The City is committed to caring for our environment for current and future generations. We do this with a variety of programs and strategies, and in consultation with the environmental advisory group.
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The City is committed to caring for our environment for current and future generations. We do this with a variety of programs and strategies, and in consultation with the environmental advisory group.
Each year sees more schools within the Peel region and the Perth metro areas coming together during these tours, not only to hear about climate change, but network and meet between two hundred to three hundred young change-makers.
Kids Teaching Kids is an education model that uses local environmental issues as a theme for learning.
Kids Teaching Kids starts in the classroom and extends into the community through the Kids Teaching Kids Learning Model and Program. We are assured that the young kids are prepared to take up the challenges of saving our environment when we give them responsibilities to manage their own learning, through the Kids Teaching Kids Learning Model.
The City locally supports Kids Teaching Kids programs run in Mandurah.
There are so many incredible environmental groups in Mandurah and they’re always looking for an extra pair of hands and fresh, new ideas. Use the list below to explore our local groups and get in touch with them if you’d like to know more.
The City of Mandurah contains large areas of intact remnant natural bushland, consisting of a varying range of vegetation.
Our commitment to manage, conserve and protect our bushland is facilitated through:
The predominant native species in Mandurah include:
The City has an on-ground CityParks Bushland team who are responsible for planning, maintenance and rehabilitation in over 70 bushland Reserves and coastal areas, as well as assist in estuary and river restoration.
We also have 10 Bushcare Groups, consisting of volunteers from the community, involved in a variety of activities within the City’s Reserves, with the aim of protecting and restoring the biodiversity of these areas and conservation values.
Having more plant species than ever before, the majority of introduced plant species have outnumbered native species and have already become established in our environment, and causing harm. To stop these invasive plants from choking the native species out, the City encourages residents to avoid the following plant species regarded as weeds in Mandurah.
Plants (regarded as weeds) to avoid :
The four stages of the mosquito lifecycle are:
Eggs
Larva
Pupa
Adult
The Peel Mosquito Management Group is the largest mosquito management partnership of its type in Western Australia. The program is delivered by the City of Mandurah, Shire of Murray, City of Rockingham, Shire of Waroona and the WA Department of Health.
Since the early 1990s, local governments in the Peel Region have partnered with the WA Department of Health to successfully implement a mosquito management program. The program works to reduce human cases of mosquito-borne disease and minimise the nuisance caused by saltmarsh mosquitoes.
Given that mosquitoes don’t recognise boundaries, it is essential that we work together to achieve effective and sustainable mosquito management.
The program is an important and essential community service to protect public health and lifestyle for people living and visiting Mandurah and the region.
The PMMG has significantly evolved since the early days and is recognised as being one of the leading mosquito management programs in the country. This has involved treatment improvements and the integration of cutting edge industry-specific technology.
The State Government’s Department of Health has been is a long-standing key partner in ensuring the program’s success. They provide funding for helicopter services and resources including scientific expertise, mosquito-borne disease surveillance, operational improvements, research and program development opportunities.
The WA Department of Health also ensures community education is promoted via its Fight The Bite campaign in collaboration with the PMMG. The PMMG work with our local communities to inform and educate about the program and, importantly, ways to protect you and your family.
The PMMG strives to provide effective, consistent and environmentally-sustainable mosquito management. The program’s partners work hard to manage mosquitoes and without the collaboration, mosquito-borne disease and mosquito populations would be significantly higher in the Peel Region.
The City of Mandurah in partnership with the Peel Mosquito Management Group (PMMG) undertakes mosquito management operations all year round.
There are two main species of saltmarsh mosquitoes that affect our area:
Aedes camptorhyncus - typically active from April to October
Aedes vigilax - typically active during the warmer months of November to May
These two species are the primary carriers of Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus and are also the main cause of nuisance. For this reason the program’s focus is on the year-round reduction of these species.
Mosquito management is a complex and challenging task given the numerous environmental factors that drive and maintain mosquito breeding. These environmental drivers also play a key role in how effective the program is. This can change, and does change, from week to week, and year to year.
The Peel Mosquito Management Group (PMMG) is the largest mosquito management partnership of its type in Western Australia and a national leader in providing effective, consistent and environmentally sustainable mosquito management.
Refined over many years, the PMMG program targets mosquito larvae to reduce adult populations. This follows recognised best-practice methods.
The PMMG primarily uses aerial larviciding techniques to apply granule and liquid larvicides. This is undertaken with a specially-equipped helicopter, highly experienced pilots and leading edge application technology thanks to significant funding from the WA Department of Health.
Aerial larviciding targets the mosquito larvae in the water before they emerge as adults. This method allows rapid, accurate, reliable and safe application across large areas (up to 600 hectares) within a short timeframe which is critical to the program’s success.
The planning and frequency of aerial treatments is based on the frequency of tidal activity, larval surveillance results, and weather conditions.
In some situations there may only be a small window for effective application. The product and timing is carefully considered during treatment preparation.
The two types of larvicides used are S - methoprene and Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis). These are approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, and supported by the WA Department of Health, for broadscale mosquito management. These larvicides pose no adverse effects to other non-target organisms or the public.
Even with our highly effective aerial larviciding program, mosquitoes cannot be eliminated all together so it is important to protect yourself and your family at all times.
Here are the recent treatments for the season - we will update following each treatment.
Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus are the two most common mosquito-borne diseases in the Peel Region.
Virus surveillance is undertaken by the WA Department of Health across the south-west of WA. The aim of this important surveillance is to monitor mosquito and virus activity.
The peak time for this disease transmission is generally between September and January, however protection from mosquito bites is an important measure year round.
Common symptoms include painful or swollen joints, sore muscles, skin rashes, fever and tiredness. Other symptoms may also occur.
The only way to confirm if you have a mosquito-borne disease is to visit a medical professional for a specific blood test.
You should take every precaution to avoid mosquito bites. The only way to prevent infection is to avoid being bitten.
Our mosquito management team spend many hours inspecting more than 70 saltmarsh mosquito breeding locations.
Field work is critical for effective mosquito management and is methodically undertaken after storm surge events and following treatments.
During field work, a range of information is obtained and recorded including:
Environmental drivers of local weather patterns and conditions play an important role in the ability for saltmarsh mosquitoes to sustain their breeding cycles.
These drivers can also impact the program’s activities and are monitored daily to ensure effective mosquito management. The environmental drivers are:
Weather influences such as low and high pressure systems, approaching cold fronts and wind forces, west coast troughs, tropical cyclones reaching the mid-west coast and rainfall inflow into regional river systems, either individually or as a combination can have significant impacts on local tide behaviour within the Peel-Harvey Estuary.
These same weather influences also play their part in seasons when tidal activity and mosquito breeding activity cycles are much less active. These seasons typically occur every three to five years as a consequence of broader climate drivers, and results in saltmarsh wetland habitats remaining dry for weeks and even months. This natural management restricts mosquito breeding and lessens adult mosquito populations.
Tides are the daily rise and fall of sea levels.
Whilst tidal range within the Peel Harvey-Estuary system is typically less than 30cm, tides vary greatly from astronomical and historical predictors. Local tides are highly sensitive to changes in local and broader weather events.
A storm surge is the term given when there is a difference between the actual tide and the predicted tide.
Storm surges can peak well above predicted tide heights and can occur even though obvious changes in local weather is not experienced. Surges may be brief or occur over a few days. Storm surges that occur at the same time as a high tide can see a significant rise in water levels.
Storm surge can inundate vast areas of breeding habitat and initiate the hatching of mosquito eggs in their millions over a single or number of days. The eggs of saltmarsh mosquitoes have the ability to remain in a dormant state for weeks, months and even years. This allows the build-up of eggs over long periods.
In years when storm surges occur more frequently as a consequence of broader climate drivers, managing mosquito populations effectively is much more challenging.