Draft Manning River Catchment and Estuary and Catchment Management Program 2021-2031 - Summary doc

MANNING RIVER ESTUARY AND CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 2021-2031

Looking after the river we love

The Manning River, its tributaries and the estuary give life to our community connecting the mountains to the sea.

Together we manage the catchment holistically and respond to a changing climate - safeguarding environmental, social, cultural and economic values.

MidCoast Council is working with our community and partners to develop a Catchment Management Program for the Manning River and its estuary. The program will take a whole-of-catchment approach, recognising that what happens on the land influences water quality and ecosystem health.

Why does the Manning River matter?

The Manning estuary is a mature wave dominated barrier estuary covering an area of approximately 32.3km (Roy et al 2001). From the tidal extent at Abbotts Falls up-river of Wingham, the estuary is a single channel to Taree then spills over an extensive floodplain with a complex of inter-connecting channels approximately 115 km in length. Six islands lie between the north and south entrances.

The Manning River is the lifeblood of our community.

The estuary is important for oyster-growing, fishing, tourism and recreation. From the upper reaches of the catchment the Manning and its tributaries provide water for drinking, stock and irrigation. All these uses depend on a healthy ecosystem and clean water.

Cultural connections to the river and estuary for the Aboriginal community spans multiple generations.

The estuary’s average flushing time is 31.6 days, compared to a State-wide median of 9-days (Roper et al. 2011). The long residence time of fresh water makes the estuary particularly sensitive to the accumulation of catchment inputs (Roper et al. 2011).

The Manning River estuary has been rated as having medium sensitivity to freshwater inflows (NSW Govt.

2016 p. 10).

Approximately 50,000 people live in the Manning River Catchment, of which “34,000 people reside within the estuarine or coastal landscape of the catchment” (MCC 2018). Seasonal tourism adds another 870,000 visitors a year, also concentrated in the coast and estuary.

Approximately 7% of the community are Aboriginal/ Torres Strait Islanders. All of the estuary and most of the catchment is Biripi land, with Kamilaroi, Worimi and Geawegal also represented (Horton 2018).

The Manning River originates at 1570m above sea level in the Gondwana World Heritage Area of the Barrington Tops and flows 261 km to the Tasman Sea on the mid-north coast of NSW (NSW Govt. 2016).

Its vast catchment covers an area of approximately 8,420km2 with 16 major tributaries.

What did our community say?

What are some of the problems?

37% of our community¹ said that they valued healthy aquatic ecosystems the most in the Manning River. This was closely followed by visual amenity and then cultural and spiritual values. Riverbank vegetation and instream habitat were selected as the most important features of the Manning River.

• Lack of stewardship

• Floodplain drainage

• Climate change

• Acid Sulfate Soils

• Loss of coastal wetlands and riparian vegetation

• Agricultural impacts

¹ Values survey, 122 participants

Managing the River A whole of catchment approach is being applied to the Manning River Estuary and Catchment Management Program to address the holistic nature of current and future risks.

Since 2018, we have engaged with a wide range of community members and stakeholders.

Together we’ve developed a program of 36 management actions grouped under 8 key objectives listed opposite.

These actions focus on community engagement and education, supporting a transition to best environmental management practice with farmers, restoring coastal wetlands and riverbank vegetation, and remediating acid sulfate soils.

Who we consulted with: The Manning River Estuary CMP Reference Group; The CMP Technical Advisory Group; Delivery partners; the local Aboriginal community via Purfleet-Taree Local Aboriginal Land Council; Community Interest Groups including agriculture and industry groups, drainage unions, fishing clubs, Landcare and the Manning River Turtle Conservation Group; the local farming community; and the wider community.

Over 250 individuals have been engaged so far through events, surveys and workshops with more to come during the exhibition phase in June 2021.

How the catchment management program will be implemented The Manning River Estuary and Catchment Management Program (ECMP) aspires to protect and improve the ecological health of the Manning Estuary and its catchment, and in doing so support the social, cultural and economic values of the region.

The Manning ECMP sets out a long-term action program (ten years) for Council, our community and partner organisations to improve the health of the Manning River. It brings together 36 management actions in a format that is measurable and targeted.

Once complete, the Manning ECMP will be adopted by Council and submitted for certification under the NSW Coastal Management Act, providing access to co-funding from the NSW Government.

Get involved If you would like to have your say on the Manning River ECMP, or get involved in activities for conservation, we’d love to hear from you.

Sign up for the Our Manning River Newsletter to hear about ECMP progress, education and conservation activities. To subscribe, visit www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/ourmanningriver Have your say The ECMP goes on public exhibition from 3 June - 13 July 2021.

Visit www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/ourmanningriver to view the program and have your say.

Yalawanyi Ganya 2 Biripi Way PO Box 482 Taree 2430 Mon-Fri 8.30am - 4.30pm Tel: (02) 7955 7777

Photo credits: East Coast Photography (front cover) Karen Bettink (this page)