Developing land near waterways
The foreshore area is the land that adjoins or directly influences a waterway. More specifically it is the area of transition between the edge of the waterway and the furthest extent of riparian vegetation, flood prone land, and riverine landform or simply the adjacent upland. Protection and management of foreshore areas is essential for maintaining healthy waterways and wetlands.
Protected foreshores preserve aquatic, littoral and terrestrial habitat for native flora and fauna while providing amenity and maintaining scenic quality and landscape vales. They also reduce the impacts of erosion, sedimentation and nutrient influx in waterways.
The Department of Water’s current policy on foreshore areas is detailed in Foreshore Policy No. 1 – Identifying the Foreshore Area. This Foreshore Policy position forms the basis by which all future foreshore and riparian land management policy is developed and provides a consistent methodology for the assessment and determination of foreshore areas.
Where a foreshore area or waterway buffer is to be set aside as a reserve under planning legislation, it is generally known as a foreshore reserve.
Supporting information about how to define a foreshore area or foreshore reserve is available from the following sources:
The Foreshore policy is also part of the Department for Planning and Infrastructure’s State Planning Policy 2.7: Water resources. Further information can be viewed on land use planning.
River action and recovery plans and waterway management plans
Regional natural resource management groups develop waterway management, action or recovery plans with the assistance of the department. These plans are delivered through various external funding programs.
River action and recovery plans establish priority on-ground works and actions to improve the health of a particular reach of a waterway (eg stabilisation, revegetation and fencing). They also provide a record of waterway condition, values and threats; baseline information and hydrology for future comparison; technical advice; and improve commitments to addressing the issues in the local community.
Waterway management plans describe values, objectives and actions to maintain agreed environmental, social and economic values; and improve management of waterways by ensuring efficient and effective application of statutory planning processes. These plans may incorporate key issues that need to be resolved at a catchment scale.
Copies of all available river action plans, recovery plans and waterway management plans can be access via the publication area at top right of this page.