Gellibrand EEMSS no landholders

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2017!

%Gellibrand%River%Estuary%

EEMSS!%!Agricultural!Land!Impact!Assessment!!

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Corangamite+Catchment+Management+Authority+!

rmcg.com.au%

/Users/jaclynes/Desktop/Gellibrand!EEMSS_no!landholders.docx!

This!report!has!been!prepared!by:!+

RM%Consulting%Group%Pty%Ltd%trading%as%RMCG!5/16!Gilbert!Street,!Torquay,!Victoria!3228!

PO!Box!620,!Torquay,!Victoria!3228!!!

P:!(03)!5261!6105!E:[email protected]!W:!www.rmcg.com.au!!

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ABN:!73!613!135!247!!!

Offices!in!Bendigo,!Melbourne,!Torquay!and!Penguin!(Tasmania)!!

!%%%%Key%Project%Contact%%Jaclyne!Scally!M:!0468!813!609!E:[email protected]!

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Document%review%and%authorisation%Job%Number:%54JCJ06%

Doc.%Version% Final/Draft% Date% Author% Reviewed%by% Quality%check% Release%approved%by% Issued%to% Copies%

1.0! Draft! 25/11/2016! J.!Scally! S.!McGuinness! ! ! T.!Scarborough! 1(e)!

2.0! Final! 16/3/2017! J.!Scally! S,!McGuinness! P.!Mawson! S.!McGuinness! T.!Scarborough! 1(e)!

Note:!(e)!after!number!of!copies!indicates!electronic!distribution!

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Gellibrand%River%Estuary%EEMSS%J%Agricultural%Land%Impact%Assessment%

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%RMCG!!! !

Contents!

1! Introduction% 4!1.1! Purpose!of!this!project!.............................................................................................................!4!1.2! The!Gellibrand!River!Estuary!...................................................................................................!4!

2! Methodology% 6!2.1! Landholder!identification!..........................................................................................................!6!2.2! Interview!design!.......................................................................................................................!7!

3! Results% 11!3.1! Asset!description!and!score!...................................................................................................!11!3.2! Threat!description!and!score!.................................................................................................!15!3.3! Data!analysis!.........................................................................................................................!19!

4! Recommendations%&%summary% 23!

References% 25!

Appendix%1:%Interview%template% 26!

Appendix%2:%Agricultural%asset%descriptions% 29!

Appendix%3:%Threat%attributes%and%scores% 30!


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1! Introduction!

1.1% Purpose%of%this%project%

RM! Consulting! Group! Pty! Ltd! (RMCG)! was! engaged! by! the! Corangamite! Catchment! Management!Authority!(CMA)!to!conduct!interviews!with!landholders!on!the!floodplain!of!the!Gellibrand!River!estuary.!The!purpose!of! the! interviews!was! to! gain! knowledge!and!data! from! local! landholders! to! populate! the!Estuary!Entrance!Management!Support!System!(EEMSS).!!

EEMSS! is! a! decision! support! tool! that! guides! estuary!managers! in! the! decision! to! artificially! open! an!estuary!mouth.!EEMSS!provides!an!assessment!of!the!potential! impact!to!the!social,!cultural,!economic!and! environmental! assets! associated! with! both! opening! and! not! opening! an! estuary! mouth.! Data! is!available! for! the! built! infrastructure! and! ecological! assets,! such! as! flora! and! fauna,! however! there! is!limited!data!on!agricultural!assets.!!

There!has!been!a!long!history!of!productive!agriculture!on!the!flats!of!the!Gellibrand!River!estuary.!The!fertile!alluvial!soils!and!a!reliable!rainfall!have!provided!farmers!with!valuable!grazing!pastures!for!dairy!and! beef! cattle,! particularly! over! the! summer! months! when! the! surrounding! hills! are! dry.! Anecdotal!evidence!suggests! that!grazing! late! into! the!season!has!also!enabled! landholders! to!attract!a!premium!price! for! their!stock!relative! to!other! regions.!Many!of! the!original! families! to!settle!along! the!Gellibrand!River!estuary!remain!on!farms!there!today.!The!Corangamite!CMA!recognise!the!importance!of!gathering!data!on!the!value!that!landholders!place!on!their!agricultural!land!and!the!impact!inundation!has!on!their!productive! capacity,! so! that! this! information! can! be! considered! in! EEMSS! alongside! the! existing!economic!and!ecological!data.!!

This! report! presents! the! results! of! interviews!with! nine! landholders! on! the! floodplain! of! the!Gellibrand!River!estuary!over!the!period!of!October!–!November!2016.!!

1.2% The%Gellibrand%River%Estuary%%

The!Gellibrand!River! estuary! is! located! in! southwest! Victoria,! near! the! township! of! Princetown! on! the!Great!Ocean!Road.! The!Gellibrand!River! rises! in! the!Otway!Ranges,! near!Kawarren,! and! flows! south!through! the! settlements! of!Gellibrand! and!Chapple!Vale,! traversing! remnant!Otway! forest,! commercial!timber! plantations! and! cleared! agricultural! land.! The! Gellibrand! River! enters! the! coast! in! the! Twelve!Apostles! Marine! National! Park,! at! Point! Ronald! near! Princetown.! The! river! and! its! tributaries! have! a!catchment!area!of!approximately!2346!ha!(CCMA!2012).!!!

The! tidal! and! seawater! influence! of! the! estuary! was! originally! thought! to! extend! 10.7km! upstream,!however!a!2008!study! found!a! tidal!signal!as! far!as!13.6km!upstream!at! the!Great!Ocean!Road!bridge!(Lloyd!et.!al.!2008).!The!estuary!has!one!major!tributary,!Latrobe!Creek!approximately!1.25km!upstream!from!the!mouth.!There!are!around!320ha!of!wetlands!surrounding!the!estuary,!of!which!significant!areas!area!listed!as!Wetlands!of!National!Importance!(CCMA!2012).!!

Under!natural!conditions,!the!estuary!intermittently!opens!and!closes!in!response!to!prevailing!conditions!such! as! freshwater! inflows,! weather! changes! or! tidal!movements.! In! the!Gellibrand!River! estuary,! the!marine!influence!is!low!because!of!a!restricted!bar!at!the!mouth!of!the!system!(Earth!Tech!2005).!Instead,!freshwater! inflows!have! the!greatest! influence!on!mixing!within! the!estuary.!During!high! flows! in!winter!and! spring! the! estuary! becomes! totally! fresh,! while! at! times! of! low! flow,! sea! water! which! enters! the!estuary! as! a! salt! wedge! reaches! its! maximum! upstream! limit.! Flows! generally! need! to! be! below!750ML/day!for!the!salt!wedge!to!return.!


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Figure%1J1:%Map%of%the%Gellibrand%estuary%and%catchment%(Barton%&%Sherwood%2004)%

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Figure%1J2:%The%Gellibrand%floodplain%viewed%from%Old%Ocean%Road,%October%2016%

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2! Methodology!

2.1% Landholder%identification%%

Farming!land!that! is! impacted!by! inundation!at! the!2mAHD!flood!contour!were!the!priority! focus!for! this!project.! This! flood! level! is! approximately! the! maximum! extent! at! which! estuarine! flooding! has! been!recorded! at! the! Gellibrand! (Figure! 2%1).! Non%farming! land! on! the! floodplain,! such! as! the! recreational!reserve!and!domestic!blocks,!were!not!within!the!scope!of!this!project.!!

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Figure%2J1:%The%2mAHD%flood%extent%at%the%Gellibrand%River%estuary%

The!Corangamite!Shire,!on!behalf!of!the!CMA,!circulated!a!letter!to!landholders!at!the!Gellibrand!estuary!notifying! them!of! the!project!and!opportunities! to!participate.! Interested! landholders! then!contacted! the!CMA!to!register!their! interest! in!an!interview.!Follow!up!phone!calls!were!also!made!to!landholders!that!had!participated! in!a!similar!survey!commissioned!by! the!CMA! in!20071,! thus!ensuring! that!all!affected!landholders!were!captured.!!

A!total!of!nine!property!owners!were!identified!and!this!was!further!groundtruthed!by!local!stakeholders,!including!landholders!and!agencies!familiar!with!the!area.!!

RMCG!coordinated!meeting!times!with!the!landholders.!Eight! interviews!were!conducted!face%to%face!at!their!properties!and!one!was!conducted!via!telephone.!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!Landholder!interviews!were!partially!completed!as!part!of!a!similar!project!during!2007!and!this!data!was!not!collated!in!EEMSS.!!


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Figure!2!2!shows!the!property!parcels!impacted!by!the!2mAHD!flood!contour.!

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Figure%2J2:%The%2mAHD%flood%contour%clipped%to%show%affected%property%parcels%on%the%Gellibrand%floodplain%

2.2% Interview%design%

The!EEMSS!Background!Report!and!User!Manual!(Deakin!University!2006)! includes!a!template!for! the!EEMSS! Agricultural! Land! Impact! Assessment! Report! (this! can! be! found! as! Appendix! K! of! the! User!Manual).! This! template! provided! a! foundation! for! developing! the! interviews,! however! there! were!inconsistencies!between!the!data!collection!method!in!the!assessment!report!and!the!data!requirements!for!the!EEMSS!web%tool2.!For!example,!the!assessment!report!required!a!detailed!account!of!water!level!heights!at!different!times!of!the!year!for!each!of!the!four!threat!attributes,!however!there!is!no!capacity!to!input!this!level!of!detail!into!the!EEMSS!web%tool.!!

A! simplified! template! had! been! previously! prepared! by! RMCG! for! a! similar! purpose! at! the! Aire! River!estuary!during!2015f!this!was!modelled!on!the!EEMSS!assessment!report!and!prepared!in!consultation!with!the!Corangamite!CMA.!For!the!purposes!of!this!project,!the!interview!template!used!at!the!Aire!River!was!utilised!with!some!minor!modifications,!such!as!the!identification!of!low,!intermediate!and!high!water!levels,!which!is!discussed!in!more!detail!beneath.!!A!copy!of!the!interview!is!attached!as!Appendix!1.!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2!The!EEMSS!web%tool!is!located!at!www.victorianestuaries.com.au!!


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The!interview!was!centred!on!understanding!two!main!components:!the!asset!and!the!threat.!The!benefit!of! the! landholder! interviews! was! in! understanding! their! whole! farming! enterprise,! how! they! utilise! the!floodplain!as!part!of! their!business!and! their!perceived! impact! from! inundation.!The!main!output!of! the!interviews!was!qualitative!data!that!provides!valuable!context!to!the!asset!and!threat!scores!in!EEMSS.!The!actual!asset!and!threat!scores!were!largely!assigned!following!the!interviews!and!with!the!use!of!GIS!flood!mapping,!as!discussed!in!more!detail!beneath.!

Landholder%details%

The!first!step!in!the!interview!was!for!the!landholder!to!identify!the!property!parcels!that!were!part!of!their!farm! business,! including! parcels! they! owned! as! well! as! any! they! lease.! A! property! parcel! map! was!utilised!in!the!interviews!for!this!purpose.!Even!though!the!majority!of! landholders!own!multiple!parcels,!the! assessment! was! conducted! at! the! whole! of! property! scale.! Therefore,! the! total! farm! size! (ha)!encompasses!all!land!owned!by!the!landholder!as!part!of!their!farming!business,!including!any!land!that!is!not!located!on!the!floodplain.!!

Asset%description%and%score%

This! section! of! the! interview! sought! to! understand! the! productive! capacity! of! the! property,! which! is!reflected! in! the!main! agricultural! use.! The!Agricultural!Use! categories! (Table!A3%! 1)! are! based! on! the!‘Land! Value’! categories! in! AVIRA3! and! were! used! as! a! guide! to! assign! an! asset! score.! Detailed!definitions!of!each!land!use!category!are!provided!in!Appendix!2.!!

Table%2J1:%The%predominate%agricultural%land%use%categories%(Deakin%2006)%

Asset%score% Asset%attributes%

1! Non%agricultural!

2! Dryland!grazing!/!non%irrigated!pasture!/!forestry!

3! High!rainfall!farming!/!lifestyle!farming!

4! Mixed!grazing!–!possibly!some!irrigation!

5! Dairy,!orchard,!vineyard,!intensive!agriculture!–!possibly!some!irrigation!used!

The!land!type,!that!is!the!proportion!of!low,!intermediate!and!high!land,!was!also!considered!in!the!overall!asset!description.!Estuarine!water!levels!(mAHD)!were!used!to!identify!low,!intermediate!and!high!land!at!the! Gellibrand! River! estuary.! The! water! levels! were! determined! in! consultation! with! the! Corangamite!CMA!Project!Manager!and!using!the!Land!Type!descriptions!provided!in!the!EEMSS!Background!Report!and!User!Manual.!A!brief!rationale!for!each!water!level!height!and!land!type!is!provided!in!Table!2%2!and!a!more!detailed!description!of!the!Land!Types!is!provided!in!Appendix!2.!!!

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!3! The! Aquatic! Values! Identification! and!Risk! Assessment! (AVIRA)! is! an! asset%based! approach! used! to! score! and! describe! the!environmental,!social!and!economic!values!for!all!waterways.!!


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Table%2J2:%Water%level%heights%for%the%three%land%types%at%the%Gellibrand%River%estuary%

Land%type% Estuarine%water%level%% Rationale%

High!land! >2mAHD! Land!that’s!not!affected!by!inundation!at!all!

Intermediate!land! 1.1!–!2mAHD! Land!that!is!inundated!for!short!periods!of!time!and!are!most!affected!by!management!decisions!

Low!land! <1.1mAHD! Land!that!is!constantly!inundated!e.g.!due!to!tidal!influences!

GIS!was!used!to!determine!a!best!estimate!of!the!proportion!of!low,!intermediate!and!high!land!for!each!property!based!on!the!intersection!of!the!1.1mAHD!and!2mAHD!flood!contours.!All!land!utilised!as!part!of!the!farming!enterprise,!including!land!that!is!not!on!the!floodplain,!was!considered!in!the!assessment!of!land!type.!!

In! describing! the! agricultural! asset,! additional! consideration! was! also! given! to! access! to! other! non%adjoining!or!leased!land,!where!the!impacts!of!inundation!could!be!partially!mitigated.!!

Threat%description%and%score%

The!main!purpose!of!this!section!was!to!understand!the!extent!of!production!loss!on!each!property.!Doing!so! involved! a! two%fold! process.! The! first! step! was! achieved! through! consultation! with! the! landholders!where! information!was!gathered!about! the! impact! inundation! is!having!on! the!productivity!of! their! farm!business.!This!was!gleaned!through!one!main!question:!

When!does!inundation!become!a!major!issue!for!you?!

A!series!of!additional!questions!were!used!as!prompts!to!provide!a!more!encompassing!account!of! the!overall!impact!to!their!farming!operation.!Such!questions!included:!!

!! How!are!they!using!the!inundated!land?!How!does!it!fit!within!the!broader!farm!business?!

!! What’s!the!productive!capacity!of!the!inundation!land?!Has!this!changed?!How?!

!! Is!access!restricted!due!to!flooding?!

!! Does!the!landholder!have!capacity!to!move!stock!elsewhere?!

!! What,!if!any,!maintenance!is!required!when!estuarine!flooding!recedes?!

!! Nine!flood!maps!(ranging!from!1mAHD!to!2mAHD)!were!used!during!the!interviews!with!landholders!to! further! understand! the! extent! of! the! impact.! The! information! gathered! through! the! landholder!discussions!provides!valuable!qualitative!information!to!support!the!threat!scores!and!gives!greater!context!to!the!impacts!experienced!at!each!property.!!

!! The!second!step!involved!using!GIS!mapping!to!review!where!the!flood!contours!(at!approximately!0.1m! intervals)! intersect! the! properties,! so! that! water! level! heights! could! be! more! accurately!assigned! to! each! threat! score.! The! description! of! threat! scores! is! provided! in! the! EEMSS!Background!Report!and!User!Manual!and!was!consulted!in!this!process!(refer!to!Appendix!3).!While!several! criteria! pertain! to! each! threat! score,! the! extent! of! inundation! was! used! as! the! primary!attribute!(Table!2%3).!This!is!because!the!extent!of!inundation!provided!the!most!objective!method!for!assigning!quantitative!threat!scores! in!EEMSS!and!could!be!qualified!through!the!use!of!GIS!flood!maps.!It!was!also!the!most!relevant!attribute!to!each!property,!while!other!criteria!such!as!the!extent!of!renovation!following!inundation!e.g.!to!fencing!and!pastures,!did!not!apply!to!each!propertyf!many!landholders!did!not!see!the!value!in!renovating!pastures!and!repairing!fences!due!to!the!frequency!of!inundation!on!the!floodplain.!!


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Table%2J3:%Threat%scores%and%attributes%associated%with%inundation%(Deakin%2006)%

Threat%score% Threat%level% Threat%attributes%associated%with%extent%of%inundation%only%

2! Minor! !! Less!than!50%!of!low!land!inundated!

3! Moderate! !! All!low!land!is!inundated!and!less!than!20%!of!marginal!land!is!inundated!

4! Major! !! All!low!land!is!inundated!and!20%50%!of!intermediate!land!is!inundated!

5! Extreme! !! All!low!land!inundated!and!greater!than!50%!of!intermediate!land!inundated!

In!situations!where!the!farming!enterprise!relies!on!cropping!for!its!primary!income!from!the!affected!land,!the! time!of!year! that!cropping!occurs!has!been!noted!and! this! information!will!be!considered!alongside!the!threat!scores!in!EEMSS.!

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Figure%2J3:%The%Gellibrand%Estuary%floodplain,%October%2016%

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3! Results!

Nine!landholders!participated!in!the!EEMSS!interviews,!translating!to!nine!properties!in!total.!!

The! main! objective! of! the! landholder! interviews! was! to! understand! the! impact! of! inundation! on! the!agricultural!productivity!of!each!affected!property.!This!information,!coupled!with!GIS!flood!mapping!data,!was!used!to!assign!asset!and!threat!scores!for!each!property!that!can!be!incorporated!into!EEMSS.!!

This! section! presents! the! asset! and! threat! scores,! as! well! as! supporting! information,! for! the! nine!properties!at!the!Gellibrand!River!estuary.!!!

3.1% Asset%description%and%score%

The!asset!description!and!scores! for!each! landholder! is!provided! in!Table!3%1.!The! following!notes!are!provided!to!guide!interpretation!of!these!results:!!

!! Property%identification:%Identifies!landholders!that!participated!in!an!interview!through!an!identifier!e.g.!G1.!%

!! Predominate%agricultural%use:%This!refers!to!the!main!agricultural!land!use!category,!as!described!in!Section!2.2!(refer!also!to!Appendix!2).!%

!! Asset%score:%This!is!the!overall!asset!score!assigned!to!each!property!and!is!directly!related!to!the!predominate!agricultural!use.!%

!! Property% size:% Refers! to! the! size! (ha)! of! the! total! farming! enterprise,! including! land! that! is! not!located! on! the! floodplain.! Landholders! provided! an! estimate! of! their! property! size! and! this! was!verified!using!GIS.!%

!! Land% type:%This! refers! to! the! proportion! of! high,! intermediate! and! low! land! on! each! property,! as!described!in!Section!2.2!(refer!also!to!Appendix!2).!%

!! Notes:%Additional! notes! have! been! included,! providing! further! context! and! rationale! for! the! asset!score.!%

The! data! provided! in! Table! 3%1! will! inform! the! Asset! Description! and! Asset! Score! requirements! in!EEMSS.!!

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Gellibrand*River*Estuary*EEMSS*4*Agricultural*Land*Impact*Assessment*

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Table*341:*Asset*description*and*score*

Property*ID*

Predominate*agricultural*use*

Asset*score*

Property*size*(ha)*

Land*type*(ha)* Notes*

High!!(>2mAHD)!

Intermediate!(1.172mAHD)!

Low!(<1.1mAHD)!

G1.! 3.!Lifestyle!farming! 3! 10! 8! 2! 0! !! The!landholders!run!a!small!number!of!animals,!including!7hd!of!dairy!calves,!sheep!and!turkeys.!

!! Their!main!source!of!income!is!not!derived!from!the!farm.!

G2.! 2.!Dryland!grazing!/!non7irrigated!pasture!!

3! 803! 723! 24! 56! !! A!beef!grazing!enterprise,!running!at!low!stocking!rates.!

!! The!landholder!uses!the!flats!to!graze!cattle!over!summer,!but!is!not!reliant!on!them.!

!! There!are!other!sources!of!income!generation!on!the!farm.!

G3.! 5.!Intensive!agriculture!(dairy)! 5! 519! 488! 30! 1! !! A!dairy!farm,!milking!300hd.!

!! The! landholder!has! increased!the! intensity!of! the!farm!in!recent!years.!

!! The!flats!are!used!to!cut!hay!and!silage!over!the!summer!and!autumn!months.!

!! The! landholder! grazes! approximately! 20hd! of! cattle! on!the!flats!at!the!end!of!autumn!to!keep!the!grass!down.!

G4.! 2.!Dryland!grazing!/!non7irrigated!pasture!

3! 800! 788! 8! 4! !! A!beef!grazing!enterprise,!running!at!low!stocking!rates!(~60hd).!

!! The!flats!are!used!to!graze!cattle!over!summer.!

!! This!property!is!approximately!117haU!the!remaining!683ha!comprises!a!dairy!farm!located!off!the!Gellibrand!estuary!and!is!the!main!income!source.!


3! 103! 76! 24! 3! !! Property!is!a!mix!of!agistment!and!leased!land.!

!! Agistment!comprises!23!vealers!over!16!ha.!

!! Leased!land!comprises!approximately!35ha!and!is!all!high!land!unaffected!by!inundation.!!


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Property*ID*


Asset*score*

Property*size*(ha)*


High!!(>2mAHD)!


Low!(<1.1mAHD)!

!! The!landholder!stopped!dairy!farming!12!years!ago!at!which!point!he!was!stocking!at!1hd/acre.!!


3! 94! 70! 6! 18! !! The!property! is!mixed!ownership!between! three!siblings,!but!managed!by!one.!!

!! Land! under! their! ownership! includes! a! mix! of! vacant!inundated! land! on! the! floodplain! and! land! that! is! leased!(for!dairy!and!quarrying).!!

!! Inundated!land!is!not!currently!used!for!agriculture!and!is!not!intended!to!be!in!the!future.!This!includes!32ha!along!LaTrobe!Creek!that!has!been!fenced!off.!!

!! An!8ha!parcel!on!the!floodplain!is!inundated!by!catchment!inflows!over!winter!and!spring.!The!land!is!not!leased!due!to!its!limited!useability!and!has!been!vacant!for!20!years.!!

G7.! 3.!High!rainfall!farming!/!lifestyle!(beef)!

4! 152! 124! 25! 3! !! A!beef!grazing!enterprise!currently!running!at!200hd,!but!looking!to!increase!stocking!capacity.!

!! The!flats!are!used!to!graze!cattle!over!summer!and!autumn.!Calving!occurs!on!the!flats!in!March.!!

!! The!hillsides!provide!winter!and!spring!pastures.!!

!! The!landholder’s!main!source!of!income!is!derived!from!the!farm.!!

G8.! 3.!High!rainfall!farming!/!lifestyle!(dairy!agistment)!

4! 209! 162! 41! 6! !! A!dairy!agistment,!running!approximately!400hd!over!summer!and!200hd!over!winter.!!

!! The!flats!are!used!to!graze!cattle!over!summer!and!autumn.!!

!! The!hillsides!are!grazed!in!winter!and!spring.!!

!! Summer!is!the!main!source!of!income!for!the!landholders!and!stocking!rates!over!this!period!depend!on!access!to!the!flats.!!


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Property*ID*


Asset*score*

Property*size*(ha)*


High!!(>2mAHD)!


Low!(<1.1mAHD)!

G9.! 3.!High!rainfall!farming!/!lifestyle!(beef!agistment)!

4! 51! 38! 11! 2! !! A! beef! agistment! enterprise,! running! 50hd! vealers.!According! to! the! landholder! there! is!capacity! to! increase!the! stocking! rate! to! 70hd,! but! this! is! dependant! on!summer!access!to!the!flats.!!

!! The! flats! are! used! to! fatten! vealers! over! summer! and!autumn.!!

!! The!hillsides!provide!winter!and!spring!pasture.!!!! The!landholder!also!derives!income!off7farm.!

!

!

!


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3.2* Threat*description*and*score*

The! threat!description!and!score! for!each! landholder! is!provided! in!Table!382.!The! following!notes!are!

provided!to!guide!interpretation!of!these!results:!!

!! Property*identification:!Identifies!landholders!that!participated!in!an!interview!through!an!identifier!e.g.!G1.!

!! Threat*score:*A!Minor!(2),!Moderate!(3),!Major!(4)!and!Extreme!(5)!threat!score!has!been!assigned!to!each!landholder.!The!threat!score!is!presented!as!a!water!level!(mAHD)!and!relates!to!the!threat!

attributes!described!in!Appendix!3.!As!described!in!Section!2.2,!the!extent!of!inundation!of!low!and!

intermediate!land!has!been!used!as!the!primary!attribute!in!assigning!a!threat!score!and!has!been!

determined!in!consultation!with!GIS!flood!contour!mapping.!!!!

!! Cropping:*Identifies!if!cropping!is!occurring!on!the!inundated!land!and!is!part!of!the!primary!income!for!the!landholder.!The!time!of!year!that!cropping!occurs!is!also!noted.!!

!! Notes:*Notes!have!been!included,!providing!context!to!further!understand!the!extent!of!the!impact!to!each!landholder’s!farming!business.!!

The!data!provided!in!Table!382!will!inform!the!Threat!Score!requirements!in!EEMSS.!!


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Table*342:*Threat*description*and*scores*

Property*ID* Threat*score*(mAHD)* Cropping**

(Y/N)*

Notes*

2! 3! 4! 5!

G1.! 0! 1.5! 1.8! 1.9! No!! !! The!landholders!value!the!environmental!benefits!of!

inundation!and!have!adapted!the!farm!to!accommodate!the!

flooding!via!fencing!to!restrict!stock!access!and!riparian!

revegetation.!

G2.! 1.0! 1.4! 1.6! 1.8! No!! !! The!landholder!values!the!environmental!benefit!of!estuarine!

inundation!and!have!undertaken!some!riparian!fencing.!!

!! Access!to!other!pastures!means!they!are!not!too!impacted!by!

inundation!of!the!floodplain.!They!can!also!run!at!a!low!

stocking!rates!and!have!other!sources!of!farm!income.!!

G3.! 1.0! 1.4! 1.6! 1.8! Yes!–!cuts!hay!and!silage!on!the!flats!from!

December!–!April!for!own!use.!Cuts!

approximately!1000T/yr!of!silage!and!200!rolls/yr!

of!hay.!!

!! The!flats!are!a!central!part!of!the!farm!business,!providing!the!

yearly!supply!of!hay!and!silage!(this!is!approximately!

equivalent!to!1/3!of!the!annual!farm!income).!!

!! The!landholder!has!installed!culverts!to!manage!flooding,!

therefore!it’s!difficult!to!determine!exact!flooding!impacts!

based!on!GIS!modelling.!Best!estimates!have!been!applied.!

G4.! 1.0! 1.3! 1.5! 1.8! No! !! Running!at!low!stocking!rates!enables!the!landholder!to!work!

around!catchment!and!estuarine!inundation!without!any!

significant!impact.!There!is!potential!to!double!the!stocking!

rate!over!summer,!but!the!landholder!does!not!intend!to!as!

this!property!is!not!the!main!income!source.!!

!! Access!to!the!property!is!the!main!concern!associated!with!

flooding!(both!catchment!and!estuarine).!When!access!is!

restricted!at!Old!Ocean!Road,!an!alternate!entry!via!Old!

Coach!Rd!is!used.!According!to!the!landholder,!access!is!

restricted!at!approximately!1.4mAHD.!!

G5.! 1.0! 1.3! 1.5! 1.7! No! !! The!main!flooding!influence!is!not!from!the!estuary,!but!from!

catchment!inflows.!!

!! The!primary!concern!is!water!building!up!behind!a!levee!bank!


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(Y/N)*

Notes*

2! 3! 4! 5!

on!Old!Ocean!Road!that!was!constructed!by!the!landholder!

30!years!ago.!At!around!1.5mAHD,!water!starts!to!top!the!

levee.!Since!the!landholder!left!farming!12!years!ago,!the!

levee!has!been!left!unmaintained!and!the!area!behind!has!

turned!to!wetlands.!!

G6.! 1.0! 1.7! 1.8! 1.9! No! !! The!landholder!values!the!environmental!benefit!of!estuarine!

inundation!and!approximately!30!years!ago!fenced!off!32ha!

of!frontage!on!LaTrobe!Creek.!Similarly,!a!separate!parcel!of!

9ha!is!vacant!on!the!floodplain!and!has!not!be!utilised!for!20!

years[!it!is!largely!a!wetland!area!over!the!winter!months.!!!

!! The!landholders!are!not!deriving!an!income!from!inundated!

areas!and!don’t!intend!to!use!them!for!agriculture!in!the!

future.!They!would!be!interested!in!alternative!income!

streams!for!these!areas.!!

G7.! 1.0! 1.3! 1.5! 1.7! No! !! The!viability!of!the!farm!business!is!dependent!on!access!to!

the!flats!in!summer!and!autumn.!!

!! The!landholder!is!looking!to!increase!the!stocking!capacity,!

but!this!is!dependent!on!summer!access!to!the!floodplain.!!

!! There!is!limited!access!to!other!pastures!at!this!time!of!the!

year,!as!hillside!pastures!require!regeneration!during!these!

months!to!enable!winter!and!spring!growth.!

G8.! 1.0! 1.4! 1.6! 1.9! No! !! The!viability!of!the!agistment!business!is!dependent!on!

access!to!the!flats!in!summer!and!autumn.!Stocking!rates!

double!in!summer!with!access!to!the!flats.!!

!! If!access!is!restricted,!the!landholder!has!to!move!stock!to!

the!hillsides!and!buy!in!feed,!ultimately!running!at!a!loss.!

There!are!flow!on!effects!to!the!productivity!of!the!remaining!

year,!as!hillside!pastures!require!regeneration!during!these!

months!to!enable!winter!and!spring!growth.!

G9.! 1.0! 1.3! 1.4! 1.6! No! !! The!viability!of!the!agistment!business!is!dependent!on!


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(Y/N)*

Notes*

2! 3! 4! 5!

access!to!the!flats!in!summer!and!autumn.!!

!! Stocking!rates!for!the!agistment!business!are!dependent!on!

summer!access!to!the!flats.!There!is!capacity!to!increase!

current!stocking!rate!if!access!is!available.!!

!! If!access!is!restricted,!the!landholder!has!to!reduce!the!

stocking!rate.!

!

!

!


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3.3* Data*analysis*

Asset*description*and*score*

Beef!grazing!is!the!predominate!landuse!at!the!Gellibrand!estuary:!this!include!properties!that!are!running!solely!as!a!beef!enterprise,!as!well!as!beef!agistment!properties.!Some!examples!of!dairying!remain! in!the!area,! including!one!property!on!the!Gellibrand!floodplain.!Amongst! the!nine! landholders! interviewed!there!was!one!lifestyle!property!of!10ha.!!

Four! properties! have! been! identified! as! Category! 2! ‘dryland! grazing/nonIirrigated! pasture’! (refer! to!Appendix! 2! for!Agricultural!Use!Category!descriptions).! These!properties! align!more!appropriately!with!this!agricultural!land!use!because!they!were!commonly!running!stock!at!lower!stocking!rates!due!to!other!grazing!options,!or!were!not!utilising!the!inundated!areas!for!agricultural!production.!Overall,!the!impact!of!inundation!is!generally!minimal!to!these!properties.!This!classification!has!also!been!applied!to!distinguish!these!properties!from!the!more!intensive!farms!described!beneath.!!!

Another! four! properties! have! been! classified! as! ‘high! rainfall! farming/lifestyle! farming’! enterprises! and!assigned! an! asset! score! of! 3.! These! properties! are! typically! subject! to! more! intensive! use! of! the!floodplain! and! run! at! higher! stocking! rates! with! limited! alternative! grazing! options.! Three! of! these!landholders!noted! that! the! floodplain!provides!valuable!summer!and!autumn!pasture!when! the!hillsides!have! dried! off! and! they! said! they! run! a! 6Imonth! grazing! rotation! between! the! hillsides! in! winter! and!spring,! and! the! “flats”! during! summer! and! autumn.! Anecdotal! evidence! also! suggests! that! access! to!pastures!over! these!months!allows!these! landholders! to!attract!a!premium!price! for! their!stock,!as! they!can!grow!them!out!until!late!in!the!season.!!

Included!in!the!four!Category!3!properties,!was!one!lifestyle!property,!which!aligns!with!the!description!of!a!lifestyle!block!provided!in!the!Agricultural!Use!Categories.!!

Only!one!property! is!operating!as!an! intensive!dairy! farm!and! in!accordance!with! the!main!Agricultural!Use!Categories,!this!enterprise!has!been!classified!as!‘intensive!agriculture’!and!assigned!an!asset!score!of!5.!While!the!landholder!is!not!irrigating,!he!is!utilising!the!floodplain!to!cut!hay!and!silage!over!summer!and!autumn.!

There! are! past! examples! of! more! widespread! intensive! agriculture! and! horticulture! occurring! on! the!Gellibrand!floodplain.!Anecdotally,!the!floodplain!was!once!termed!“the!food!bowl!of!the!southIwest”!and!historical!images!show!horticultural!cropping!occurring!during!the!early!1900s!(Figure!3I1).!!

!!

Figure* 341:* L* –* Cropping* on* the* Gellibrand* floodplain,* 1919* (G.* Gracie* Collection)* and* R* –*inundation*of*agricultural*land*on*the*Gellibrand*floodplain,*2010*(Estuary*Watch)*


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Threat*description*and*score*

The!floodplain!inundates!regularly!with!freshwater!inflows!over!winter!and!spring.!Most!of!the!landholders!expect! this! occurrence! and! it! generally! has!minimal! disturbance! to! their! business,! as! they! are! usually!grazing!higher! land!at! this! time!of! the! year.! It! is! during! the! summer!and!autumn!months,!when!higher!pastures!dry!out,!that!landholders!utilise!the!flats!for!grazing!and!cropping.!Inundation!of!the!flats!at!this!time!of!the!year!is!generally!the!result!of!estuarine!flooding!associated!with!a!closed!river!mouth!(typically!arising!from!low!freshwater!inflows!over!these!months).!!

There! were! common! concerns! that! landholders! raised! in! association! with! estuarine! flooding! over! the!warmer!months,!and!these!are!listed!beneath:!

!! Restricted!access! to! floodplain!pastures! resulting! in! landholders!having! to! relocate!stock! to!higher!pastures,! buy! in! feed! and/or! decrease! their! stocking! rate:! if! they! are! agisting,! this! may! result! in!landholders! having! to! send! the! agisted! cattle! home! early.! An! early! sale! of! cattle! may! attract! a!reduced!price,!compared!to!a!sale!later!in!the!season.!!

!! Inability!to!graze!floodplain!pastures!over!summer!can!have!flow!on!affects!for!the!year!ahead.!For!example,!hillside!pastures!require!a!break! from!grazing! to!regenerate!over!summer!and!autumn! in!order!to!achieve!good!winter!and!spring!growth.!!

!! Anoxic!conditions!are!more!likely!to!occur!when!large!bodies!of!water!pool!for!prolonged!periods!in!warm!conditions.!This!can!adversely!impact!pastures!and!anecdotal!evidence!suggests!that!there!is!limited!ability!to!regenerate!pastures!following!these!conditions!when!the!water!recedes.!!

One! landholder! is! utilising! the! floodplain! to! cut! hay! and! silage! for! his! dairy! cattle.! According! to! this!landholder,!the!volume!of!cut!fodder!is!approximately!equivalent!to!a!third!of!his!farming!income.!!

!

Figure*342:*Floodplain*inundation*at*the*Gellibrand*estuary,*1952*(D.*Lawson)*

There! are! other! examples!where! landholders! (four! in! total)! have! adapted! to! estuarine! flooding.! These!landholders!generally!do!not!derive!their!main! income!from!the!farm!and!are!able!to!run! lower!stocking!rates! or! utilise! other! areas! of! their! farm.! There! were! even! examples! where! landholders! value! the!environmental!benefit!of!estuarine!inundation!and!three!landholders!have!actively!restored!areas!of!their!property! to! support! this! process,! via! riparian! fencing! and! revegetation.! These! are! typically! lifestyle!farmers!that!are!not!deriving!their!main!income!from!the!farm.!!!!


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!

Figure*343:*The*Gellibrand*floodplain,*October*2016*

Table!3I2!presents!a!minor,!moderate,!major!and!extreme!threat!score! for!each!property,!presented!as!water!level!heights!(mAHD).!A!summation!of!the!threat!levels!across!the!nine!properties!is!as!follows:!!

!! Minor!–!there!is!a!minor!threat!(i.e.! less!than!50%!of! low!land!inundated)!to!8!properties!at!a!flood!level!height!of!1.0mAHD.!Land!that!is!inundated!at!this!level!generally!comprises!a!small!proportion!of!the!overall!property!area!and!does!not!have!a!significant!impact!on!the!operation!of!the!farm.!No!minor!threat!score!was!assigned!to!property!G1,!as!there!is!no!low!land!(i.e.!land!<1.1mAHD)!on!this!property.!!

!! Moderate!–!the!moderate!threat!level!(i.e.!all!low!land!is!inundated!and!less!than!20%!of!intermediate!land!is!inundated)!for!all!properties!ranges!from!1.3!–!1.7mAHD,!with!the!majority!of!properties!being!assigned!a!moderate!threat!level!at!between!1.3I1.4mAHD!(7!properties).!!!

!! Major! –! a! major! threat! level! (i.e.! all! low! land! is! inundated! and! 20I50%! of! intermediate! land! is!inundated)! has! been! assigned! to! properties! at! between! 1.4! –! 1.8mAHD,! with! the! majority! of!properties!likely!to!receive!this!threat!score!at!between!1.5I1.6mAHD!(6!properties).!!

!! Extreme!–!extreme! threat! levels! (i.e.! all! low! land! inundated!and!greater! than!50%!of! intermediate!land!inundated)!were!assigned!across!all!properties!at!between!1.6I1.9mAHD,!with!most!properties!receiving!this!rating!in!the!range!of!1.8I1.9mAHD!(6!properties).!!!!!

The! threat! level! scores! presented! in! Table! 3I2! provide! a! “snap! shot”! of! the! potential! impact! to! a!landholder’s! farm!based!on! the!extent!of! low!and! intermediate! land! that! is! inundated.!This!quantitative!information! can! be! included! in! EEMSS! to! provide! a! more! encompassing! assessment! of! impacts!associated!with!artificial!estuary!openings.!It!does!not!however!capture!additional!qualitative!information!


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*RMCG! Page!22!

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which!supports!a!deeper!understand!each!landholder’s!impact.!The!notes!presented!in!Table!3I2!provide!further!detail,!which!should!be!considered!alongside!the!threat!scores.!!


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4! Recommendations!&!summary!

A!number!of!observations!and! recommendations!have!been!made!as!part!of! this!assessment,!and!are!presented!beneath.!It!is!important!the!following!recommendations!and!the!agricultural!assessment!overall!is!considered!within!the!broader!EEMSS!framework!and!that!appropriate!consideration!is!given!to!other!values.!!

Asset*scores*

!! The!main!distinguishing!factor!in!determining!an!asset!score!for!each!property!was!not!rainfall!or!the!type! of! enterprise! (the! majority! are! beef! farms),! but! the! intensity! of! the! farming! operation! and!dependability!upon! the! floodplain.!The!ability! to!distinguish!between! those! landholders! that!have!a!high!reliance!on!the!floodplain,!run!at!higher!stocking!rates!and!have!limited!access!to!other!grazing!pastures!compared!to!those!landholders!that!run!less!intensive!operations!and!have!minimal!overall!impact!from!inundation,!is!important!in!influencing!the!overall!impact!assessment.!This!is!particularly!important,!given!that!in!some!cases!the!threat!scores!are!similar!across!the!properties,!meaning!the!asset!score!is!the!only!factor!differentiating!the!impact.!!

!! Within! this! assessment,! the! lifestyle! property! of! 10ha! has! been! assigned! an! asset! score! of! 3! in!alignment!with!the!lifestyle!property!description!provided!for!Category!3!farms!(refer!to!Appendix!2).!However,!the!impact!to!this!property!is!more!likely!to!be!akin!to!Category!2!farms!i.e.!they!have!a!low!level!of!use!of! the!affected!area! (they!have! fenced!and! revegetated! the! inundated!areas)!and! the!overall!impact!from!inundation!is!minimal.!If!the!Agricultural!Use!Categories!are!to!be!reviewed,!it!is!recommended! that! lifestyle! farming! is! assigned! a! separate! category! and! asset! score,! to! better!distinguish!it!from!more!intensive!farms.!!

Threat*attributes*and*scores*

!! The!threat!attributes!and!scores!provided!in!Section!6.11!of!the!EEMSS!User!Manual!(2006)!are!not!consistent!with! those! provided! in! the!EEMSS!webItool.! This! assessment! has! used! the! definitions!provided!in!the!EEMSS!User!Manual!(Appendix!3).!It!is!recommended!that!the!EEMSS!webItool!be!updated!to!reflect!the!threat!attributes!and!scores!in!the!EEMSS!User!Manual.!!

!! The! threat! attribute! descriptions! in! Section! 6.11! of! the! EEMSS! User! Manual! use! “marginal”! and!“intermediate”!land!interchangeably.!It!is!recommended!that!only!“intermediate”!be!adopted!so!there!is!clear!alignment!with!the!Land!Type!Descriptions!used!to!determine!the!asset!score!(Appendix!2).!RMCG!has!used!“intermediate”!only!in!the!threat!descriptions!included!in!Appendix!3.!!!!

!! The!previous!agricultural!assessment!report!(as!identified!in!Appendix!K!of!the!EEMSS!User!Manual!2006)!required!a!detailed!account!of!water! levels!heights!at!different! times!of! the!year,! for!each!of!the!four!threat!attributes.!This!is!a!particularly!complex!approach!and!is!not!consistent!with!the!data!requirements!for!the!current!EEMSS!webItool.!!

A!simplified!approach!was!employed!during!landholder!interviews!at!the!Aire!River!estuary!in!2015,!where! the! sole! objective! was! to! identify! the! height! at! which! inundation! impacts! the! agricultural!productivity! of! a! property.! This! approach! resulted! in! only! one! threat! score! being! assigned! per!property.!While! this!was!a!much!more! streamlined!approach,! it! still! did!not! provide! the!necessary!suite!of!data!to!populate!EEMSS.!!

Building! upon! the! experience! at! the! Aire! River! estuary,! and! in! consultation! with! the! CCMA! and!others!involved!in!the!final!data!entry!process,!the!assessment!method!was!further!refined!to!better!align!with!the!requirements!of!EEMSS.!It!was!agreed!that!threat!attribute!1!(the!proportion!of!low!and!intermediate!land!inundated)!was!the!most!appropriate!determinant!that!could!be!objectively!applied!to!each!property!to!identify!a!score!for!the!four!threat!levels!–!minor,!moderate,!major!and!extreme.!


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The!final!result!was!four!scores,!presented!as!water!level!heights!(mAHD),!for!each!threat!level:!this!data!can!be!easily!translated!into!the!EEMSS!webItool.!!

GIS! flood! mapping! was! used! to! determine! the! water! level! heights! for! each! threat! level! and! in!accordance!with!the!proportion!of!inundated!low!and!intermediate!land,!however!the!results!are!best!estimates!only.!The!flood!mapping!is!effectively!a!“bath!tub”!model,!which!does!not!take!account!of!built! infrastructure! such! as! levees! and! culverts! which! influence! the! flow! of! water! across! the!floodplain.!There!was!also!a!degree!of!subjectivity!in!identifying!water!level!heights,!as!more!precise!mapping!was!not!within! the!scope!of! the!project.!Nevertheless,! this!approach!was! found! to!be! the!most!objective!and!efficient!method!in!assigning!threat!scores,!within!the!project!scope!and!with!the!information!available.!

The! remaining! three! threat!attributes,!while! important!considerations,!were!not!all! relevant! to!each!property!therefore!making!it!impossible!to!consistently!assign!threat!scores!against!these!attributes.!For! example,! no! landholders! on! the! floodplain! have! undertaken! restoration!work! such! as! pasture!renovation!and!fence!repairs,!due!to!the!frequency!of!inundation!(both!freshwater!and!estuarine)!and!the!belief! that! investment! in! restoration!would!only!provide!shortIterm!benefits.!Where!an!attribute!did!apply,! for! instance!where!a! landholder!has!access! to!higher! land,! they!have!been!recorded!as!notes!in!Table!3I2!and!should!be!referred!to!in!any!assessment!of!agricultural!impact.!!

Consideration*of*qualitative*data*

!! The! interviews! were! semiIstructured,! allowing! conversation! to! evolve! and! certain! topics! to! be!considered!in!more!detail!as!they!arise.!Valuable!qualitative!information!has!been!gathered!through!this!process!and!has!been!included!as!notes!in!Table!3I1!and!Table!3I2.!This!additional!information!is!particularly!valuable!in!understanding!the!full!extent!of!the!impact!of!inundation!to!a!landholder!and!their!farming!enterprise.!!

In!its!current!format,!there!is!limited!capacity!to!input!qualitative!data!into!the!EEMSS!webItool.!It!is!recommended! that! the!EEMSS!webItool! is!either!updated! to!accommodate! this! information!or! the!notes!documented!in!this!report!are!referred!to!in!decisionImaking.!!

Landholder*interviews*

!! Eight!of! the!nine! landholder! interviews!were!conducted! faceItoIface!and!one!via! telephone,!due! to!the!inability!to!arrange!a!suitable!time!to!meet.!FaceItoIface!interviews!are!preferable!as!it!allows!the!use! of! visual! aids,! such! as! maps! to! accurately! identify! property! parcels! and! discuss! flood! water!levels.!For!future!data!collection!for!EEMSS!it!is!recommended!that!preference!be!given!to!faceItoIface!interviews!where!possible.!!

Review*of*EEMSS*

!! As!land!use!changes!on!the!Gellibrand!floodplain,!the!EEMSS!agricultural!assessment!will!need!to!be!revisited.!It!is!therefore!recommended!that!the!EEMSS!agricultural!assessment!is!revisited!every!three!to!five!years!as!good!practice.!!

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References!

Barton,! J.! &! Sherwood,! J.! (2004)! Estuary( opening( management( in( western( Victoria:( An( information(analysis.!Parks!Victoria!Technical!Series!No.!15,!Parks!Victoria,!Melbourne.!

Corangamite!CMA!Estuary!Watch!(2012)!Gellibrand(River(Estuary(Data(Analysis(and(Interpretation(2007(–(2012.!Corangamite!CMA,!Colac,!Victoria.!

Deakin!University!(2006)!EEMSS(Background(Report(and(User(Manual!Deakin!University!(on!behalf!of!a!steering!group),!Warrnambool,!Victoria.!!

Earth! Tech! (2005).! Environmental( Flow( Determination( for( the( Gellibrand( River:( Site( Paper.! Report!prepared!by!EarthTech!for!the!Corangamite!Catchment!Management!Authority,!Colac,!Victoria.!!

Lloyd,!L.!Anderson,!B.,!Cooling,!M.,!Gippel,!C.,!Pope,!A.!and!Sherwood,!J.!(2008)!Environmental(Water(Requirements(of( the(Gellibrand(Estuary.(Final(Estuary(FLOWs(Report.!Lloyd!Environmental!Pty!Ltd! for!Corangamite!CMA,!Colac,!Victoria.!!

RMCG!(2015)!Aire(River(Estuary:(EEMSS(–(Agricultural(Land(Impact(Assessment.!Report!prepared! for!the!Corangamite!Catchment!Management!Authority,!Colac,!Victoria.!!

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Appendix!1:!Interview!template!

Asset*description*&*score*

Q.1.*Property*Identification*

Name:!!

Property!location:!(aim(to(get(exact(location(where(possible)(

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Property!ID!(Cadastral!no.):!

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Q.2.*Property*description*

Predominate!Agricultural!Use:! ! 1! 2! 3! 4! 5! (

!! Select!one!

!! Refer!to!Predominate!Agricultural!Use!Categories!(EEMSS!Manual!2006,!pg.!39)!

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Exceptions+to+single+asset+category+land+use.(This(section(is(only(to(be(completed(if( the(property(cannot(be(categorised(using( the(agricultural(use(descriptions(provided.(Please(provide(a(description,(an(estimated(score(and(a(brief(justification(for(the(score(assigned.((

Description:((

(

(

Score:((

Rationale(for(score:((


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Other*relevant*land*details**

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Q.3.*Land*Types*

Include!all!land!utilised!as!part!of!the!farming!enterprise!when!completing!the!table!below,!including!land!that!is!not!on!the!floodplain.!!

Land*type* Area*(ha)* Percentage* Estuarine* water* level*(mAHD)*

High!land! ! ! >2mAHD!

Intermediate!land! ! ! 1.1I2mAHD!

Low!land! ! ! <1.1mAHD!

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!! Refer!to!Land!Type!Descriptions!(EEMSS!Manual!2006,!pg.!40)!!!

!! Mapping!to!assist!

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Only+ complete+ this+ section+ if+ the+ landholder+ has+ access+ to+ other+ non8adjoined+ land+ or+ leased+adjoined+ land+–+Describe(association( to(property( affected(by( inundation.( Include( information( such(as(proximity,(accessibility(and(how( land(use(is(relevant(to(the(property,( in(particular,(how(the(land(assists(the(landowner(to(mitigate(loss(associated(with(land(inundation.((

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Threat*description*&*score*

Q.4.*When*does*inundation*become*a*major*issue*for*you?*Why?*

Landholder!response:!

Refer(to(the(Threat(Attributes(and(Scores(table((EEMSS(Manual(2006,(pg.(42).(The(comments(here(will(provide(context(for(attributing(a(threat(score.(

•! How!are!they!using!the!inundated!land?!How!does!it!fit!within!the!broader!farm!business?!

•! What’s!the!productive!capacity!of!the!inundated!land?!Has!this!changed?!How?!!

•! What!time!of!year!does!flooding!have!the!biggest!impact?!

•! Is!access!restricted!due!to!flooding?!!

•! Does!the!landholder!have!capacity!to!move!stock!elsewhere?!!

•! What,!if!any,!maintenance!is!required?!!

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Q.5.*Do*you*crop?** Y/N!

Q.5.a.*At*what*months*during*the*year*are*you*cropping?**

Jan! Feb! Mar! Apr! Mar! Jun! Jul! Aug! Sept! Oct! Nov! Dec!


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Appendix!2:!Agricultural!asset!descriptions!

The! following!descriptions!of!agricultural! land!use!categories!and! land! types!have!been!extracted! from!the! EEMSS! Background! Report! and! User! Manual! (Deakin! 2006).! These! descriptions! were! used! in!assigning!an!asset!score!to!each!property!at!the!Gellibrand!River!estuary.!!

Table*A34*1:*Predominate*Agricultural*Land*Use*Categories*(Deakin*2006)*

Categories* Description*

1.!NonIagricultural!land! N/A!

2.!Dryland!grazing/!nonIirrigated!pasture/!forestry!

These!enterprises!have!low!level!use!of!the!affected!asset!areas!for!agricultural!production.!The!land!is!part!of!a!larger!extensive!grazing!or!forestry!enterprise.!If!stock!is!grazed!on!land,!it!is!for!short!periods!of!time!during!the!year.!The!impact!of!inundation!is!minimal!as!the!farm!is!run!at!a!low!stocking!rate!with!significant!alternative!grazing!options.!!

In!general!this!asset!will!be!in!lower!rainfall!areas!where!pasture!production!is!less!than!4!tonnes!of!dry!matter!per!hectare!per!annum.!!

3.!High!rainfall!farming/!lifestyle!farming!

These!areas!are!subject!to!more!intensive!production!processes.!This!is!achieved!through!the!greater!capacity!to!produce!pasture!(4I6!tonnes!dry!matter!per!hectare!per!annum)!due!to!higher!rainfall.!As!a!result!there!is!greater!stocking!pressure!and!less!alternative!grazing!options.!The!enterprise!would!still!be!considered!to!be!extensive!grazing.!Paddock!sizes!would!be!smaller!(less!than!20ha).!!

Lifestyle!blocks!may!still!be!used!for!income!generation!but!are!not!considered!the!primary!source!of!income!for!the!owners.!They!are!also!of!smaller!area!(less!than!10ha).!Generally!use!is!for!small!numbers!of!production!animals,!horses!or!bush!areas.!!

4.!Mixed!grazing!–!possibly!some!irrigation!

These!areas!have!significant!income!generation!usage.!Irrigated!land!in!this!category!would!be!land!that!has!occasional!irrigation!or!is!part!of!a!larger!area!of!irrigation!that!is!not!threatened!with!inundation.!Mixed!grazing!areas!would!run!at!reasonably!high!stocking!rates.!This!area!would!be!a!higher!rainfall!area!than!Category!3.!!

5.!Intensive!agriculture!e.g.!dairy,!orchard,!vineyard!–!possibly!some!irrigation!

These!rows!are!used!for!intensive!agricultural!pursuits.!Grazing!of!dairy!cows!is!at!a!high!stocking!rate!(greater!than!1.5!cows!per!hectare!of!the!entire!milking!area).!Orchard!and!vineyard!use!is!part!of!a!viable!enterprise!that!is!a!significant!part!of!the!farm!business.!Properties!in!this!category!have!significant!areas!of!flood!affected!land!that!are!capable!of!being!used!for!these!enterprises.!For!example,!dairy!land!that!is!capable!of!growing!6!tonnes!of!dry!matter!of!pasture!per!hectare!per!year!or!potato!farming!that!is!capable!of!producing!yields!similar!to!that!of!unaffected!areas!in!the!same!enterprise.!!

Table*A34*2:*Land*Type*descriptions*(Deakin*2006)*

Land*type* Description*

High!land! Land!that!is!not!affected!by!inundation!at!all.!This!classification!is!only!assigned!so!the!proportion!of!the!farming!enterprise!affected!by!inundation!can!be!calculated.!!

Intermediate!land!

Land!that! is!only! inundated!for!short!periods!of!time.!These!are!the!higher!areas!that!are!the!last!areas!inundated!and!the!first!to!have!the!water!recede.!These!areas!normally!have!a!capability!for!production! of! pastures! or! crops.! These!areas! of! land!are! the!most! affected! by! estuary! entrance!management!decisions.!!

Low!land!These! land! areas! have! minimal! productivity! due! to! constant! inundation.! These! are! areas! that!normally! have! minimal! productive! output! and! are! only! seen! as! opportunistic! use! areas.! Plant!species!that!survive!in!these!areas!are!of!minimal!productive!use.!!


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Appendix!3:!Threat!attributes!and!scores!

The!following!descriptions!of!the!agricultural!threat!attributes!and!scores!has!been!taken!from!the!EEMSS!Background! Report! and! User! Manual! (Deakin! 2006).! These! descriptions! were! used! in! collecting!information!from!landholders!about!the!impact!of!inundation!on!the!productivity!of!their!farms.!The!extent!of!inundation!was!the!primary!attribute!used!to!assign!qualitative!threat!scores!in!EEMSS.!!

Table*A44*1:*Threat*attributes*and*scores*(Deakin*2006)*

Threat*score* Threat*level* Threat*attributes*

2! Minor!

!! Less!than!50%!of!low!land!inundated!

!! Loss!can!be!mitigated!with!minimal!extra!inputs!e.g.!stock!can!be!moved!to!other!land!and!no!extra!brought!in!feed!is!required!

!! No! renovation! or! extra! input! required! to! revert! land! to! previous!productivity!following!inundation!b.)!no!damage!to!fences!

!! No!loss!of!access!to!other!high!land!

3! Moderate!

!! All! low! land! is! inundated! and! less! than! 20%! of! intermediate! land! is!inundated!

!! Mitigation! of! losses! requires! minimal! extra! inputs! e.g.! stock! can! be!moved!to!other!land!and!less!than!10%!of!feed!requirements!need!to!be!brought!in!!

!! a.)! Minimal! input! required! to! return! land! to! previous! productivity! e.g.!weeds!sprayed!with!no!extra!seed!required!b.)!Debris!to!be!removed!to!maintain!fence!integrity!

!! Access!is!restricted!to!less!than!5%!of!the!rest!of!the!farming!land!

4! Major!

!! All!low!land!is!inundated!and!20I50%!of!intermediate!land!is!inundated!

!! Stock! can! be!moved! to! nonIinundated! land! but! feeding! out! is! difficult.!10I50%!of!feed!requirements!need!to!brought!in!

!! a.)! Pasture! renovation! is! achieved! through! drilling! of! appropriate! seed!b.)!some!fence!rewiring!required!

!! Access!is!restricted!to!5I10%!of!the!rest!of!the!farming!land!

5! Severe!

!! All! low! land! inundated! and! greater! than! 50%! of! intermediate! land!inundated!

!! No!suitable! land! is!available! for!hand! feeding!and!greater! than!50%!of!stock!requirements!need!to!be!brought!in!

!! a.)! all! land! needs! to! be! fully! renovated! with! cultivation! and! lime! or!gypsum! treatment! to! address! soil! quality! issues!b.)! fences!need! to!be!replaced!

!! Access!is!lost!to!greater!than!20%!of!the!farm!area!

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Gellibrand EEMSS no landholders

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