Current condition of coasts
The 600km of coastline in this region has diverse environments and provides habitat for native plants and animals.
However, much of the coast has been impacted by urban development, coastal settlement, high levels of recreational use and invasive species. The amount and quality of native vegetation, as indicators of the environmental value of a coastal zone, varies depending on the particular coastal zone. A summary is provided in the table below.
| Zone | Appx. length (km) |
Average width (m) |
Appx. area (ha) |
Area of native vegetation (ha) |
Proportion of zone with native vegetation (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phillip Island ocean | 42.3 | 258 | 1,091 | 922 | 85 |
| Phillip Island bay | 36.9 | 120 | 443 | 52 | 12 |
| French Island south | 23.6 | 342 | 807 | 693 | 86 |
| French Island north | 40.4 | 349 | 1,411 | 1,293 | 92 |
| Western Port east | 55.3 | 141 | 778 | 556 | 71 |
| Western Port north | 40.4 | 451 | 1,821 | 1,338 | 73 |
| Hastings | 22.9 | 460 | 1,053 | 662 | 63 |
| Sandy Point to Flinders | 33.1 | 435 | 1,440 | 1,121 | 78 |
| Flinders to Point Nepean | 45.5 | 451 | 2,050 | 1,782 | 87 |
| Port Phillip Bay eastern beaches | 115.5 | 83 | 959 | 440 | 46 |
| Port Phillip Bay north western shoreline | 60.1 | 446 | 2,681 | 1,505 | 56 |
| Geelong | 22.6 | 54 | 121 | 33 | 27 |
| Corio Bay south | 35.1 | 100 | 351 | 210 | 60 |
| Swan Bay | 36.2 | 931 | 3,369 | 725 | 22 |
| Queenscliffe | 7.1 | 106 | 75 | 52 | 69 |
| Total | 617 | 299 | 18,454 | 11,384 | 62 |
The current condition of coasts has been used to set targets for the future (Targets). Lead organisations are committed to achieving these targets (Leadership) and arrangements are in place to monitor and report on progress and success (Monitoring and Reporting).
It is expected that a Coastal Action Plan will be developed for the coast of the Port Phillip and Western Port region by the Victorian Government (led by the Central Coastal Board). The plan may provide improved information on the condition of the coasts and may therefore lead to these assessment of condition being revised.