About the Project

Saltmarsh is an endangered ecological community (EEC), that is, one of the environments facing a high risk of extinction. Saltmarsh occurs at only few remaining sites within Pittwater and at the sites they do occur, are remnant. A number of flora and fauna species grow and inhabit Saltmarsh, an environment that also plays many roles in keeping the coastal ecosystem healthy, including erosion protection and water quality improvement. This once wide-spread community has in the past been heavily degraded due to urban development and trampling by park users, yet is now receiving serious attention. Saltmarsh at Kooroowall has now been excavated, weeds and turf removed, and the Saltmarsh re-vegetated. In addition, fences have been extended and signs been put in place to manage inappropriate access.

Funding and support

Funding for this project has been provided by the Australian Government Department of Primary Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority (HNCMA), the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and Pittwater Council, with support from the NSW Food Authority and NSW Farmers Association.

Project Aims

• Protection and enhancement of highly public Saltmarsh remnant at Bayview, Pittwatter.
• Improvement of fish habitat in Pittwater.
• Management of inappropriate access.
• Halt loss and degradation of Saltmarsh and reintroduce it where it has been trampled.
• Encourage involvement of the community (residents, fishers and students) in restoring aquatic habitat. 
• Promote to landowners and the broader community how changes to land and natural resource management within the catchments can have significant impacts on downstream primary production for the commercial seafood industry.
• Increase knowledge of Saltmarsh to park users to ensure maximum responsibility for the Saltmarsh in the long-term and to stop inappropriate access and activities in nearby remnants and created Saltmarsh.

Proposed Outcomes

Linking site users with the Saltmarsh such that there is an understanding of the important role of this EEC in contributing to the Food-Web of the Estuary. Additionally the relatedness between Saltmarsh, Mangroves and Seagrass and estuarine biodiversity and commercial fishes will be emphasized. The project will highlight the importance of land management activities in the Catchment that impact on the Pittwater estuary, in particular the Saltmarsh, but also the Mangroves and Sea grasses.  

What Council is doing now

• Managing access – to reduce the problem of trampling.
• Enhancing education and awareness – to also decrease the impacts of trampling.
• Allocating funding for on-going maintenance of the Saltmarsh / Terrestrial interface.
• Implementing a bushcare / resident group in Kooroowall Reserve – to ensure an on-going level of monitoring and care.
• Monitoring - including photo-points and quadrates sampling.

More information

The Tide is High - Coastal Pressures, Climate Change, Sustainability