Port Authority has invested approximately $8 million to rehabilitate and expand Penrhyn Estuary in Botany Bay, creating habitat for migratory birds protected under state and federal legislation.
A Habitat Enhancement Plan, detailing the works, long-term management, and monitoring, was prepared and approved by the Department of Planning and the Commonwealth Department of Environment, Heritage and the Arts.
The habitat enhancement project included:
- Weed and mangrove removal
- Creation of 2.4 hectares of planted saltmarsh habitat, expanding the total saltmarsh area to 3.5 hectares
- Expansion of intertidal sand/mud flats from 8 to 14 hectares to support shorebird feeding
- Creation of 6.5 hectares of seagrass habitat
- Construction of a public lookout and bird hide
- Long-term maintenance to ensure habitat sustainability
Port Authority monitored the success of the enhancement works from 2012 to late 2018.
Cardno consultants were engaged to measure and report on:
- Water quality within the estuary
- Migratory shorebird numbers
- Seagrass colonisation
- Benthic invertebrate concentrations in the estuary substrate
- Area and quality of saltmarsh habitat
The End of Project Report summarises the post-construction monitoring program and evaluates the Penrhyn Estuary Habitat Enhancement Plan (PEHEP) against its success criteria to determine if its key objectives were met.
Port Authority is now implementing the report’s recommendations, including long-term maintenance of the habitat.
Reports
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