Macroinvertebrate Habitat Suitability Model Results for Melbourne Waterways

Aggregating habitat suitability modelling results for macroinvertebrates across 8,233 stream reaches in the Melbourne Water operating region. The data was developed by the University of Melbourne for the Healthy Waterways Strategy 2018 and includes scores for current conditions, a current trajectory scenario, and a target trajectory scenario.

Use Cases

• Compare habitat suitability scores for the Current, Current Trajectory, and Target Trajectory scenarios across the 8,233 reaches.
• Analyze the impact of modelled scenarios involving revegetation, stormwater management, and climate change on macroinvertebrate habitat suitability.
• Prioritize waterway management actions by identifying reaches with low suitability scores under the Current Trajectory scenario.

Strengths

• Results are based on analysis across 16,346 sub-catchments within the defined operating region.
• The dataset covers 8,233 specific stream reaches containing Melbourne Water waterways.
• The Habitat Suitability Model results have been thoroughly reviewed and are considered fit for purpose for waterway planning.

Limitations

• The dataset does not cover very small areas close to Port Phillip Bay or Western Port, such as parts of French Island.
• The specific variables, columns, and sample data are not documented in the provided input.
• The temporal coverage for the 'Current' scenario is based on 2014 conditions, which may not reflect the present.

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

The 'Current' scenario reflects 2014 conditions; other scenarios are projections.

Freshness

The metadata was last updated on 2026-03-20, though the core 'Current' scenario data reflects 2014 conditions.

Geography

Melbourne Water operating region, excluding very small coastal areas near Port Phillip Bay and Western Port.