Our projects

Water quality and litter (0)

Taking action to stop water pollution and litter before it gets into our waterways.

Develop and implement policy to protect high-value fish habitats through use of biodiversity offsets.

Building capacity on the risk-based framework

Increasing awareness of the risk-based framework through guidance forums and online portal.

Improving management of water pollution from diffuse sources in NSW.

Clean coastal catchment monitoring will assess the benefits of on-ground activities that aim to reduce diffuse-source water pollution.

Working with farmers to keep sediment and nutrients on the farm and out of coastal waterways, while supporting profitable and sustainable agriculture.

Working with farmers to keep sediment and nutrients on farms and out of coastal waterways. This is better for the environment and can support profitable and sustainable agriculture.

Assessing coastal floodplain systems and infrastructure to assist decision makers in the enhancement of water quality, habitat and biodiversity.

Rehabilitating degraded wetlands to improve water quality, habitat and biodiversity within the wetland and downstream.

We are helping protect our waterways by providing accessible, best practice advice on erosion and sediment control for small scale building sites. 

Monitoring the water quality and health of estuaries to detect problems and see the benefits of improved management.

Delivering an education program to council staff about the protection of fish and fish habitat.

Reducing sediment runoff into waterways from gravel roads and tracks by works such as road sealing.

Monitoring the condition of gauged streams using water quality and biological indicators for different landuses.

Mapping subtidal habitats and monitoring coastal outflow events to quantify impacts on coastal and marine waters

The Marine litter campaign supports both the NSW Litter Prevention Strategy, and the Marine Estate Management Strategy, extending the ‘Don’t be a Tosser!’ litter campaign message to include the marine estate.

Marine debris research and management program

Convene the Marine debris working group composed of agency representatives and academic experts to oversee a marine debris risk assessment and the research, monitoring, analysis and coordination of marine litter/ debris actions.

Exploring better ways to restore oyster reefs.

Restoring natural oyster reefs to improve water quality, aquatic habitat and biodiversity.

Review of the NSW Water Quality Objectives

Reviewing the NSW Water Quality Objectives so they support current community values.

Risk-based framework for regional waterway health

Support the establishment of a new governance framework for the Richmond River catchment to manage diffuse source runoff in a regional area.

Risk-based framework for urban waterway health

Apply the Risk-based Framework in South Creek as an urban diffuse source water pollution pilot.

Working with other government agencies to improve the management of the marine estate’s water quality.

Rehabilitating degraded riverbank vegetation to reduce sediment and nutrient runoff into waterways, help stabilise riverbanks and improve biodiversity.

Protecting riverbanks from erosion to reduce the amount of sediment entering waterways.

Healthy coastal habitats (0)

Taking action to improve the management of foreshore and waterway structures to protect the marine environment.

Improving the management of breakwaters in estuaries by identifying responsible authorities for legacy breakwaters.

Improving the design of coastal cities and towns by promoting environmentally friendly planning and infrastructure.

Implement the outcomes of the audit commercial dredging in estuaries that identified and recommended actions to improve licencing conditions and related environmental outcomes.

Domestic waterfront structure strategies

Developing estuary-wide strategies for jetties, pontoons and boat ramps to streamline approvals while protecting aquatic habitat.

Developing environmentally friendly methods of bank stabilisation to manage foreshores and guide future investment.

Developing guidelines and plans to include features in new and existing estuary breakwaters that will improve biodiversity, fishing and other social values.

Developing an approval framework to support entrance management for intermittently closed and open lakes and lagoons (ICOLL).

Developing estuary-wide strategies for rehabilitating and protecting mangroves and saltmarsh so they are resilient to key threats.

Restoring fish passage at priority weir and road crossings so that fish can move, breed and thrive.

Reviewing jetty design to better protect seagrass.

Surveying the marine life of rocky reefs of the Greater Sydney area.

Assessing the impacts of marine infrastructure, stormwater drains and habitat condition on estuarine fish.

Understanding the effects of human activities on seagrass, mangrove and saltmarsh.

Climate change (0)

Taking action to identify marine environments and species at threat from climate change.

Using citizen science data to map changes in fish and other marine species distribution due to climate change.

Scientists are using underwater cameras and diving surveys to check the health of more than 1,000km of NSW coastline.

Researching the effects of climate change to fill knowledge gaps and guide future management actions.

Climate change threats to seagrass, mangrove and saltmarsh

Identifying estuaries where mangrove and saltmarsh are most vulnerable to sea level rise and developing a model to better manage these areas into the future.

Applying the NSW and ACT Regional Climate Modelling (NARCliM) projections in research to understand the local impacts of climate change on marine estate values.

Informing the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy

Identifying climate change risks to our marine and coastal environments and supporting managers and communities to find adaptation solutions.

Investigating a blue carbon demonstration site on primary production land

This project aims to transform a 13-hectare peninsular adjacent to the Richmond River near Ballina, currently used for cattle grazing, into a blue carbon demonstration site. A boardwalk is planned to go through part of the site allowing members of the community to witness the progress of blue carbon ecosystem recovery at the site.

Estuarine habitat monitoring and threat assessment

Mapping estuarine habitats such as seagrass, mangrove and saltmarsh over time to assess their condition and threats.

The NSW Blue Carbon Strategy is an initiative to support evidence-based projects and research to protect and conserve important blue carbon ecosystems.

Aboriginal cultural values (0)

Taking action to increase active participation of Aboriginal people in managing the marine estate.

Evaluate current arrangements of Aboriginal peoples’ participation in Sea Country management and establish an effective Aboriginal engagement framework.

Investigate the impacts of climate change on Aboriginal communities and culture in the marine estate and develop strategies to reduce or adapt to this risk.

Working with Aboriginal communities to increase opportunities to work and develop businesses on Sea Country.

Delivering targeted funds to increase economic opportunities for Aboriginal people in the fishing and seafood industry.

Work with Aboriginal communities to increase cultural interpretation in marine parks. This will include signage and artwork depicting the stories and cultures of Aboriginal peoples’ connections to Sea Country and will be developed with Aboriginal communities to increase public awareness of Aboriginal cultural values.

Develop a research, monitoring and evaluation approach that is integrated with the Aboriginal engagement framework (Aboriginal engagement project) and aligns with overall Monitoring Program.

Undertake local cultural research activities with local Elders and communities, starting with Buckenbowra fish trap.

Implement Stage 2 of Safe and Sustainable Sea Country Harvest of Shellfish project enabling Aboriginal people to harvest pipis and consume them safely for cultural purposes.

Work with Aboriginal communities to maintain or revive cultural knowledge and practices of Sea Country.

Enhance opportunities for Aboriginal employment in NSW Government to manage Sea Country

Develop Sea Country plans with Aboriginal communities. Sea Country plans are an important way for Aboriginal people to determine their custodian roles, responsibilities and priorities to care for Sea Country and protect their cultures. It also provides important cultural information such as cultural management practices, subsistence fishing and continuity of cultural traditions to be handed down for future generations.

Work with Aboriginal communities to design and deliver a caring for Sea Country ranger model and activities across the marine estate.

Threatened & protected species (0)

Taking action to protect threatened and protected marine wildlife from harm.

Education to protect and conserve marine wildlife

Explaining the need to protect marine threatened and protected species and the importance of community to achieve this.

Analysing data from the Estuary General Fishery to address threats to fish from bycatch and harvest.

Improve reporting of interactions with marine wildlife

Improving reporting and data sharing on marine threatened and protected species to support evidence-based decisions about marine wildlife management.

Updating the commercial fishing observer prioritisation to address threats to marine ecosystems.

Ocean Trap and Line Fishery observer survey

Extending the observer-based survey of the Ocean Trap and Line Fishery to better understand the threats from bycatch and harvest.

Analysing data from the NSW Ocean Trawl Fishery to address threats to fish from bycatch and harvest.

Strengthening partnerships with government, community and industry to enhance the management, incident response and rehabilitation of marine threatened and protected species.

Improving strategic planning and coordination of marine threatened and protected species programs across NSW.

Understand and reduce impacts of habitat modification on threatened and protected species (project to commence in future years).

Undertake research and monitoring to help fill key knowledge gaps identified in the statewide TARA, and to address cumulative threats to marine wildlife, monito r trends in threats and the health and condition of their habitats.

Strategies for mitigating species interactions

Developing and implementing strategies to reduce interactions between commercial fishing gear and threatened and protected species.

Sustainable fishing & aquaculture (0)

Taking action to support commercial, recreational and Aboriginal cultural fisheries and aquaculture to be economically viable and ecologically sustainable into the future.

This project will undertake a socio-economic valuation of the aquaculture industry in the marine estate, filling key social and economic knowledge gaps.

Protecting important seagrass habitat by using the best-practice guidelines in the NSW Oyster Industry Sustainable Aquaculture Strategy.

Commercial Fisheries socio-economic research

This project will produce an annual time series of economic and social indicators for NSW commercial fisheries, filling key social and economic knowledge gaps.

Explore potential pathways to enable assessment of cultural fishing in NSW in terms of participation, catch and effort and relate these aspects to access arrangements within current resource management decision making processes including harvest strategies.

The Eat More NSW Seafood grants program provides seafood businesses with resources to help promote their produce and get more local seafood on plates in NSW.

Improve fishing access by fish stocking and artificial reef installation at key places and planning fishing platforms.

Develop information and training package in partnership with key fishing sectors and assist in delivery.

Developing harvest strategies for use by commercial, recreational and cultural fishers to reduce the risks of fishing on species of concern.

Develop and operationalise NSW Government policy and guidelines on fisheries harvest strategies, and progress assessment and management of ecological risk posed by NSW fisheries, prioritising potential management responses.

Utilise the Marine Waters Aquaculture Strategy to identify and establish new marine aquaculture ventures in NSW.

Using social research into recreational boaters' knowledge of the risks of aquatic pests and diseases to develop a communication and behavioural change management program.

Investigate the non-economic benefits from a healthy NSW marine estate gained by stakeholders undertaking fishing activity and examine variables that maximise those returns to benefit management decisions (new project).

Oyster aquaculture business and environment

Assist the recovery of oyster aquaculture farms affected by natural disaster events and incentivise innovative solutions that mitigate future impacts and ensure resilient businesses and sustained healthy estuaries (new project).

Recreational fishing environmental assessment

Limiting the environmental impacts of recreational fishing by completing an environmental impact assessment and a recreational fisheries strategy.

Examine historical NSW recreational fishing surveys to examine what motivate fishers and what factors relate to a greater sense of satisfaction. This research will inform Strategy monitoring programs.

Identifying the priorities for socio-ecological research to support the Marine Estate Management Strategy.

Contributing NSW biological, catch and effort data to help develop the Status of Australian Fish Stocks Reports and develop Harvest Strategies.

Safe & sustainable boating (0)

Taking action to provide boating access to our waterways that is safe and protects marine environments.

Working with partners in the Boating Now grants program to improve environmentally sustainable access to the marine estate and manage conflicting uses.

Develop options to manage vessels that are reaching or have reached the end of their useful life to mitigate potential environmental risks and enhance access to moorings.

Establish a performance-based standard for Environmentally Friendly Moorings (EFM) and review policy and regulatory options for improving adoption and maintenance of EFM.

Working collaboratively with key stakeholders to invest in maritime infrastructure as part of the Maritime Infrastructure Plan 2019–2024.

Optimising mooring density in mooring fields to better meet demand.

Review and modernise the strategy for mooring management and administration to improve access to moorings.

Review and investigate the effects of large commercial shipping vessel anchoring within the Greater Sydney region.

Continue to enforce environmental standards and regulations among domestic commercial vessels and recreational vessels.

Analysing data in shipping movements and interactions with threatened and protected species to identify knowledge gaps.

Enhancing community benefits (0)

Taking action to increase understanding of the way we all use and share the marine environment.

Working across multiple sectors to develop a Blue Growth Strategy for NSW which explores opportunities for coordinated, innovative, long-term, sustainable development of the marine estate with a focus on those current and emerging activities which provide the greatest opportunity for sustainable growth for NSW (project to commence in future years).

Collecting social, cultural and economic data to provide a foundation for long-term monitoring of community wellbeing associated with the marine estate.

Monitoring the economic benefits associated with the marine estate under the community wellbeing framework.

Implementing the NSW Marine Estate Education Strategy and curriculum-based schools package.

Assessing threats to marine historic heritage and recommending strategies to manage those threats.

Pilot a comprehensive, spatial mapping project of human use activities, to support marine planning prioritisation and management. Project to continue in future years

Effective governance (0)

Taking action to trial new ways of managing our marine environment that are more efficient and effective, simpler and clearer for everyone and provide greater opportunities for stakeholder involvement in decision making.

Greater Sydney region compliance focusing on marine protected areas

Achieving optimal compliance through educating the community and other stakeholders, and enforcing fisheries and aquatic reserve rules and regulations.