Parks Victoria, in partnership with the Gippsland Lakes Coordinating Committee, has undertaken vital saltmarsh conservation works in the Gippsland Lakes.
The Gippsland Lakes are a significant and unique landscape. Coastal saltmarsh protection works have been undertaken around Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park, Lake Reeve and Blond Bay Wildlife Reserve Halfmoon swamp.
“Saltmarsh communities of the Gippsland Lakes provide much needed habitat and refuge for native flora and fauna,” Parks Victoria area chief ranger, Sam Sunderland said.
“By keeping to formed tracks and staying away from off-road areas we can help protect saltmarsh areas for the future.”
As part of this work, the Business Enterprise team at Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC), was engaged to install rock bollards to help protect sensitive areas from inappropriate vehicle access.
These saltmarsh communities are extremely important and provide feeding and breeding habitat for fish, birds and crustaceans, act as filters for nutrients and sediments, reduce erosion and maintain water quality.
The Lakes are home for us all – plants, wildlife and people – however significant areas of saltmarsh are being impacted and damaged by vehicle access and illegal green waste dumping.
This project was part of a $248 million investment by the Victorian Government to improve the health of waterways and catchments across regional Victoria.
Of this, $7.5 million was 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.
For more information on projects protecting the Gippsland Lakes please visit the Love our Lakes website.
