JMR WITH ENVIRONMENT MINISTER LEY
Eradicating invasive holly from wildlife corridors, restoring habitat for native orchids and helping fire-impacted tawny frogmouths are some of the successful projects to be funded under a $6 million Morrison Government investment to support Victoria’s unique Wild Otways environment and coastal communities from Bells Beach to Peterborough.
The $6 million Wild Otways Initiative is being funded through the Morrison Government’s $100 million Environment Restoration Fund and managed by the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority.
Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley today announced 23 projects which will see $855,000 support including for coastal environments along the Great Ocean Road, benefitting species including the masked owl, long-nosed potoroos, swamp antechinus, broad-toothed rat and native orchids.
“These are on ground projects that reflect the Morrison Government’s commitment to supporting communities and practical environmental action,” Minister Ley said.
“As well as hands on conservation measures like tree planting and weed eradication, the projects will foster an ongoing legacy of community involvement and education.
“Geelong College, for example, is using part of its funding to incorporate revegetation and land management into the school curriculum, so teachers and students can restore five hectares of habitat for the EPBC Act-listed Leafy Greenhood Orchid that is found on their Cape Otway campus grounds.”
Senator for Victoria Sarah Henderson said another of the projects involved helping tawny frogmouth populations return to pre bushfire levels.
“Weed eradication and mass plantings will create a tawny frogmouth corridor in the Wye Gully to improve habitat and enhancing the quality of water discharging into the Wye River,” Senator Henderson said.
“The catchment authority will also work with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation to eradicate holly and advise on future indigenous planting.”
A full list of the successful projects can be found below:
| Applicant | Project Title | Grant amount |
| Wye to Wongarra Landcare | Trees for Tawnys | $6,860.00 |
| Hordern Vale Glenaire Landcare Group | Connecting the fragments and Otway wet forest and coastal dune biolinks | $43,605.40 |
| ANGAIR Inc | Moonah woodland revegetation at Fairyland Nature Reserve on the Anglesea River | $11,970.00 |
| ANGAIR Inc | Rehabilitation and protection of Painkalac Valley terrestrial wetland and habitat for threatened species | $50,519.00 |
| Barongarook Landcare Group | Community groups restoring a fifty kilometre Central Otway wildlife corridor, the Old Beechy Rail Trail | $83,105.00 |
| Upper Barwon Landcare Network | Restoring the headwaters of the Yan Yan Gurt creek | $45,716.00 |
| ANGAIR Inc | Blackwattle Track woody weed removal | $23,080.00 |
| Upper Barwon Landcare Network | Habitat restoration in the Pennyroyal Valley | $93,429.00 |
| Upper Barwon Landcare Network | Protecting and rehabilitating water sources and remnant bushland in the Gerangamete region | $72,746.30 |
| Heytesbury District Landcare Network | Sherbrooke River corridors: protection, propagation and revegetation | $48,096.00 |
| Camperdown Timboon Rail Trail Committee of Management | Control of exotic weeds to enhance biodiversity and protect indigenous species and communities. | $29,390.00 |
| Binnawee Co-operative Ltd | Revegetation of the Wild Dog Creek in Binnawee property | $15,487.00 |
| Southern Otway Landcare Network | A trial floral diversification of a historic revegetation project in Apollo Bay | $41,250.00 |
| Southern Otway Landcare Network | Southern Otway Landcare Network – Wongarra revegetation project, 2021-2023 | $24,200.00 |
| Conservation Ecology Centre | Ensuring habitat for the Leafy Greenhood Orchid | $36,450.00 |
| Friends of Eastern Otways | Environmental weed control Moggs Creek, Great Otway National Park and coastal reserve | $13,157.75 |
| Surf Coast inland Plains Landcare Network | Protecting biodiversity in the Surf Coast hinterland | $22,040.00 |
| Port Campbell Public Purpose Reserve | Port Campbell Biolinks Project | $27,460.00 |
| Forrest & District Community Group | Forrest holly removal and indigenous revegetation – Hennigan Cres | $22,413.00 |
| East Otway Landcare | Habitat regeneration in the Bambra bushland | $8,541.00 |
| Trust for Nature | Working together to enhance wet forest habitat in Apollo Bay. | $26,026.00 |
| Southern Otway Landcare Network | The Barham River Restoration Project | $92,383.50 |
| Southern Otway Landcare Network | African Weed Orchid (Disa bracteata) Eradication on the Marengo Airstrip | $17,875.00 |
26 March 2021