Strengthening Victor Harbor’s Environmental Future

Biodiversity Victor Harbor’s response to the City’s Draft Environmental Management Plan 2025–2030

When the City of Victor Harbor released its draft Environmental Management Plan 2025–2030, it was met with cautious optimism by local environmental advocates.
For Biodiversity Victor Harbor, the new plan marks a welcome opportunity — but also a pivotal moment to ensure the community’s natural treasures are protected through clear, measurable action.

“We’re really pleased to see the Council developing this plan,” says Dr Peter Sharley OAM, Deputy Chair of Biodiversity Victor Harbor.
“But to make a real impact, the goals need to be SMART — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Without that, it’s hard to track whether we’re actually reversing biodiversity loss.”

Why a plan matters

Victor Harbor’s landscapes — from the open coastal dunes and wetlands to the shady gullies of Hindmarsh and Inman Rivers — are more than scenic backdrops. They are living ecosystems that sustain native birds, fish, insects and plants, as well as the sense of place that locals cherish.

An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) helps guide how Council and the community care for these assets: setting priorities, targets and actions for managing vegetation, wildlife, water, waste and climate adaptation.  Biodiversity Victor Harbor’s submission to Council doesn’t criticise the plan’s intent; it applauds it.  But the group argues that good intentions must be anchored by accountability.

Setting targets that count

In its submission, Biodiversity Victor Harbor identifies gaps in the draft document — particularly around measurable outcomes.  The group urges Council to apply the same SMART principles used in other well-designed regional and national strategies.

For instance, the submission points to Australia’s Strategy for Nature 2024–2030, which outlines a clear national mission: to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
Biodiversity Victor Harbor argues that the City’s plan should explicitly align with this framework and adopt a headline target of reversing local biodiversity decline within the same timeframe.

“The national and state directions already exist,” explains Dr Sharley.
“There’s no need to reinvent the wheel — just to align Victor Harbor’s plan with them. That ensures we’re part of a coordinated national effort rather than an isolated one.”

Greening our town

One of the most tangible recommendations is for the plan to include a 30 per cent urban tree canopy target, matching the benchmark set by Green Adelaide.

Tree canopy matters more than many people realise.
It shades homes and streets, reduces energy costs, cools neighbourhoods in summer, supports birdlife and helps manage stormwater runoff.

“Simply saying ‘increase tree cover’ isn’t enough,” the submission notes.
Without a defined starting point and a measurable goal, the community can’t track whether progress is happening or stalling.

Satellite mapping now allows councils to calculate canopy cover precisely — and to monitor changes every few years.  Biodiversity Victor Harbor suggests the City embrace this technology and set clear baseline data as soon as possible.

Water, waste and the circular economy

Water management is another area where Biodiversity Victor Harbor sees room for ambition.
While the draft plan mentions maintaining recycled-water use, the group encourages a more forward-looking goal: expanding water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) and exploring innovative reuse systems in new developments.

Simple features like wetlands, rain gardens and vegetated swales can filter pollutants before they reach the sea.
“Every drop that passes through vegetation before entering our creeks or the ocean helps,” says Dr Sharley, “It’s one of those win-win actions that beautifies neighbourhoods and protects biodiversity at the same time.”

On waste, the group supports Council’s steps toward a circular economy but calls the existing target — a 4 per cent increase in landfill diversion — “underwhelming.”
Instead, Biodiversity Victor Harbor suggests bolder resource-recovery goals backed by community education, incentives and local business engagement.

A refuge for biodiversity

The Fleurieu Peninsula, including Victor Harbor, has long been recognised as a biodiversity refuge. It is one of 15 Biodiversity Hotspots across Australia.
It provides habitat for rare and threatened flora and fauna, some of which may vanish from other parts of South Australia as the climate warms.

“Victor Harbor carries an extra responsibility,” says Dr Sharley.
“We’re one of the last safe havens for certain species. If we lose those here, they may disappear entirely.”

Climate change, the submission warns, will continue to bring more intense heat, fire, floods and coastal pressures.
Biodiversity Victor Harbor recommends that the City adopt a dedicated Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation Policy so that every council decision — from land-use planning to weed control — is assessed through a climate lens.

Protecting natural ecosystems also contributes to climate mitigation.
Forests, wetlands, and seagrass meadows store carbon and buffer communities from extreme weather.
Biodiversity Victor Harbor encourages Council to highlight these co-benefits, positioning Victor Harbor as a leader in “nature-positive” climate action.

Caring for our rivers and coasts

Two focal points in the submission are the Hindmarsh and Inman Rivers, whose catchments form crucial biodiversity corridors linking the hills to the coast.

Biodiversity Victor Harbor recommends the plan explicitly committed to:

• Protecting and restoring native vegetation along both river systems;
• Working with private landholders to encourage habitat protection; and
• Using Native Vegetation Heritage Agreements or similar tools to secure long-term conservation outcomes.

The group also notes that while public access to waterways is important, it should not come at the expense of habitat protection.  The priority, they argue, must be ecological integrity first — with public use designed around it.

The coast, too, requires ongoing attention. Rising sea levels and increased storm activity threaten dunes, saltmarshes and shorebird feeding areas.
Biodiversity Victor Harbor supports actions that build resilience along the foreshore, including dune stabilisation and planting of native coastal vegetation.

Community partnerships and education

At the heart of Biodiversity Victor Harbor’s submission is a belief that the environment belongs to everyone. 
Council can set direction and policy, but success depends on collaboration — with residents, schools, businesses and volunteer groups.

That’s why one of the recommendations calls for a partnership between Council and Biodiversity Victor Harbor to deliver ongoing community projects and education.

“AT the community level, it is where change really begins,” says Mark Richards, Chair of Biodiversity Victor Harbor.
“When people understand how their rural properties, gardens, local parks and creeks connect to the bigger picture, they become champions for biodiversity in their own backyards.”

Turning words into action

The submission also calls for practical additions to the plan:

• Creating a Significant Tree Register for the urban area;
• Encouraging Heritage Agreements on Council land;
• Expanding strategies to control invasive species such as deer, cats, foxes and rabbits;
• Including measurable KPIs for every major objective; and
• Committing to help achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 in line with South Australia’s state target.

Each recommendation is designed not to burden the Council but to strengthen the plan’s effectiveness.

“This isn’t about criticism — it’s about collaboration,” says Mark Richards.
“Council has a chance to create an environmental plan that inspires confidence, delivers real results, and reflects how much our community values nature.”

Building on what’s already strong

Biodiversity Victor Harbor acknowledges that many positive initiatives are already underway.
Biodiversity Victor Harbor’s submission simply aims to help the new plan take the next step — moving from activity to impact.

“Victor Harbor can set the benchmark for regional councils across South Australia,” says Dr Sharley.
“If we combine solid science with genuine community involvement, we can show how local government and volunteers together can reverse biodiversity loss.”

A shared vision for 2030

Imagine Victor Harbor in 2030:
Streets lined with shady native trees, cool green corridors linking town to coast, rivers teeming with life, and residents proud to know their efforts are making a measurable difference.

That’s the vision Biodiversity Victor Harbor is advocating for.
It’s not an impossible dream — just one that requires commitment, transparency and teamwork.

“Nature is resilient when we give it a helping hand,” Mark Richards says.
“We’ve seen what community planting days and small local projects can achieve. With the right plan in place, those efforts multiply.”

How you can help

Environmental progress doesn’t happen behind closed doors.
It’s built by everyday people who care about the places they call home.

If you’d like to stay informed about environmental issues affecting Victor Harbor, or to get involved in hands-on projects that protect and enhance our region’s unique biodiversity, we’d love you to join us.

💚 Join Biodiversity Victor Harbor
Be part of a growing community network dedicated to caring for our coast, rivers and wildlife.
Together we can keep Victor Harbor a vibrant, nature-rich place for generations to come.

👉 Visit www.biodiversityvictor.org.au and sign up to receive updates, volunteer opportunities and event invitations.

Simple. Free. No obligation
Biodiversity Victor Harbor is a community-driven, not-for-profit organisation established in 2023. Incorporated and registered as a Charity, Biodiversity Victor Harbor unites individuals from diverse backgrounds who share a deep commitment to our region’s natural environment. Donations are tax-deductible.