Caring for the Swan Canning Riverpark

Swan River Trust Riverbank Program

2015 Premier’s Awards PresentationCategory - Managing the Environment

From pistols at dawn to partnerships on the foreshore

• Complexity of managing 350kms river shorelines under pressure• Riverbanks were orphaned with no clear manager• The Swan River Trust responded by establishing the Riverbank

program in 2002• The Swan Canning River Management Act 2006 established

Foreshore Land Managers and ‘shared’ responsibility through Riverpark– 21 riverfront local Governments– 6 State Government foreshore land

managers

• Innovative cross governmentpartnerships and delivery

Riverbank Program conception and evolution

• Began with 1 FTE– $120,000 funding budget

• 10 years of recognition and support by State Government, Local Government, Trust Board and Executive team– 5 FTE– $1M funding budget-built technical expertise and a robust

decision making process• Conceived the notion of ‘Riverpark’

A decade of delivery to the Perth community –Riverbank diversity

Types of projects range from the recently announced:

• City of Fremantle ($13,800) - Prawn Bay Foreshore Restoration, North Fremantle - weed control, foreshore stabilisation, revegetation and rabbit control

• City of Armadale ($23,300) - Revegetation and weed control at three sites in the City of Armadale

A decade of delivery to the Perth community –major projects

• Since 2002 over $15 million has been distributed across 183 projects

• Combined with partner contributions to result in more than $30 million of on-ground works

• Mount Bay Road Wall Project• Como Artificial Beaches project

Leadership – making the foreshores a priority

Riverbank program focuses State and Local Governments on foreshores and builds their capacity to actively manage these areas.

• 2008 Foreshore Assessment and Management Strategy (FAMS) – highlighting priority areas that need immediate management

• 2010 Best Management Practices (BMP) – promoting best practice for foreshore management techniques and demonstrating how they apply to the Swan and Canning rivers

 

Training and empowering local government

2011 Extension Plan – support and training our foreshore land manager partners in delivering best practice projects on the river.

• Project management• Training opportunities• Workshops and demonstration sites

 

Achievements and benefits

Environmental

• Protect and provide habitat for native Riverpark flora and fauna

• Restored 500,000m2 (equivalent of 28 Melbourne Cricket Grounds) of shoreline each year

• Planted 700,000 trees and sedges• Built and maintained approximately

6 kilometres of river walls• Reduced riverbank erosion from

wind, storm surges and boat wakes

Achievements and benefits

Economic• Injected $30 million into the economy,

including leveraged funds• Maintains and creates the Riverpark that

attracts tourists and events while providing new and existing business opportunities for entrepreneurs exploring riverfront or on water businesses

Social

• Improved community access to the Riverpark’s recreational facilities

• Increased awareness of indigenous, cultural and heritage values of key Riverbank sites

• Community engagement• Improved Riverpark aesthetic and amenity

Innovation and the future

Asset Management System• Australian first for a River Management authority• Shared responsibility upfront• GIS foreshore mapping• Technology to determine funding priorities

Innovation and the future

Proactive Funding• New grants process informed by

Asset Management System• Focuses resources on priorities• Allows multi-year planning

Heritage Protocols• New consultation and approvals

process

Accountability and continuous improvement

• Rigorous annual financial auditing• External and internal Funding Program review• Review of every completed Riverbank project• Asset Management System - provides the management

priorities and financial figures

• Complex river system to manage• Innovative partnerships and technology• Maximising limited funding• Multiple outcomes

Closing statements

Q & AFor more information on the Swan River Trust Riverbank program:

http://www.swanrivertrust.wa.gov.au/science/program/Content/riverbank.aspx