The Pakenham_Bunyip Salinity Province is a small province that straddles the Princess Freeway about 60 km southeast of Melbourne. Apart from its residential western edge, landuse in the province is mostly grazing on modified pasture. However, major residential development is occurring throughout the area, which will have significant ongoing effects on catchment hydrology and therefore soil & water salinity. The southern half of the province is part of the Westernport Plain, consisting of Quaternary alluvium, with intermediate to regional scale Groundwater Flow Systems (GFSs). The province becomes undulating to hilly in the north, where the more complex geology results in many local scale GFSs associated with weathered granite, colluvium and stream alluvium, and local to intermediate scale GFSs in fractured Palaeozoic meta-sedimentary rocks. |
Catchment Management Region: | PORT PHILLIP & WESTERNPORT |
Priority Status: | High |
Province Area: | 27,870 ha |
Recorded Soil Salinity Area 1: | 50 ha |
Dominant Surface Geology Type: | Sedimentary |
Influence of Geological Structure on Salinity Occurrence/s: | Possible |
Relevant Geomorphological Mapping Units (GMUs): | 7.1.X, 1.4.5 |
Predominant Groundwater Flow Systems (GFSs): | Local & Local/Intermediate |
Relevant Irrigation Areas: | N/A |