Coastal Lake Assessment and Management (CLAM) Tool: Advancements in Development

1. Advances in the development of the Coastal Lake Assessment and Management (CLAM) toolLetcher, R.A., Ticehurst, J.L., Merritt, W.S. Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre

2. Outline • What is CLAM? • History of CLAM development • CLAM uses and development approach • Custodianship and accreditation

3. What is CLAM? • The Coastal Lake Assessment and Management (CLAM) tool was developed to allow stakeholders, in particular Local Government Planners, to assess the social, economic and environmental trade-offs associated with development, remediation and use options for coastal lakes and estuaries • The tool consists of a software package which relies on a Bayesian Network approach to model the lake system • Uses a process that relies heavily on stakeholder and expert feedback and open documentation of underlying assumptions and data sources • CLAM is not only a software system but an approach to model development and communication

4. CLAM Tools • Use methods developed in DNR funded pilot study which aimed to assess the sustainability of eight coastal lakes on NSW coast (Sustainability Assessments of NSW Coastal Lakes: 2004 to 2005) • Features of the CLAM tool • Simple representation of complex systems, including social, economic, ecological and physical processes and their connection • Able to incorporate quantitative and qualitative data (e.g. observed data, model simulation, expert knowledge) • Extensive internal documentation of model and data assumptions and quality • Implicitly recognises the level of uncertainty in results and hence confidence in the outputs by using conditional probabilities • Easy to update as new information becomes available • CLAM does not make decisions for you but can be used to aid in decision making by clarifying the trade-offs involved

6. 2005: iCAM sub-contracted to complete parts of the HSC funded ICM Development project 2005: iCAM contracted to develop prototype CLAM tools for Smiths and Wallis Lakes 2006: Economic component of Back Lake and Merimbula Lake CLAMs revised (DEC, Gillespie Economics) 2006: Training workshops on application and tailoring of the Coastal Lake Assessment and Management (CLAM) tools 2006+: CLAM project developing applications for 16 coastal lakes in northern NSW (NRCMA) History of CLAM 2002: Healthy Rivers Commission Independent Inquiry into Coastal Lakes; Cabinet Office releases a Statement of Intent for implementation of the Coastal Lakes Strategy 2004: As part of the CCA program, iCAM contracted by DNR to develop sustainability assessment methodologies for 8 NSW coastal lakes

7. What can CLAM be used for? • To understand the social, economic and environmental trade-offs associated with management of coastal lakes • To facilitate and promote discussion between planners and the wider community regarding the management of an estuarine system • As an educational and learning process for communities and government bodies • To support development of Estuary Management Plans

8. CLAM development process • The extent of model review in stages 7 and 8 depends on the available resources (time, money and/or information) and the level of response from stakeholders • Users should be aware of the aims, strengths and limitations of each CLAM tool when using its output to inform a decision

9. How should CLAM be used? • CLAM aims to represent the best available knowledge on impacts in an integrated way • Knowledge of many key variables is frequently very poor • CLAM approach to is include these in the framework and use the best available data • Reflect and document the poor quality information to provide direction on where further monitoring or studies should be carried out • Provide a framework for this information to be included in the assessment once it becomes available • CLAM results should always be actively questioned and should only be accepted after close consideration • Use CLAM as the basis of a communication process • Do people agree or disagree with the results? • Why? • Can they reach consensus on the nature of the impacts? Why/why not? • Do these impacts matter and is there any action that could be taken to reduce the impacts

10. CLAM Custodianship • Anyone can change model data: • This is the case with any model (not just CLAM) • How can users ensure the model can change and grow while maintaining the quality assurance of the product? • Who will be allowed to have copies of the model and under what conditions can they be used? • Who maintains the model and ensures proper documentation procedures are followed? • Our preferred approach: • CLAM management group to critically review and manage changes into the future (data, nodes and scenarios) • Central management & key contact person (local council, DNR, CMA or consultant) to maintain the ‘accepted’ CLAM

11. CLAM Roll-out • CLAM is moving from a development phase to an implementation phase • Creating a group of people outside ANU who can develop, update and maintain CLAM tools to break the reliance on ANU researchers for these tasks • Ensuring a modest income stream to enable maintenance and development of the software into the future • Quality assurance of CLAM products

12. Roll-out approach • CLAM user training • Broad based training sessions for communities on the use of individual CLAM tools • Aims to teach people the appropriate uses of the CLAM tool and provide them with enough training to use CLAM for making decisions • Focus has been on local council staff and Councillors, Estuary Management Committees and State Government staff • CLAM developer training and accreditation • Narrow and intense training in CLAM development and methods • Focus has been on consultants to provide Councils etc with a locally based and accessible group of CLAM developers • Accreditation process to ensure maintained quality of the CLAM approach and products

13. Attend training workshop Registration fee Pass all modules Trained CLAM projects managed by ANUE Management fee A 1st application Management fee B 2nd application Accredited Refund training registration costs Management fee C Future applications Future applications Future applications

14. Accredited Mat Birch, BAES Jennita Gay, ABER Charlie Hewitt, Geolink Verity Rollason, WBM Tim Ruge, Geolink Damon Telfer, GECO Trained and currently undertaking 1st supervised project Angus Fergusson, ABER Robert McKenzie, Ecotech Group Robert Mezzatesta, Eco Logical Australia David Pont, Ecotech Group Current accreditations Trained • Lachlan Whetham, Aquafirma