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A river health assessment will be conducted to measure and report on the ecological health of the Lower Sabina River. Monitoring the water quality of the Lower Sabina River will continue in the Catchment Water Quality Monitoring Program and the Water Quality Improvement Plan will be reviewed and updated.

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The poor water quality of the Lower Vasse River, and community concern, has led to a number of major initiatives over the past two decades including the formation of the Geographe Catchment Council (GeoCatch) in 1997.
Lower Vasse River Cleanup Program
Between 1997 and 2007 GeoCatch, the City of Busselton and the (then) Water and Rivers Commission partnered on a number of projects to improve the ecological health of the Lower Vasse River. Projects included a large amount of on ground activity such as bank reshaping and revegetation, dredging and oxygenation trials, a Phoslock (phosphorus binding clay) trial and other activities. The 2005 Lower Vasse River Cleanup Program Review outlines the achievements and recommendations of the program.

The focus of work on the Lower Vasse River began to shift in 2008 when monitoring and modelling for the development of the water quality improvement plan (WQIP) showed that high levels of nutrients were entering the Lower Vasse River from surrounding urban and rural sources, and the river would continue to experience poor water quality in summer unless this was addressed.
Implementing the water quality improvement plan
Between 2008 and 2014, GeoCatch, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and partners shifted their focus in line with recommendations made in the water quality improvement plan (WQIP) for the Vasse Wonnerup wetlands and Geographe Bay. Work expanded to the surrounding catchment to reduce nutrients entering the Lower Vasse River. Projects included reducing nutrients from urban gardens through the Bay OK program, reducing nutrients from urban areas through stormwater upgrades, and reducing nutrients from the rural catchment through riparian fencing, best practice fertiliser management and dairy effluent upgrades.
Revitalising Geographe Waterways
Following a mass fish kill in the Vasse Estuary in 2013, the state government commissioned a review into the management of Geographe waterways, and funding followed to implement some of the recommendations. RGW has continued work in the Lower Vasse River catchment to reduce nutrients entering from urban and rural areas. The program has also expanded its focus to investigate ways to fast-track water quality improvements in the river.

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The poor water quality of the Lower Vasse River, and community concern, has led to a number of major initiatives over the past two decades including the formation of the Geographe Catchment Council (GeoCatch) in 1997.

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The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has been monitoring the water quality of Five Mile Brook catchment fortnightly since 2018. Data from 2018-2021 is presented in the table below. The data shows total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations to be consistently above water quality targets.

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The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has been monitoring the water quality of Five Mile Brook catchment fortnightly since 2018. Data from 2018-2021 is presented in the table below. The data shows total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations to be consistently above water quality targets.

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The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance holds the unique distinction of being the first modern treaty between nations aimed at conserving natural resources. The signing of the Convention on Wetlands took place in 1971 at the small Iranian town of Ramsar. Since then, the Convention on Wetlands has been known as the Ramsar Convention.

The Ramsar Convention's broad aims are to halt the worldwide loss of wetlands and to conserve, through wise use and management, those that remain. This requires international cooperation, policy making, capacity building and technology transfer.

What are Ramsar wetlands?

Under the Ramsar Convention, a wide variety of natural and human-made habitat types ranging from rivers to coral reefs can be classified as wetlands. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, billabongs, lakes, salt marshes, mudflats, mangroves, coral reefs, fens, peat bogs, or bodies of water - whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary. Water within these areas can be static or flowing; fresh, brackish or saline; and can include inland rivers and coastal or marine water to a depth of six metres at low tide. There are even underground wetlands.

The Ramsar Convention encourages the designation of sites containing representative, rare or unique wetlands, or wetlands that are important for conserving biological diversity. Once designated, these sites are added to the Convention's List of Wetlands of International Importance and become known as Ramsar sites. In designating a wetland as a Ramsar site, countries agree to establish and oversee a management framework aimed at conserving the wetland and ensuring its wise use. Wise use under the Convention is broadly defined as maintaining the ecological character of a wetland. Wetlands can be included on the List of Wetlands of International Importance because of their ecological, botanical, zoological, limnological or hydrological importance.

For a wetland to be designated to this list it must satisfy one or more of the criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance.

Australia's Ramsar Wetlands

Australia designated the world's first Wetland of International Importance in 1974: Cobourg Peninsula in the Northern Territory. Australia currently has 66 Wetlands of International Importance listed under the Ramsar Convention, covering approximately 8.3 million hectares, an area greater than Scotland or Tasmania.

Contracting Parties to the Convention

Australia was one of the first nations to become a Contracting Party to the Ramsar Convention. There are now more than 170 Contracting Parties to the Convention, who have designated more than 2300 wetland sites throughout the world to the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

Contracting Parties make a commitment to:

designate at least one site that meets the Ramsar criteria for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance

promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands

include wetland conservation within their national land-use planning

establish nature reserves on wetlands and promote wetland training, and

consult with other Contracting Parties about the implementation of the Ramsar Convention.

Conferences of Contracting Parties

The Contracting Parties meet every three years at a Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP) to discuss policy issues and to report on the activities of the previous three years through National Reports.

The next Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP14) will be held in Wuhan, China in October 2021.

Implementing the Ramsar Convention in Australia

In June 2015, Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands agreed to:

Australia's contribution to implementing these plans is set out in:

Reports on Australia's progress in implementing these two plans are available at:

National Guidelines for Ramsar Wetlands have been developed. The aim of the guidelines is to facilitate improved management of Ramsar sites and maintenance of ecological character, in line with Australia's commitments under the Ramsar Convention and responsibilities under the EPBC Act. The guidelines provide a framework for Ramsar Convention implementation in Australia and provide jurisdictions and other interested parties with guidance on the management of Ramsar sites.

More information

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The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance holds the unique distinction of being the first modern treaty between nations aimed at conserving natural resources. The signing of the Convention on Wetlands took place in 1971 at the small Iranian town of Ramsar. Since then, the Convention on Wetlands has been known as the Ramsar Convention.

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Bird sightings at Sabina Nature Reserve  

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Bird sightings at Sabina Nature Reserve  

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Sabina Nature Reserve (Reinscourt), Busselton, WA, AU - eBird Hotspot

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Explore a complete list of bird species observations in this area.

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Australia's official weather forecasts & weather radar - Bureau of Meteorology

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Bureau of Meteorology web homepage provides the Australian community with access to weather forecasts, severe weather warnings, observations, flood information, marine and high seas forecasts and climate information. Products include weather charts, satellite photos, radar pictures and climate maps. The Bureau also has responsibility for compiling and providing comprehensive water information across Australia.

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Busselton rain forecast information. Chance of rainfall chart with likely precipitation and statistics in live rain gauge

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Busselton to Albany rainfall & river conditions

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Busselton to Albany rainfall & river conditions

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Busselton to Albany Rainfall and River Conditions

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Bureau Home > Australia > Western Australia > Rainfall & River Conditions > Busselton to Albany Rainfall and River Conditions