Port Phillip Bay Environmental Management Plan 2017-2027 (EMP)

Marine Environmental Indicators

Indicators have been established to evaluate the health of Port Phillip Bay under the structure of the Port Phillip Bay Environmental Management Plan 2017-2027’s (EMP) framework. Indices enable simplified reporting on complex information and are used worldwide for reporting on environmental condition and management actions.

• Stewardship Index
• Water Quality Index
• Litter Index
• Pathogens
• Marine Biodiversity Index
• Index of Estuarine Condition
• Marine Biosecurity Index

Goals of the Environmental Management Plan

Port Phillip Bay has social, economic and environmental values to communities and visitors.

The EMP's vision is 'a healthy Port Phillip Bay that is valued and cared for by all Victorians'. Action and investment over the next 10 years is guided by three main goals:

• Stewardship of the Bay, fostered across community, industry and government.
• Improving water quality.
• The Bay's habitats and marine life are thriving.

The EMP operates under the Marine and Coastal Act 2018 and the State Environment Protection Policy (Waters) 2018.  It sets out priority goals and actions for taking care of the Bay.

We worked in partnership with Melbourne Water and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria. Community and stakeholder groups shaped the vision, goals, priorities and actions.

Download EMP EMP Summary

Implementing the Plan

The EMP began in late 2017 and will be implemented over ten years, We're using an adaptive management approach.

The EMP aligns with:

• DELWP's Biodiversity 2037 Plan
• Melbourne Water's Healthy Waterways Strategy 2018-2028
• DELWP's Water for Victoria Water Plan, in particular the Integrated Water Management Framework, and
• EPA's Bay catchment & beach reporting.

The EMP includes a Delivery Plan with annual reporting, and two future 5-yearly evaluation reports. These will ensure that the EMP’s activities remain focused and aligned to the priority actions. Governance arrangements have been set up to ensure those interested across government, industry and the community can continue being involved in the implementation of the EMP.

The Delivery Plan outlines how the EMP will be implemented including details on specific activities, program leads & partners, delivery timelines and expected outputs. The first annual report to provide a progress update of the Delivery Plan was finalised January 2020.

DELWP have also committed to develop a Marine Knowledge Framework as one of the actions within the Delivery Plan, to support and guide evaluation of the EMP. The development of the Marine Knowledge Framework is also in response to a critical recommendation within the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria’s State of the Bays 2016 report and more recently their 2018 report. The Marine Knowledge Framework will encompass all marine environments across the state, not just Port Phillip Bay. Progress on this activity will be provided in the annual reporting of the EMP.

Yearly updates on the progress of Delivery Plan activities are prepared by the cross-agency Working Group and the Project Officer Group who manage or deliver activities. These updates are endorsed by the Project Control Group and are fed into the annual report.

The 2019-2020 Annual Report and 2020 Delivery Plan Update evaluate year two of the EMP. For the first time, the Annual Report and Delivery Plan Update is accompanied by an interactive StoryMap. The case studies included in the StoryMap feature guided video tours of LitterWatch and the EMP theme on CoastKit.

More Information

Email Bay.Plan@delwp.vic.gov.au.

Or view:
PPB Environmental Management Plan Supporting Document (PDF, 7.1 MB)
PPB Environmental Management Plan Consultation Summary (PDF, 575.8 KB)
PPB Environmental Management Plan Summary (large A3 version) (PDF, 435.5 KB)

Read the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council's Assessment of the Values of Victoria's Marine Environment.