Meeting papers

Environmental values, environmental management and climate change
Like other natural areas, the biodiversity and other environmental values of naturally vegetated
foreshores are being impacted by climate change 7. But foreshores are particularly vulnerable to
many impacts, like increasing inundation, severe weather effects and sea level rise, due to their
location. The characteristics of many urban dune areas (e.g. long, narrow, closely surrounded by
development, crossed by tracks) may also increase the impacts of climate change.

Wetlands
Coastal freshwater wetlands are likely to be affected by saltwater intrusion and inundation, and
wetlands near frontal dunes are likely to be affected by more frequent periodic, tidal or permanent
inundation due to both rising sea levels and increasing severe weather 8. In many cases these
wetlands will try to move up the slope, to maintain suitable hydrology, and may be prevented by
tracks and other openings near ecosystem interfaces or by cleared, developed land around the
dunes. Ensuring healthy, biodiverse wetland ecosystems through active land management,
regeneration and weed control will build resilience to climate driven changes.
Severe weather
Severe weather events, such as storms, drought, floods and bushfire, are increasing as climate
change progresses and often cause disturbance in natural areas. Increasing disturbance increases
the likelihood of ecological degradation and simplification, with reduced ecological values, reduced
ecosystem services and the need for increased management. These impacts are exacerbated by
neighbour and visitor impacts and the impacts of foreshore reserve bushland patch characteristics,
such as small size, and long, narrow shape. Active management of these disturbances, including
maintaining ecosystem health to reduce vulnerability and maximise native species regeneration
resources (such as seeds, crowns and runners) and rapid response after and during disturbances,
will help reduce climate change impacts on naturally vegetated foreshores 9.


Connectivity
Many urban dune networks are narrow and closely surrounded by urban development, which can
prevent the safe movement of native animals through them and colonisation of native plants within
them. Landscape connectivity to bushland away from the coast is often entirely prevented or very
limited, and internal connectivity is often compromised by clearings, development, paths, and
fences.

Connectivity within a natural area, and to other natural areas, can be critical to allowing native
plants and animal species and individuals to adapt to climate change. Allowing the movement of
individual and populations of species allows them to move to the changing location of climatic
conditions (e.g., exposure, temperature, moisture) and environmental conditions (e.g., hydrology,
pH, salinity, ecosystem) they need to survive and maintain viable populations 10.




7, 10 Hoffmann, A.A., Rymer, P.D., Byrne, M., Ruthrof, K.X., Whinam, J., McGeoch, M., Bergstrom, D.M.,

Guerin, G.R., Sparrow, B., Joseph, L., Hill, S.J., Andrew, N.R., Camac, J., Bell, N., Riegler, M., Gardner, J.L.
and Williams, S.E. (2019), Impacts of recent climate change on terrestrial flora and fauna: Some emerging
Australian examples. Austral Ecology, 44: 3-27. https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12674
8 White, E., and Kaplan, D.. 2017. Restore or retreat? Saltwater intrusion and water management in coastal

wetlands. Ecosystem Health and Sustainability 3( 1):e01258. doi: 10.1002/ehs2.1258
9 Lindenmayer, D. B., Steffen, W., Burbidge, A. A., Hughes, l., Kitching, R. L., Musgrave, W, Mark Stafford

Smith, M., Werner, P. A. 2010. Conservation strategies in response to rapid climate change: Australia as a
case study. Biological Conservation, 55(7), 1587-1593.


Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves Management Plan 2023                                                Page 32

                                                                                                         Page 43 of 476