Characteristics of the estuary and

CONTENTS

Executive Summary 8 Why the Coastal Management Act? 9 Where are the “coastal” areas in the Manning River? 9 Valuable natural assets 10

Community and stakeholder engagement 10 Themes and Objectives 12 1 Introduction Looking after the river we love 13 1.1 About this program 14 1.2 Meeting NSW Government Legislation 15 1.3 Our Planning and Management Areas 18 1.4 How the program was prepared 26 1.5 How will the ECMP be implemented? 30 2 Community consultation 32 2.1 The Manning community 32 2.2 Our stakeholder consultation program 33 2.3 What our community told us 37 3 Objectives, principles, program logic 45 3.1 Objective 46 3.2 Principles 47 4 Characteristics of the estuary and its catchment 50 4.1 The estuary and catchment 50 4.2 Natural assets 52

4.3 Water Quality 56 4.4 Land use and regional economy 63 4.5 Population Projections and land use 65 5 Threat and risk assessment 66 5.1 Spatial Risk Assessment 66 5.2 Manning Threat and Risk Assessment 69 6 Snapshot of issues 74 6.1 Overview of Management Areas impacted 75 6.2 Community Stewardship 77 6.3 Climate Change 78 6.4 Loss and degradation of coastal wetlands 81 6.5 Floodplain Management and

Acid Sulfate Soil 83

6.6 Loss and degradation of riparian vegetation 85 6.7 Agricultural Impacts 87 6.8 Modified Flow 90 6.9 Entrance Modifications 92

6.10 Flood, tidal inundation and coastal inundation

6.11 Urban Stormwater and Litter

6.12 Biodiversity Loss 98

6.13 Sewerage and Septic System Pathogens 99 6.14 Erosion and Sediment 100

6.15 Systems thinking: the interaction between issues 101