COASTAL CATCHMENTS INITIATIVE (CCI) PROJECTS

The Coastal Catchments Initiative (CCI) is an initiative of the Australian Government seeking to deliver significant reductions in the discharge of pollutants to agreed hotspots, where those hotspots have been identified through agreement with the relevant jurisdictions. Rollout of the CCI, to be undertaken in collaboration with State environment protection agencies, is in two stages:

• firstly, agreement on the coastal hotspots and preparation of water quality improvement plans. The plans, prepared consistent with the Framework for Marine and Estuarine Water Quality Protection, will amongst other matters identify the most cost-effective and timely projects for investment by all parties — including the Australian Government, State and Local Governments, and community and environment groups; and
• investing in water quality projects identified through the improvement plans. The Australian Government will target projects that are most likely to deliver cost-effective water quality improvements, whilst seeking from the respective jurisdiction implementation of management strategies to sustain these improvements into the long term.

A draft water quality improvement plan will be accredited by the Australian Government and the relevant State or local government, thereby forming an agreed approach to achieving pollutant reductions.

The Framework builds upon key elements of the National Water Quality Management Strategy (NWQMS) and the National Principles for the Provision of Water for Ecosystems. The key features of the Framework include:

• the environmental values of the coastal water;
• the catchment that discharges to that coastal water;
• the water quality issues (eg algal blooms, sedimentation, high coliform concentrations causing beach closures) and subsequent water quality objectives;
• the load reductions of pollutant/s to be achieved to attain and maintain the water quality objectives;
• the setting of the maximum load of pollutant/s against diffuse and point sources of pollution;
• the river flow objectives to protect identified environmental values, having regard for matters such as natural low flows, flow variability, floodplain inundation, interactions with water quality and the maintenance of estuarine processes and habitats;
• management measures, timelines and costs in implementing the plan; and
• the grounds for a "reasonable assurance" from jurisdictions to provide security for investments to achieve and maintain the specified pollutant load reduction and environmental flow targets.

(Adapted from the DEH website http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/pollution/cci/index.html)

In part, the CCI program will also assist the Australian Government in meeting its commitments under the Global Programme for Action for Protecting the Marine Environment from the Impacts of Land-Based Activities

In 2003 the Peel-Harvey Coastal Catchment was identified as a priority hotspot under the Coastal Catchments Initiative and the subsequent component projects were developed in partnership with the Government of Western Australia primarily through the Department of Environment (now Department of Environment and Department of Water), the Department of Agriculture and Food, the Peel Development Commission and the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority.

(Click here to download a map of the Peel-Harvey Coastal Catchment in PDF format.)