Landscape Character Zones
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Typically, the coastal reserves managed by Barwon Coast comprises a barrier dune system, with some lower coastal cliffs defining a low-lying hinterland.
The hinterland includes the floodplains of the Barwon River, Thompsons Creek and the Wetlands associated with Lake Connewarre and the Lake Victoria Zones. This typical condition varies in a number of specific locations, especially around the Barwon River estuary.
Particular environmental features include the limestone Bluff at Barwon Heads, the limestone and bluestone shelves at the base of The Bluff, the Barwon River mouth and estuary, the 13th Beach and its dune system, the long Ocean Grove dune and the exposed rocky foreshore at Blue Rocks.
A review of these landscape characteristics led to an identification of a number of landscape character zones. These zones have been based on a number of criteria, primarily:
- Visual Character
- Landform/Geomorphology
- Land use/Level of development
- Vegetation.
On the basis of these criteria, the Landscape Character Zones are defined and located as detailed below:
- Ocean Grove Dunes (7W – 13W)
- Urban Foreshore (13W – 16W)
- The Spit (16W – 20W)
- Barwon River Estuary/Port (22W – 27W)
- The Bluff (27W – 30W)
- Thirteenth Beach (30W – 42W).
In order to define a comprehensive programme of management actions, an assessment has been made of each of these Landscape Character Zones. In each case this assessment involved the following process:
- Physical analysis to determine key values
- Definition of the key role of the zone.