Yaringa marina inland expansion proposal
Originally constructed in 1986, before we knew better, a proposal to greatly extend the existing commercial marina development (planning to occupy both private and public land) has been referred to the feds for assessment under the EPBC Act
The plans requires a large excavation to construct an inland marina on remnant, bio-regionally endangered native wetland and woodland vegetation
The existing privately operated marina is situated in Watsons Inlet in the north-west of Westernport Bay
These documents are open for public comment from 28/6/2011 and may be downloaded as editable PDF files with built-in highlighting and commenting facilities
The plans requires a large excavation to construct an inland marina on remnant, bio-regionally endangered native wetland and woodland vegetation
The existing privately operated marina is situated in Watsons Inlet in the north-west of Westernport Bay
These documents are open for public comment from 28/6/2011 and may be downloaded as editable PDF files with built-in highlighting and commenting facilities
The plan....
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Left: the proposed marina excavation The map below shows the crown land boundary indicating the public land that would be alienated and developed under a very long term lease  |
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Remnant Vegetation communities
Biodiversity is richest where several vegetation types meet and often overlap. Some of the most valuable biodiversity in this fragmented area is in habitat corridors. This plan proposes a large break in continuity of the coastal strip bordering the inlet The different colours denote discrete patches of the three vegetation communities that have been recorded on the site. While one, Heathy Woodland (EVC 48), occurs frequently, few remnants of Swamp Scrub (EVC 53) and Sedgy Swamp Woodland (EVC 707) occur within the Gippsland Plain bioregion. As such Swamp Scrub and Sedgy Swamp Woodland are considered endangered within the Gippsland Plain bioregion Click on the photographs to enlarge them  |
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From the Ecology Partners flora and fauna report shown below:
"Potential direct impacts to ecological values within the study area include:
Indirect effects on adjacent areas, such as Mornington Peninsula National Park, are also possible if construction activities are not appropriately managed, and these include:
"Potential direct impacts to ecological values within the study area include:
- Removal of the state significant Swamp Scrub and Sedgy Swamp Woodland considered endangered in Victoria;
- Decreases in population sizes of local flora species including the depletion and fragmentation of remnant native vegetation within the region;
- Fragmentation and loss of native vegetation connectivity (i.e. wildlife corridors) within the landscape which is likely to be important for flora and fauna survival and migration;
- Possible introduction and further spread of exotic weed species through construction activities and garden plantings;
- Loss and/or disturbance of suitable habitat for a range of national, state and regional significance;
- Loss of suitable foraging and shelter habitat for common fauna species; and,
- Direct mortality of locally common fauna species within the study area at the time of construction.
Indirect effects on adjacent areas, such as Mornington Peninsula National Park, are also possible if construction activities are not appropriately managed, and these include:
- Further introduction of environmental weeds into the adjacent area of Coastal Saltmarsh, which occurs directly to the west of the study area, as a result of inappropriate landscape plantings; and,
- Soil disturbance which could increase the spread of weeds in the study area and beyond within areas of coastal vegetation around the Somerville area.
- Any loss of ecological values should be viewed in the overall context of ongoing loss,fragmentation, and deterioration in the quality of remnant vegetation throughout the Mornington Peninsula"
Below is one of the documents available for inspection or public comment on this DSEWPC page
From the above report
"There were several survey limitations, including:
"There were several survey limitations, including:
- The region is under drought conditions with a large extent of the ground vegetation dry or dead making plant identification difficult.
- The short survey period meant that uncommon species may not have been observed within the study area.
- The survey was conducted in mid-summer which meant that many annual species may not have been observed within the study area.
- The majority of the northern section of the study area is currently grazed by cattle, making identification of grass and forb species difficult.
- While the objective of the assessment was to document terrestrial flora species and communities in the study area, and to identify potential impacts of the proposed development, an assessment of the interaction of species over a longer survey period was beyond the scope of this study.
- The short duration of the survey meant that potential migratory, transitory or uncommon fauna species are likely to have been missed"
