Flagship river into world renowned wetlands…
This project improves water quality in the Corner Inlet Ramsar site by improving riparian condition and connectivity along the Agnes River.
In the video below Bryan and Matt talk about the work that has been done transforming the Agnes River and the aerial image shows where the last willows were removed from the Agnes.
Corner Inlet supports large seagrass meadows, located in shallow water and intertidal (mud flats). Seagrass is a driver of marine ecology, has an important role in carbon sequestration, provides habitat and food for invertebrates and birds and is critical to support commercial and recreational fishing.
The seagrass beds of Posidonia australis are a particularly important asset as they are the only large beds of this species in Victoria.
Seagrass extent and condition are affected by a complex set of factors, which includes sediment and nutrient contributions from catchment inflows.
The goal of this flagship project is to improve conditions for seagrass to flourish by reducing nutrient and sediment inflow into Corner Inlet, by creating a vegetated riparian buffer along 100% of one of the main waterways that flow into Corner Inlet, the Agnes River.
This project will build on earlier, successful work to protect Corner Inlet.
It will implement priority actions in the Corner Inlet Ramsar Site Management Plan (RSMP) and Corner Inlet Water Quality Improvement Plan (WQIP) to achieve water quality objectives to help prevent further decline of seagrass in Corner Inlet.
The Corner Inlet Flagship Waterway project has been developed through a collaborative approach involving project partners and stakeholders in the Corner Inlet Connections partnership.
This includes working with land managers such as Traditional Owners, Parks Victoria and the broader community.
Groups such as the Agnes River Landcare Group and the Corner Inlet Connections Partner Group (including Parks Victoria, GLaWAC, Agriculture Victoriaand dairy, commercial and recreational fishing and tourism representatives) have all been involved in the Corner Inlet Project over many years and continue to provide valuable input and assistance.
The Corner Inlet Flagship Project will work alongside other projects operating in the area such as the Corner Inlet Connections Project, targeting weeds and pest animals in the Corner Inlet Ramsar site and the Sustainable Agriculture projects which will work with farmers to develop and implement Effluent Management Programs in the catchment.
Both of these projects are funded through the National Landcare Program by the Australian Government.
Work will commence in September 2021 and include working with landholders to achieve the 100% target by 2023.
