$1 million will be spent to try and save the Hooded Plover along the banks of South Gippsland

The banks of the Kugerungmome/Powlett River run 27 kilometres, from the southern slopes of the Strzelecki Ranges to Kilcunda. Home to many endangered species, the significant site is the focus of a $1 million protection grant that will be managed by a collaboration between landcare groups, Bass Coast Council and the Bunurong Land Council.

What happened: In early January the Victorian Government granted $1 million to the Kugerungmome/Powlett Partnerships project to improve the health of the river and its estuary.

🗣️ West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority CEO, Martin Fuller, told the Monitor the river faces threats from “introduced species, cleared vegetation and changed land use, which impact on things like water quality and biodiversity loss”.

• Fuller said the aim of this new grant is to protect, enhance and maintain the values of the Kugerungmome/Powlett River catchment.

Why is the wetland significant? The area is listed as a nationally important wetland due to its extensive saltmarsh, which provides habitat for the endangered Hooded Plover and Orange-bellied Parrot.

How will the $1 million be spent?

Fuller said the grant funding will go towards:

• Supporting predator control on private land, predominantly by targeting foxes and cats;

• Raising awareness of the plight of endangered beach nesting birds like the Hooded Plover;

• Fencing off and revegetating waterways;

• Restoring and protecting wetland vegetation; and;

• Providing support and guidance to reduce nutrient run-off.

What is nutrient run-off? Nutrient runoff occurs when excess nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilisers, manure, and urban waste are washed by rain from land into waterways.

Who is involved with the work?

For this project, West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority has partnered with:

• Bass Coast Landcare Network

• Bass Coast Shire Council

• BirdLife Australia

• Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation

• South Gippsland Water

• Trust for Nature

🗣️“This integrated approach brings everyone together to maximise the impact,” Fuller said.

How long will this project go on for? Fuller said this program builds and continues previous work that has been done in the catchment and the current project is expected to continue until 2028.