NRM South

Swan Apsley/Little Swanport Priority Area

The Swan Apsley/Little Swanport Priority Area is one of five priority areas under the Healthy Catchments & Coasts program.

The Swan Apsley/Little Swanport Priority Area

About Swan Apsley/Little Swanport Priority Area

Located within Glamorgan Spring Bay Municipality the Swan Apsley/Little Swanport Priority Area covers parts of both the Swan Apsley and Little Swanport Catchments.

The area spans from the Apsley Marshes across to the Eastern Tiers round to Little Swanport. It takes in the towns of Bicheno and Swansea, Coles Bay and Swanwick as well as rural hamlets across a large swathe of agricultural, forestry and crown lands.

Swan Apsley/Little Swanport has a large array of plants, birds and animals, including many that are quite unique and found only in this area. Because of this the area also has the highest proportion of nationally and critically endangered plants in Southern Tasmania.

What are we doing?

In the Swan Apsley/Little Swanport Priority Area we are working in partnership with Glamorgan Spring Bay Council, Glamorgan Spring Bay NRM Committee and the local community through a local NRM coordinator and NRM communications officer.

Progress so far

Since 2009 significant progress has been made including:

  • With the support of the Inland Fisheries Service and local landholders, building a fish ladder for endangered galaxiids at the Swan River Weir
  • Gorse and other priority weed control works around the internationally recognised Moulting Lagoon Ramsar wetland
  • Development of a weed control/fire management plan for Long Point, a private reserve adjoining Moulting Lagoon
  • Supporting farmers in property planning, including drought management, mapping salinity, weeds and natural values, and implementing priority actions
  • Conducting a review of the Swan-Apsley Catchment Management Plan

Work underway in 2009/2010

Work during 2009/2010 is building on progress in 2009 and includes:

  • Weed control work on covenanted land with priority natural values
  • Ongoing weed control and maintenance around Moulting Lagoon
  • Providing weed control equipment to support land managers undertaking priority weed control
  • Developing an Apsley River Rivercare plan
  • Finalising the revised Swan-Apsley Catchment Management Plan
  • Increasing community knowledge and skills in NRM
  • Improving land management practices, with a focus on soil health and soil carbon management
  • Reducing critical threats to EPBC-listed species, including Eucalyptus ovata/Callitris oblonga, Swift parrot and Swan galaxiid through increasing native habitat under management