas of highest impact (red) • -multiple tracks across the samphire • -regular use • Within the saltmarsh there are multiple tracks, extensive damage to sabkhas and surrounding supratidal areas • -large multiple sand ridge area immediately NW of Port Gawler has been extensively damaged. Sabkha Low flat, bare or sparsely vegetated, coastal plain; it often has a salt-encrusted surface, where intertidal and supra-tidal evaporites are being deposited (Schwartz, 1982).

17. Seascapes Strategy 4 • Protect Marine and Coastal Wildlife • Protect and manage shorebird habitats • Supporting Shorebirds 2020 project with Birds Australia, WWF, Australian Government • Improve shorebird knowledge • Train & coordinate volunteers • Feb and March 2009 workshops • Coordinate surveys • Feb and June 2009 Surveys • Future management of salt fields and other habitats • 4th most important wading-bird habitat in Australia • Opportunities for development of brackish wetlands • Climate change and coastal wetland & Saltmarsh retreat • Board discussion paper to initiate interagency and stakeholder dialogue Cheetham Salt ponds Photo: Bill Doyle www.flickr.com/photos/amlrnrm

18. Seascapes Strategy 4 Protect Marine and Coastal Wildlife Beach-nesting Birds Monitoring & Conservation Collaborative project with Birds Australia Seasonal surveys Volunteer training Community awareness Assisting land mangers with beach management Dog’s Breakfast- Normanville 2008 Photo: AMLR CEM Officer Mary Alice Ballantine Photos: Birds Australia – Grainne Maguire & Glen Ehmke

19. CoastalDevelopment Maguire, G.S., 2008, A practical guide for managing beach-nesting birds in Australia, Birds Australia, Melbourne

20. Recreationists in motorised vehicles – land Silver Sands Photo: Bill Doyle www.flickr.com/photos/amlrnrm Maguire, G.S., 2008, A practical guide for managing beach-nesting birds in Australia, Birds Australia, Melbourne

21. Middle Beach

22. Webb Beach

23. Bakers Creek

24. Signage

25. Signage Cont.

26. Controlling access

27. Council vs Crown Lands • Council by-laws prohibit vehicles in some areas • -Does not extend to state or privately owned land • Have to be enforced by Council staff or Police • -Resources to undertake this limited • -Lower priority

28. Management…… • The Board is working with Land owners/ managers & community to: • -Restrict access (fencing, bollards, boulders) • -Map areas affected • -Determine highest priority areas to protect & rehabilitate • -Monitor effects • -Report incidents • -Signage • -Discuss and assist new management ideas

29. Thankyou • Tony Flaherty Caroline Taylor • Manager Coast and Marine Services Coastal Projects Coordinator • tony.flaherty@adelaide.nrm.gov.aucaroline.taylor@adelaide.nrm.gov.au • Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board • 205 Greenhill Rd • EASTWOOD SA 5063 • Ph 8273 9100 • www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au

30. West Lakes Shore Photo: Bill Doyle www.flickr.com/photos/amlrnrm