Working Together on Waterway Management

City of Busselton (the City)

• The City are the Interim Asset Manager for Toby Inlet and the Lower Vasse River, in this role the City:
  • Developed and delivers projects from the Toby Inlet and Lower Vasse River Waterway Management Plans (in collaboration with partner agencies).
  • Manages the Toby Inlet ocean connection – for both flood mitigation and water quality improvements.
  • Funds and delivers priority programs through implementation of the waterway management plans, such as sediment removal in the Lower Vasse River.
  • Contributes to managing Geographe Waterways through collaboration with partner agencies, and through the Vasse Taskforce and Vasse Wonnerup Wetlands Partnership.
  • Administrates a Waterway Management Committee – find meeting minutes here.

GeoCatch

• GeoCatch is a local catchment management group, who carry out a number of initiatives to care for the Geographe Bay catchment. GeoCatch:
  • Has a partnership agreement with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) through Healthy Estuaries WA to work with the community to reduce nutrients entering waterways from rural and urban areas.
  • Key activities include encouraging best practice fertiliser management, fencing waterways and encouraging low nutrient gardening.
  • Delivers communication and engagement objectives on behalf of the Vasse Taskforce and Revitalising Geographe Waterways.

GeoCatch website

Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER)

• DWER administers the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act (1914), and Environmental Protection Act 1986 (EPA Act).
• DWER conducts water quality and phytoplankton monitoring in local waterways and provides reports and advice to the City.
• DWER and DPIRD are responsible for investigating and managing fish kills.
• DWER coordinate and provide executive support to the Vasse Taskforce.

DWER website

Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development (DPIRD)

• DPIRD leads the sustainable development of Western Australia’s regions and agriculture, aquaculture, food and fisheries sectors.
• DPIRD provides research on fertiliser management and provides support to farmers to assess and mange soil health.
• DPIRD conducts nutrient mapping, to show the impact of nitrogen and phosphorous fertilisers on groundwater and waterways in high rainfall areas.
• DPIRD manages recreational and commercial fishing by assessing the status of key stocks and setting and enforcing appropriate recreational and commercial fishing rules.
• DPIRD and DWER are responsible for investigating and managing fish kills.

DPIRD website

Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA)

• DBCA administers the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 (CALM Act) and Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act).
• DBCA’s responsibilities relate to the conservation of native wildlife across all tenures and the management of lands vested with the department.
• In the case of the Waterways in the City of Busselton, DBCA is involved in waterbird monitoring, the management including weed and invasive animal control and access management of a number of terrestrial (land) nature reserves adjacent to these waterways.
• The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (1971) aims to conserve internationally important wetlands. The convention lists approximately 2,000 wetlands internationally and 11 in WA the Vasse-Wonnerup System is one of them.
• DBCA is responsible for managing and reporting back on the condition of Ramsar wetlands in WA. This includes monitoring waterbirds, water quality and vegetation and the status of threatening processes acting on the wetlands.

DBCA website 

Water Corporation

• Water Corporation is responsible for water related services in WA, including but not limited to the supply of water, wastewater and sewerage infrastructure, drainage, and irrigation.
• Water Corporation is responsible for maintaining rural drainage systems, such as the Vasse Diversion Drain, which diverts water from the Vasse and Sabina rivers to prevent flooding. The drain was upgraded in 2020.
• Sewerage infrastructure is a crucial component of improving water quality in the City of Busselton waterways. The Busselton Light Industrial Area is not currently connected to sewerage infrastructure, and septic tanks do contribute to the phosphorous and nitrogen load in the Lower Vasse River.
• It is critical that the City works with the Water Corporation to continuously improve sewerage systems.

Water Corporation website 

Vasse Wonnerup Wetlands Partnership

• The Vasse Wonnerup wetlands Partnership are the asset managers of the Vasse Wonnerup wetlands in the interim of the wetlands being vested into Conservation Estate
• Members include representatives from the Departments of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER), Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), the City of Busselton and the Water Corporation.
• The Partnership coordinate implementation of the Vasse Wonnerup wetlands Operational Plan (2019) and manage the Vasse Wonnerup wetlands over summer/autumn
• The Partnership oversee surge barrier operations, including implementation of the s40 authorisation and fish kill response and management plan.
• DWER is currently Chair the Partnership

Vasse Taskforce

• A multi-agency committee with representatives from local and state government, water service providers and catchment groups.
• The driving force behind Revitalising Geographe Waterways, providing overall coordination, supporting project partners and reporting back to the community.
• Committed to Revitalising Geographe Waterways to achieve healthy waterways and ultimately a healthier Geographe community.

About the Vasse Taskforce 

Revitalising Geographe Waterways

• Revitalising Geographe Waterways aims to improve water quality, waterway health and management of Geographe waterways. It is part of the State Government-funded Healthy Estuaries WA program.
• Revitalising Geographe Waterways has been overseen by the Vasse Taskforce since 2014, with over $18 million invested by State Government, Taskforce Partners, industry and community.
• The current phase of the program runs until 2028 and will continue with on-ground actions to reduce nutrients from urban and rural areas, monitoring and science of priority waterways, implementing key actions in water management plans and communicating and engaging with the community through partnerships and collaboration.
• A major focus of Revitalising Geographe Waterways is to work together in a collaborative approach to develop and maintain strong working partnerships between government, catchment and industry groups and community members to develop and implement a vision for the long-term health and management of Geographe waterways.

About Revitalising Geographe Waterways

Healthy Estuaries WA

• Healthy Estuaries WA is a State Government commitment to delivering initiatives in estuaries, which includes Vasse-Geographe waterways.
• Projects funded by Healthy Estuaries WA includes:
  • Catchment officer positions and training;
  • DairyCare – a program to manage dairy effluent from entering waterways;
  • Estuary modelling, to test the impact of potential management actions and to assess how esturaries adapt to change
  • Estuary monitoring, to improve our understanding of the processes that influence water quality and to evaluate the effectiveness of management actions;
  • Fertiliser management, to support farmers to make informed fertiliser decisions;
  • Fencing and revegetation of the riparian zone (the area adjacent to rivers and waterways);
  • Investigating and working to improve the effectiveness of phosphorus binding clay;
  • Trialling soil amendments that increase the ability of soils to retain phosphorus;
  • Fertiliser trials.

Healthy Estuaries WA