Fish Habitat Suitability Model Results for Melbourne Waterways

Containing habitat suitability modelling results for fish across 8,233 stream reaches in the Melbourne Water operating region. It was developed by the University of Melbourne for the Healthy Waterways Strategy 2018, presenting results for 13 native fished species and 22 total fish species under current, current trajectory, and target trajectory scenarios.

Use Cases

• Analyze stacked probabilities for 13 native fished species to calculate a fish value score per reach.
• Compare habitat suitability results for 22 fish species between current conditions and future climate change scenarios.
• Assess the impact of Healthy Waterways Strategy performance objectives by examining target trajectory scenario results.
• Map habitat suitability across 8,233 reaches to identify priority sub-catchments for waterway planning.

Strengths

• Model results have been thoroughly reviewed and are considered fit for purpose for waterway planning.
• Covers 8,233 stream reaches within the Melbourne Water operating region, derived from an analysis of 16,346 sub-catchments.
• Provides scenario-based projections including current conditions, current trajectory, and target trajectory.

Limitations

• The dataset excludes very small areas close to Port Phillip Bay and Western Port, such as parts of French Island.
• The underlying model's assumptions and input data for future scenarios may introduce uncertainty.
• No raw columnar data or sample data is provided to verify the structure and granularity of the results.

Provenance

Source

University of Melbourne, developed through the Melbourne Waterways Research Practice Partnership for Melbourne Water's Healthy Waterways Strategy 2018.

Collection Method

Created using a streams dataset from GraceGIS and results from Habitat Suitability Modelling for the HWS2018.

Time Range

Current conditions are based on 2014, with projections for future trajectories.

Freshness

Last updated March 20, 2026.

Geography

Melbourne Water operating region, Australia.