Capabilities
- Flora, fauna, soil and significant tree inventory and survey
- Flora, fauna and habitat assessment and management, including Habitat Hectares assessment
- Assessment of ecological significance and threat status of species and communities
- ‘Net Gain’ assessment, negotiation and reporting, and vegetation management plans (VMPs)
- Environmental management plans for threatened species, native vegetation, conservation reserves, native fauna and pest plant and animal
- Revegetation and ecosystem restoration design, management and implementation in terrestrial, riparian and wetland ecosystems
- Detailed vegetation survey of type (Ecological Vegetation Class – EVC), condition (habitat hectare) and extent, and GIS mapping
- Riparian & wetland condition assessment and analysis (ISC, IWC, RBA, SRA, TRCI)
- Waterway habitat assessment mapping and interpretation
- Strategic works plans including waterway health activity plans
- Riparian Crown land assessment and management
- Monitoring and adaptive management design
- Applied ecological research design and implementation, experimental design development and statistical analyses
Overview
Native vegetation, and the fauna it supports, is recognised for the vital role it plays in the health of our environment. Water quality and overall river health is inextricably reliant on healthy and robust riparian vegetation. Similarly, terrestrial ecosystems rely on healthy native vegetation, the retention of suitable fauna habitat and the control of threatening processes.
State legislation assists in the protection of native vegetation to prevent further loss of overall cover and quality. There is often pressure on ecosystems from the competing needs of urban development, rural production and recreation. Environmental monitoring and evaluation is becoming increasingly important in measuring success of rehabilitation works or the impacts of development activities.
Water Technology ecologists have extensive technical and practical expertise in flora, fauna and ecosystem assessment and management. Staff have strong regional industry relationships and work closely with clients to develop applied and practical ecological solutions to issues of water and land management. This expertise provides public and private sector clients with reliable and technically sound reporting.
Selected Projects
Fauna survey activities conducted across the 9,500ha Winton Wetlands
Client: Winton Wetlands Committee of Management
Location: Goulburn-Broken catchment
Fauna survey activities were conducted across the 9,500 ha Winton Wetlands (the decommissioned Lake Mokoan) during October and November 2010 using a variety of direct, indirect and remote survey methods.
Victorian Riparian Grazing Guidelines
Client: Department of Sustainability and Environment
This project was instigated by the Sustainable Water, Environment and Innovation Division of the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE). This project resulted in the following outcomes:
- A literature review on the use of controlled grazing in ‘typical’ riparian zones across Victoria;
- The development of a decision support framework to predict the relative effects of controlled stock grazing on native riparian vegetation;
- The provision of guidelines and recommendations about the management of controlled grazing within riparian zones of varying vegetation type and condition; and
- Recommendations on how to institutionalise any suggested controlled grazing regimes.
Fire Assessment and Recovery Program
Client: Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority
The 2009 Black Saturday Victorian Bushfires affected a significant area of the upper Goulburn River catchment between Kilmore/ Wandong and Alexandra. The fire has been regarded as “Australia’s worst natural disaster” with significant loss of life, and impacts on communities, destruction of infrastructure and natural assets. A vital natural asset of concern in these areas are waterways, and in order to facilitate their recovery, an assessment of fire related damage and related ecological and erosion risks on priority river systems was required. Read More…
Macropod Population Assessment
Client: Parks Victoria
Reef Hills State Park is an area of 2040 hectares located approximately 200km north-east of Melbourne. The Park is a multi-use area currently utilised for nature conservation and human recreational activities, with a history of gold mining and stock grazing. Currently, the park is experiencing a significant decline in native vegetation diversity, with native shrub species particularly affected. While some of this decline is attributable to drought, our previous work identified fire exclusion and the level of macropod grazing as major influences. This project designed and implemented an appropriate methodology for counting macropod numbers and determined their habitat preference. Read More…
Mid Yarra River Vegetation Assessment
Client: Melbourne Water Corporation
Water Technology was commissioned by Melbourne Water to undertake repeat condition assessments of the riparian vegetation along two reaches of the Yarra River, applying three recognised condition assessment methods: Habitat Hectares, Index of Stream Condition (ISC) and the Rapid Appraisal of Riparian Condition (RARC). Baseline assessments were completed at these sites in 2007 prior to the planned implementation of weed control works. The results of the reassessments were used to analyse the sensitivity of the condition indicator scores and final scores of each method to detect short-term (one year) condition change. Read More…
Gravel Hill Quarry Expansion
Client: Boral
Water Technology was commissioned by Boral Country Quarries to undertake a Net Gain assessment at their hard rock quarry in northern Victoria. This was part of the requirement for their application to revise the existing Work Authority to expand the extraction area, allowing access to higher grade material and to extend the viable life of the quarry. Read More…
State Wide Condition Assessments
Client: Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE)
Water Technology has been involved in two State wide projects assessing the condition of waterways and wetlands across Victoria for the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE). These projects provide a State wide snapshot of condition to determine if progress has been made towards condition targets and to assist in the setting of priorities for action to improve or protect these natural assets. These projects have also been driven by Regional, State, National and International reporting obligations. Read More…