Celebrating Agnes River through short films
The mighty arms of the Franklin and Agnes snugly hold the special little town of Toora. These major rivers began as little trickles, flowing through forest and farmland before entering into Corner Inlet.
For many years, the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA) has worked tirelessly on restoring the health of these waterways by removing willows, fencing and revegetation. Their work, supported by Corner Inlet Landcare and local farmers has enhanced the habitat of many river loving animals, including the beloved platypus.
On Wednesday 30 October, members of the West Gippsland CMA team invite the community to come to Toora Hall to help celebrate and reflect on this journey of river restoration.
They are also encouraging anyone and everyone to grab their phone or camera and create a short film about the Agnes of Franklin rivers and tributaries to share on the night. The three-minute film can be about restoration work, a magical encounter at the river or what these special places mean to you.
“The Agnes and Franklin are precious veins and need to be kept as healthy as possible,” said Bryan Watterson, a landholder along the Agnes River, dedicated member of Corner Inlet Landcare and organiser of the Agnes Shorts event.
“They also provide magical areas of great beauty – a place to relax, explore and rekindle our spirits. The rivers also determine the health of Corner Inlet upon which so much life depends.”
“West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA) has spent many years improving the health of these rivers, supporting the life of all that live within them. The event will be a fantastic opportunity to see and hear the CMA’s presentation of the works that have transformed the Agnes catchment.”
“People of South Gippsland are invited to take a photo OR make a little video of their favourite or special place on one of these rivers.”
Prizes of local business vouchers are up for grabs for the winning entries.
Corner Inlet Crucial for Migratory Birds
With International Migratory Bird Day just behind us, West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA) celebrates the catchments, such as Corner Inlet, that support migratory birds and are protected through international conventions and programs run by the CMA and partners.
This year’s theme of ‘Protect Insects Protect Birds’ focused on the importance of insects for migratory birds, and highlighted concerns related to decreasing populations of insects.
“Protecting and improving habitat is an important way we can protect insects and overall biodiversity for migratory birds and all wildlife,” said Tanya Cowell, Waterways Project Officer for West Gippsland CMA.
Corner Inlet became an internationally renowned wetland through the Ramsar convention in 1982. The inlet’s extensive intertidal mudflats provide food for migratory species.
“Rewards of a consistent and sustained effort to protect and enhance Corner Inlet by the CMA, Landcare, Greening Australia, GLaWAC Traditional Owners and partners Parks Victoria, Trust for Nature and BirdLife Australia are definitely paying off.”
Working to enhance and protect world renowned Corner Inlet has been a team effort led by West Gippsland CMA that has so far spanned decades. Works begin in the upper reaches of the rivers that flow into the inlet and follow their course down to the coast – home to extraordinary wildlife, fragile saltmarsh and mudflats.
“Everyone plays their part – like along the flagship Agnes River where we are extremely proud of the dedicated landholders and passionate Landcare volunteers who have largely driven the works.”
In 2023-24, 11 landholder management agreements were signed to complete 45 hectares of weed control, put 53,300 plants in the ground across 91 hectares and fence 16 kilometres of the river in partnership with Corner Inlet Landcare Group and Greening Australia.
Down at the inlet, the first of a five-year Corner Inlet Connections project is being delivered in partnership with Parks Victoria, GLaWAC, Trust for Nature and BirdLife Australia.
Across this first year, the focus has been to protect the Ramsar values of the area including treating spartina, controlling foxes to protect shorebirds, improving water quality, and safeguarding 136 hectares of saltmarsh including a 25 hectare Trust for Nature covenant.
In total, weed control has covered over the entire Corner Inlet Ramsar Site of 67,000 hectares with 530 hectares of pest animal control and water monitoring equipment will help us measure the results of our efforts across the catchment.”
“Corner Inlet is an important haven for migratory shorebirds that travel incredible distances each year. A favourite of mine is the Red-necked Stint which feeds in Corner Inlet. They are just the size and weight of a matchbox, yet fly thousands of kilometres to nest in the Siberian tundra, before turning around six months later to migrate south once again,” said Tanya.
Summer and winter shorebird counts provided crucial information to ensure the Ramsar values and levels of acceptable change for key species are maintained based on international Ramsar guidelines.
BirdLife Australia teams undertook seasonal bird counts of resident and migratory birds and also monitored the breeding success and health of key resident species of beach nesting birds such as Hooded Plovers, Pied Oystercatchers and Crested, Caspian and Fairy terns.
The team noted migratory species including Bar-tailed Godwits, Double-banded Plovers, Red-necked Stints, Red Knots, Red-capped Plovers, Pacific Golden Plover , Great Knot and Grey Plovers and the Critically Endangered Far Eastern Curlews – all returning to Corner Inlet and relying on this landscape for survival.
This ongoing monitoring is crucial to understanding the bird populations and threats they face. This can then guide effective fox and weed control and assist in community education about the effects of off leash dogs and nest disturbance.
“Ongoing bird monitoring will also help to raise community awareness of the birds’ plight so we can work together as a community to protect these special species,” Tanya said.
Independent Audit and Risk Committee Member
Expressions of Interest are sought from persons with a relevant qualifications and experience to participate in the Authority’s Audit and Risk Committee as an Independent Member.
The Audit and Risk Committee is an advisory Committee to the WGCMA Board. The primary objective of the Audit and Risk Committee is to independently review and assess the effectiveness of the Authority’s systems and controls for financial management, performance and sustainability, including risk management as outlined in the Committee Charter.
Applications addressing all key selection criteria as outlined in the application requirements must be emailed to LucyL@wgcma.vic.gov.au by close of business on Monday, 11th November 2024.
For further information please contact Lucy Laurie-Rhodes, Executive Manager – Corporate Services on 0424 861 112 during business hours, or via email LucyL@wgcma.vic.gov.au.
The power of community
It was a day of conversation, connection and conservation when West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA)’s Community Engagement Network (CEN) joined local Landcarers at the Regional Landcare Forum in Giffard on Tuesday 8 October.
Hosted by the CMA and Yarram Yarram Landcare Network, the event was an opportunity to connect, listen to stories of land regeneration and see first-hand the impact of local, community-driven environmental projects.
The day began at Giffard West Hall where, over scones and cakes, members of Woodside Landcare Group described the history of the area and how the first Landcare group was established. This was followed by a bus tour around Giffard Plains to see the results of decades of planting and conservation efforts by local landholders, who have worked tirelessly to restore what they described was a ‘moonscape’ of empty paddocks and scattered pockets of remnant vegetation into a connected, biodiverse landscape.
One of the ways they did this was through the successful Mullungdung to Coast project, which saw over 30,000 seedlings planted, 55 kilograms of seed directly sown and 34 kilometres of fencing constructed to create 104 hectares of wildlife corridors and protected remnant vegetation.
“People in the area have just all worked together and over the years have really made a difference to the landscape,” said Libby Balderstone, a member of the Woodside Landcare Group who has revegetated 18 per cent of her family property in the past two decades with the support of Greening Australia, Landcare and the tight-knit community.
After the bus tour, attendees returned to Giffard West Hall where the conversations continued as Yarram Yarram Landcare Network showcased some of their recent projects, including the new community nursery that opened last month and sold 1000 plants in the first day.
“Many Landcarers are quiet achievers, chipping away on projects in their local communities year after year,” said Marnie Ellis, the Regional Landcare Coordinator at the CMA. “To be able to share their achievements with other Landcare groups and CEN members like this is a fantastic opportunity to reflect, share knowledge and inspire others”.
Over 40 people from across West Gippsland attended, comprising representatives from each of the region’s five Landcare Networks, plus nine CEN members.
CEN member Fiona Pfiel was inspired by the day. “I really enjoyed learning about the long history of Landcare and pre-Landcare conservation efforts and collaboration.”
Callum Reynolds, who is serving his first term on the CEN, agreed: “It’s pretty awesome to see groups of people and organisations come together and move the needle every year in the right direction.”
Landcare has a long and proud history in West Gippsland. Made up of five Landcare networks that support 75 Landcare groups, they are a committed and motivated grassroots community that have delivered best practice natural resource management for more than 30 years.
The CMA supports and advocates for Landcare in West Gippsland by coordinating opportunities for collaborations, administering the Victorian Landcare Grants and other funding opportunities, delivering communications and events and fostering awareness of sustainable agriculture practices.
West Gippsland’s CEN plays an important role of information exchange with the community. The 16 members share community issues with the CMA, and in return, they gain information on CMA projects and initiatives to take back to their communities.
Powlett provides important wetland habitat
The Powlett River/Kugerungmome estuary on Bunurong Country near Kilcunda is a significant and ever-changing wetland that provides essential habitat for wildlife. In late August 2024, the river mouth closed to Bass Strait naturally and West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA) is monitoring the event.
The closure is a result of sustained large swells over the past weeks which deposited sand into the estuary entrance. Large ocean swells and low river flows allow the ocean to develop a sandbar at the mouth of an estuary eventually closing its connection to the ocean.
“Estuary closures provide critical habitat for many threatened species,” said West Gippsland CMA CEO, Martin Fuller.
“The Powlett River Estuary is one of many estuaries across the state that has recently closed its connection to the ocean”.
“Over the coming weeks, if the river mouth remains closed, we can expect to see water continue to nourish the wetlands,” explained Mr Fuller.
“This helps maintain the health of the wetland that surrounds the estuary”.
“The wetland provides important habitat and an abundance of food for many species of fish, birds and invertebrates that seek food and shelter, some of which are endangered.”
Mr Fuller explained that it is very important to support this natural process, otherwise the integrity of the surrounding wetland and the species it supports maybe jeopardised.
“There is a flow on effect when the river mouth closes,” continued Mr Fuller.
“Algae begins to grow which provides food for insects and fish. The calm waters then turn into a fish nursery and with the increase in fish and insects – birds flock to the wetlands to feed”.
“The environmental benefits of the estuary mouth closing cannot be overstated and if the mouth does open naturally, particularly as a result of increased water level height and freshwater river flows, it will trigger fish migration upstream and out to sea,” explained Mr Fuller.
West Gippsland CMA will monitor conditions and if required, the river mouth may need to be artificially opened. Decisions to open the estuary mouth are informed by the Estuary Entrance Management Support System (EEMSS) and additional data and information connected through onsite monitoring and stakeholder consultation.
“If it is decided that an artificial opening is required, it will only take place if it is deemed safe and sustainable. This requires a number of things to line up,” Mr Fuller explained.
In an effort to look for a long-term solution to address this issue, and alleviate the need for artificial estuary openings, West Gippsland CMA continues to work with landholders and other agency staff to explore options for the management of this land moving forward.
Opening of Bourne Creek, estuary
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA) has approved an artificial opening of Bourne Creek estuary, Kilcunda to prevent potential flooding of the Bass Highway.
The estuary opening is scheduled for Tuesday 3 September 2024 and will be undertaken by Parks Victoria when it is safe to do so, under the guidance of West Gippsland CMA.
Bourne Creek estuary entrance closed naturally to the ocean last week after large swells deposited sand across the estuary entrance. Those same swells caused water levels in the creek to rise.
“It’s a careful balance. Estuary closures are natural events that provide many environmental benefits for birds, fish and the surrounding saltmarsh and wetlands. However, they also pose risks to surrounding assets by inundating farmland, cultural assets, roads and recreational infrastructure,” said West Gippsland CMA CEO Martin Fuller.
“Artificial openings are only used in conditions where it is unlikely that the estuary will naturally open to the ocean before flooding occurs, as is the current situation at Bourne Creek.”
“The CMA is responsible for monitoring the closure conditions, carrying out the risk assessment and making the decision to artificially open the estuary.
This decision has been informed through extensive monitoring, a thorough risk and feasibility assessment and in consultation with Parks Victoria and Department of Transport and Planning. The opening involves a small digger removing sand at the estuary opening at a carefully selected time to allow water to flow into the ocean. The CMA will continue to work with landholders and partners to enable the natural opening and closing of estuaries with minimal impact top roads and other important assets.
“Ultimately, we are committed to supporting the environmental benefits of natural water cycles and improving the condition of West Gippsland’s valuable river and estuaries in the long term,” said Mr Fuller.
West Gippsland Community Flood Portal
Being prepared for how floods may affect you is part of a good flood preparation plan.
You may have heard Adam Dunn our Executive Manager, Statutory Planning on ABC Gippsland talking about our West Gippsland Community Flood Portal this morning.
The portal shares all the publicly available information and mapping with you in one place to help you plan and understand the catchment where you live. We recommend that you watch the instruction video to help get you started.
Remember for flood or storm emergencies, call Vic SES on 132 500. Stay safe everyone.
Creating better homes for fish in Lower Avon river
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA) has completed a project on the lower Avon River on Gunaikurnai Country to understand resident fish populations, create more habitat for them to thrive and improve facilities for fishers and river users.
The project included fish surveys, adding woody habitat into the river, repairing fishing platforms and planting native trees and is part of the Love Our Lakes program of works made up of 48 projects, being delivered by 22 partners to protect and enhance the health of the Gippsland Lakes.
“The lower Avon River is becoming increasingly popular with recreational fishers,” said Martin Fuller, CEO of West Gippsland CMA.
“However, it was lacking woody habitat to support good healthy populations of fish, so we saw an opportunity to create additional instream habitat that will ultimately lead to better conditions for native fish to thrive.”
“This project not only benefits fish and the Gippsland Lakes environment – fishers and recreational users are winners as well with improvements to existing fishing platforms that are well utilised by anglers.”
To be able to measure the success of the project, West Gippsland CMA started by engaging researchers to undertake fish surveys using various methods including electro fishing. The surveys recorded Estuary Perch, Australian Bass, Bully Mullet and Flathead Gudgeon.
Next, hardwood logs were installed and pinned by vertical piles that were strategically designed to maximise habitat area and mimic the complexity and form of natural river snags.
Not just any logs, the timber was sourced from large trees that had fallen during extreme wind and flood events, and collected by Emergency Recovery Victoria.
“This is a great example of how two government organisations can work in partnership for good environmental outcomes,” said Martin.
Once the habitat was installed, the team turned their attention to repairing the fishing platforms and native trees provided the finishing touches to the site.
A second fish survey was conducted after the instream structural habitat was installed which showed the fish using their new habitat for feeding and shelter.
“Projects in this western most area of the Gippsland Lakes are aimed to improve Lake Wellington and its fringing wetlands,” said Elsa Burnell, Project Delivery Co-ordinator for West Gippsland CMA, who oversaw the project.
“The estuary is a beautiful interface between the Gippsland Lakes and the river systems. These unique inland estuaries can be very fresh in wet years and almost as salty as sea water in dry times. The animals and plants that live there are incredibly resilient – and these works support them to thrive.”
“These works will enhance not only the habitat values of the system but support recreational use and enjoyment of the area. Every time you go down there you see people camping, fishing and kayaking and connecting with the Lakes and rivers of this special place.”
This project is part of a $248 million investment by the Victorian Government to improve the health of waterways and catchments. Of this, $7.5 million is being provided to improve the health of Gippsland Lakes over three years (2021-2024), through delivery of on-ground works and community engagement which is overseen by the Gippsland Lakes Coordinating Committee.
Mapping Gippsland Lakes’ wetland vegetation
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA) staff along with ecologist Doug Frood took the opportunity to survey the important and diverse wetland plants on Durt’Yowan (Latrobe River) floodplains as waters began receding after multiple wet years.
The surveys, undertaken on private land, are part of the Love Our Lakes program of works made up of 48 projects, being delivered by 22 partners to work together to protect and enhance the health of the Lakes.
As part of the Lower Latrobe Wetlands Flora and Fauna Monitoring, the project aims to map 3,576 hectares of vegetation and revisits existing vegetation monitoring undertaken in 2015. Results will monitor any change in condition of the sites and inform their ongoing management.
“This project will allow us to better understand the conditions of wetland vegetation within the Lower Latrobe area. It will also allow us to track the average condition of the vegetation and how cattle grazing and water regime impacts its quality,” said project consultant Doug Frood, from Pathways Bushland and Environment.
Results from the surveys will be included in the final report being prepared over the next few months and provide an invaluable resource that maps the vegetation and provides species lists for the lower Latrobe floodplain and lower Latrobe wetlands (Heart Morass, Dowd Morass and Sale Common).
In this latest study, the team set up ten metre by ten metre quadrants at two sites to record the plant species and their percentage of cover in the floodplain habitat. At one site, despite appearing reasonably bare and having evidence of cattle grazing, the team found a broad range of native plant species including water ribbon, slender knotweed, water milfoil and more. The second site featured a biodiverse floodplain woodland environment including additional species such as Swamp paperbark, prickly current bush and more.
“Lower Latrobe Wetlands make up a very significant fringing wetland for the Gippsland Lakes. The area’s plants, frogs and birdlife link to the world renowned Gippsland Lakes Ramsar wetland.”
“Surveying these woodland and wetland floodplain environments helps us to understand change in the native plants over time and also how they vary from season to season,” said Dr Adrian Clements, Environmental Water Officer for West Gippsland CMA.
“It’s really valuable to speak with the landholders to understand some of the changes they have noted over the years – especially the last four to five years which have seen the area flooded more often than dry,” said Dr Adrian Clements.
“This area of Durt’Yowan (Latrobe) has some of the best floodplain habitat in Gippsland and we’re keen to work with landholders to maintain and improve its condition for years to come, benefiting both the farmers and the environment.”
This project is part of a $248 million investment by the Victorian Government to improve the health of waterways and catchments. Of this, $7.5 million is being provided to improve the health of Gippsland Lakes over three years (2021-2024), through support to the Gippsland Lakes Coordinating Committee and for the delivery of on-ground works and community engagement.
Full details of the Gippsland Lakes projects are available at loveourlakes.net.au
Farmers adapting to a changing climate – Preparing for the next drought
The very real effects of climate change are a challenge for everyone. Merriman Creek Landcare Group is partnering with West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and Food and Fibre Gippsland to face this challenge head on with a series of workshops to support farmers to prepare for and manage dry conditions.
“Two workshops have been funded through the Victorian Landcare Grants and West Gippsland CMA and Food and Fibre Gippsland,” said Sam Shannon West Gippsland Drought Hub Adoption Officer, who is providing in-kind support and funding to support the project.
David Hardwick delivered the first workshop to build a deeper understanding of soil health and how soil management can increase drought resilience.
“Improving the condition of soil can significantly improve drought resilience for any farming business, but especially those in areas with more fragile, shallow topsoils that are prone to wind erosion. This is why we were particularly keen to support soil health workshops in that Giffard/Stradbroke area,” said Sam.
Increasing soil organic matter will increase the water holding capacity of soil, enabling pasture to persist for longer and recover faster. Soil organic matter can also improve water infiltration rate, which can help to utilise those small rainfall events that may occur during a drought, helping with pasture persistence during dry times.
Building soil organic matter can be achieved in a number of ways, such as adding soil organic amendments, sowing multi-species pastures, incorporating plant material into the soil after harvesting crops or when renovating pastures, and through grazing management that allows residual plant material to decay back into the soil.
In the second workshop, Fiona Baker from Agriculture Victoria provided an engaging session designed to help farmers to develop a plan to manage dry conditions.
The plan focuses on setting ‘triggers’ as drought develops to activate measures to mitigate impacts, such as de-stocking livestock, retaining ground cover by using containment paddocks to reduce erosion and nutrient loss to waterways, and setting water and feed budgets for maintaining livestock.
“This preparedness and planning of such actions will also help to alleviate the mental health stresses faced by farmers and recently observed during the last drought. The development and use of such a plan will protect the landscape and guide farmers with their business decisions and would also be effective in a fire recovery situation,” said Sam.
The workshops respond to a very real need in the Giffard/Stradbroke area. “Our district suffered a horrendous three-year drought from 2017-2019,” said Melissa Ainsworth, Secretary of Merriman Creek Landcare Group.
“In response to seeing the effects that drought had on our landscape, farming families and their farm businesses, we applied for a Victorian Landcare Grant to facilitate these workshops to prepare for the next drought,” said Melissa whose family has been members of the group since 2008.
“These workshops are important to keep communities informed, resilient and supported with the key messages of the importance of soil health and need to change our farm management methods, according to the weather,” said Melissa.
“We learned about soil being a community of living organisms and the symbiotic relationship soil microbes have with plants. Soil is the foundation that determines food quality, land and water resources, not to mention social and environmental welfare. In an El Nino situation, we now have a Drought Management Plan to help conserve our precious soils to better sustain droughts and to minimise their impact.”
“Over the past 20 years the Giffard Plain area has endured three significant droughts the most recent, and by far the worst, in terms of severity and duration. With drought not being uncommon in Australia, and particularly in our local area, farmers need all the tools in their toolboxes to adapt to the changing climate,” Melissa concluded.
A third workshop is planned for late 2024.
These workshops are funded through the Victorian Landcare Grants that are administered through West Gippsland CMA and support Biodiversity 2037, the Victorian Government’s long-term plan to protect Victoria’s environment.
