This document describes the methods for assessing wetland extent and loss and development of a condition assessment index which is summarised in four steps below:
- Site prioritisation: important wetlands to be assessed were identified (see Claus et al. 2011).
- Wetland extent and loss: the extent of all wetlands selected in the prioritisation was determined using best possible data. In addition, the hydrological catchment and fringing zone for each wetland were delineated used best available methods (see Claus et al. 2011).
- Indicators: Using disturbance and stressor conceptual models (see see Assessing the extent and condition of wetlands in NSW: Supporting report A – Conceptual framework), a set of pressure and condition indicators were selected to inform the condition assessment of each wetland and ultimately each CMA region.
- Development of a condition assessment index: To report on each indicator a scoring table using a five point scoring scale was developed. Values for each level were described, with a score of 1 being the 'best' and 5 the 'worst'. The assessment methodology allows scores of individual indicators to be combined to give an overall pressure and condition scores for each category as well as for a wetland and finally for each CMA region as a whole. For the State of the catchments (SOC) 2010 reports, the scoring system adopted for the 13 state-wide targets was '5' for the best and '1' for the worst. The wetland scoring system in this report was reversed for the SOC 2010 reports.
