This dataset is now Obsolete. This dataset is now replaced by VICFORESTS_ALLOCATION_APR2019. This dataset is a copy of the Obsolete and now deleted WORKING_FOREST_AREAS dataset and has been kept for historical and legal purposes. For more information regarding this dataset please refer to WORKING_FOREST_AREAS

Victorian State-wide dataset containing features of interest including boating clubs, camping grounds, caravan parks, historic sites, lifesaving clubs and lookouts as identified by the Victorian Regional Coastal Boards and reviewed as part of the Future Coasts SECAP project.

The IEC is made up of five subindices - Physical Form, Hydrology, Water Quality, Flora, and Fish. The overall score for each estuary is based on individual scores for the five sub-indices. Sub-indices are made up of one or more measures that, in turn, are underpinned by one or more metrics that provide information on threats or condition (DELWP 2021). Assigning each IEC metric to represent measures of either threat or condition aids interpretation of results and conceptual understanding of observed estuary condition to guide management options.

This layer contains regional biogeographical divisions of Victorian State waters as classified to CBICs Level 6 biogeographical units (biounits). Each biounit is characterised by one or more distinct physiographic settings, ecosystem processes and biotope distributions. These regions form a basis for ecological studies, natural resource management and ecological modelling.

Areas of catchments that drain directly to Victorian estuaries - i.e. not via major freshwater tributaries. This data updates the previous EST_CATCH (Deakin) layer for use in the 2021 Index of Estuarine Condition. Boundaries were determined from a digital elevation model (DEM) and were compared with DELWP boundaries for some estuaries (where DELWP data existed (i.e. in the estuary fluvial catchment layer [WATER_EST_FLUV_VSDL] available on the Victorian Spatial Data Library [January 2020]). On steep land (the Otways, east Gippsland etc) the boundaries align well. On the flatter areas there are some discrepancies between the DEM derived boundary and the DELWP derived boundary. For some catchments the DELWP boundaries are more accurate, but for others the DEM derived boundary is more accurate. Final catchment boundaries were determined by adopting the DEM derived boundary where there was good alignment with the DELWP layer and then adjusting just the contested boundaries to choose the one that appeared most accurate based on the rationale specified for each estuary below.

This layer contains divisions of Victorian biounits as classified to CBICs Level 4 biotope complexes as polygons. At this level of the hierarchy, biotopes are grouped into sets with similar physical and biological characteristics.

This layer contains marine and coastal features across Victoria. This data consists of conservation and protection zones, cultural and heritage areas, energy and resource extraction sites, defence and national security areas, locations of ports and shipping channels, fishing and aquaculture areas, and areas of natural environment and biodiversity importance.

Victorian state-wide dataset containing information on natural features at each ocean beach relating to the surf zone and hydrology, beach system or type, dominant shoreline geology and beach presence. The dataset includes surf zone data on rip currents, swash gradient, tidal range (neap and spring), modal wave height, dominant swell direction and wave frequency. This dataset has been adapted from the Australian Beach Safety and Management Program (ABSAMP) 1999, joined with the VicCoastline 2008 dataset and the geology classified using the smartline coastal data segmentation dataset as produced in the Australian Coastal Geomorphic and Stability Mapping Project.

IEC2021_ FRINGING _VEG is the spatial representation of fringing vegetation used in the calculation of Index of Estuarine Condition (IEC) scores. In the context of the IEC, 'fringing vegetation' refers to the vegetation which grows above the permanently inundated portion of the estuary but within the zone of influence of the more-or-less saline estuarine waters. It includes vegetation in intertidal areas and riparian areas in the estuary but not subtidal vegetation (see Sinclair and Kohout 2018 for more precise working definitions of vegetation zones). In the field, the extent of the fringing vegetation and any built structures that impinge on it were mapped (by annotating an aerial photograph). Fringing vegetation was mapped according to Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVC) (https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/biodiversity/bioregions-and-evc-benchmarks) and subjectively classified into areas of different condition with reference to vegetation structure, weediness and land use. Each patch of vegetation that could be accessed was scored for its degree of invasion by perennial weeds and its structural resemblance to a relevant benchmark (https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/biodiversity/bioregions-and-evc-benchmarks). Additional observations were recorded on the score sheet, relating to `Health of the dominant plant species¿ and `Extent of engineered hydrological modifications¿. Scores were estimated for the areas that could not be observed. These estimated scores were based on the areas that were observed. The areas of all relevant polygons were calculated, and a score produced for each metric (IEC Report 2021).

Dataset containing an indication of the geographic extent covered by each current Coastal Action Plan identified in 'Table 2: Coastal Action Plan Status', of the Victorian Coastal Council’s 2010-11 Annual Report. The dataset contains attributes identifying the report title, year of the report, Coastal Board region, unique identifier assigned to report, link that allows the report to be directly referenced, and link to source website page used to locate and obtain document. To support the capture of a suitable geographic extent covered by Coastal Plans each plan was reviewed and categorised in terms of the area it covered. For plans covering a local government area, Catchment Management Authority, Coastal Management Board area, or township, a nominal buffer was applied around the spatial extent of these administrative units. For reports containing a clear study area, this boundary was captured and used to depict the geographical area covered by the report.