Tom Thumb Case  Study

Revive Southern Rivers Wetlands Program

The Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority has been a significant regional partner with Conservation Volunteers since 2004 & through the ‘Revive Southern Rivers Wetlands Program’ provides enhanced support to Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland, as well as to Coomonderry Swamp, Werri Lagoon & Lake Conjola. This partnership with the Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority allows Conservation Volunteers to facilitate & manage a variety of experiential conservation projects across these four significant wetlands.

The objectives of the Revive Southern Rivers Wetlands Program are to:

• restore wetlands & other aquatic habitat including riparian zones through the development & implementation of action plans at wetland focus sites
• raise the level of landholder & community involvement in wetland management in the Illawarra & Shoalhaven areas
• promote wetland protection & sustainable wetland management across the Illawarra & Shoalhaven areas

Why is it being done?

Originally, Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland, just south of Wollongong, was one of the largest estuarine wetlands along the New South Wales coastline, extending some 500 hectares. Saltmarsh, mangroves & reed beds fringed the Wetland & channels along with dense stands of swamp oak & swamp paperbark communities.

Unfortunately, like so many of our coastal wetlands, these natural values were not always recognised, & the Wetland was seen as an ideal location for a deep water harbour to support the rapid expansion of the steel industry during the 1930’s. Throughout the next 40 years almost the entire Wetland was resumed by the creation of the Port Kembla harbour & subsequent relocation of dredged materials. As a result only 7.7 hectares of saltmarsh, tidal mudflats, & ponds remain.

The remnant Wetland plays a vital role in providing habitat to a range of plant & animal life, including juvenile fish, benthic macrofauna, migratory bird species protected under international agreements & the endangered Green & Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea). The Wetland includes significant stands of Coastal Saltmarsh & Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest, both listed as endangered ecological communities in the Illawarra.

Who is involved?

The Friends of Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland Landcare group initiated extensive environmental restoration works in & around the Wetland in 1991, including weed removal, revegetation, walkway construction, landscaping, minor earthworks & monitoring

In 2001, Conservation Volunteers Australia became aware of the Wetland & chose to support this important site of high conservation value with funding from the Revive our Wetlands program. Revive is a landmark partnership created by Conservation Volunteers Australia & BHP Billiton in 2001 to address the degraded state of many of Australia’s wetlands.

Since 2004, the Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority has become a significant regional partner through the ‘Revive Southern Rivers Wetlands Program,’ which provides enhanced support to Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland.

Since 2005, Wollongong City Council’s Environment Fund, has provided financial support for a part-time Team Leader at the Wetland, whose role is to assist volunteers in the implementation of an environmental restoration program two days per week. This funding has also assisted in generating a new Plan of Management for the Wetland, which was completed in September 2006

2007 saw BHP Billiton further commit to the Revive program at Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland through funding of an additional 45 project days over the next three years, & through funding of a part-time Wetlands Program Officer.

In 2007, Port Kembla Port Corporation & Conservation Volunteers Australia joined forces to develop an experiential education kit for local schools.

In 2007, the NSW Natural Resources Advisory Council awarded Conservation Volunteers Australia a grant through their Forging Partnerships program which will allow Conservation Volunteers Australia to engage the broader community in planning & management of the Wetland & provide enhanced opportunities to showcase the success of the project via media, events, a DVD documentary, interpretive signage & the www.reviveourwetlands.net website.

Project funding

A total of $327,327 has been contributed towards Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland since 2005. Ongoing support has been provided through $97,500 from Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority, $90,000 from Wollongong City Council’s Environment Fund, $8,265 from Port Kembla Port Corporation, $60,000 from the NSW Natural Resource Advisory Council, $60,260 from BHP Billiton & in-kind support to the value of $11,302 provided through the donation of native plants from Wollongong Botanic Gardens.

In addition to our partners, our dedicated volunteers have contributed $228,420 of in-kind support towards the restoration of Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland.

What is being done?

The aims for the Revive program at Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland include:

• the control of both environmental & noxious weeds, especially within the Coastal Saltmarsh & Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest communities
• the restoration of migratory & mud feeding bird habitat
• the creation of frog ponds
• an increase in community & stakeholder participation in conserving & restoring Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland
• the further establishment & diversification of native vegetation communities
• an improvement in biodiversity & water quality
• capacity building in the community for monitoring all aspects of the Wetland

What are the results?

The regular Revive program at Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland has operated two days per week since Wollongong City Council’s Environment Fund provided financial support for a part-time Team Leader at the Wetland in August 2005.

Over 1269 volunteer days have contributed to the restoration of Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland, which is an equivalent contribution of $228,420 to our local community.

A broad range of activities have been undertaken by our volunteers, reflecting the aims & objectives of local & regional plans of management, reports & strategies, which have included:

• planting of 5651 grasses, shrubs & trees
• removal of 2.79 ha of environmental & noxious weeds
• removal of 565 kg of rubbish
• propagation of 2820 native plants on-site
• establishment of 20 photopoint monitoring sites
• quarterly monitoring of threatened plant communities
• fortnightly Streamwatch water quality monitoring

What are the challenges?

The restoration of Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland presents many challenges, including:

• potential leachate from neighbouring former Old Wollongong Builders Tip
• a licensed raw sewerage discharge point & stormwater pollution from Wollongong’s Central Business District
• limited tidal exchange between the Wetland & the Port Kembla Harbour through a culvert, preventing fish passage & reducing saltwater flushing of the Coastal Saltmarsh
• grey mangroves continue to encroach into the Coastal Saltmarsh
• noxious & environmental weeds enter the Wetland via a number of stormwater drains
• sustaining existing partnerships, including financial support for the project, without the presence of a neighbouring community

What are the lessons?

• provide opportunities to showcase the success of the project & ‘tell the story’ of partnerships to the community
• clearly identify a variety of opportunities for stakeholder involvement & support stakeholders to maintain & build on initial commitment
• increase knowledge & interest in the community through environmental education, media & communication tools

Where to from here?

During the next three years the Revive program aims to:

• engage the broader community in the long-term planning & management of the Wetland through the provision of partnering activities
• provide opportunities to showcase the success of the project via media, events, workshops, a ‘How Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland Made New Friends’ DVD, interpretive signage & the www.reviveourwetlands.net website
• create a number of opportunities for students to learn more about wetlands through guided wetland tours & hands-on & classroom activities using the ‘Environmental Learning Experiences for Tom Thumb Lagoon Wetland’ education kit

Contact

For further information please contact:
Jen Byrne - Wetlands Program Officer

Conservation Volunteers Australia

T: 02 4228 9246 or M: 0407 040 946

www.reviveourwetlands.net