|
Wetlands, Waterways and Stormwater Quality
The City works to protect the health, environmental values, and water quality in a wide range of waterways, wetlands and stormwater flows in our municipality.
Our lakes, creeks, rivers and wetlands support rich and diverse populations of native plants and animals and are amongst our regions most important reservoirs of biodiversity.
The City is rich in wetlands, with over 100 individual wetlands. Our municipality is crossed by two major rivers, the Barwon and Moorabool which meet and flow into Bass Straight. There are also a large number of fresh and saltwater wetlands, natural and modified lakes, as well a number of small natural water courses such as Hovell’s, Cowies, Waurn Ponds, Yarram, Armstrong, Sutherlands and Thompson Creeks.
The wetlands within our municipality make up one of the most important waterbird areas in Australia. Our wetlands have the highest concentration of migratory shorebirds in Victoria and a stunning array of other birdlife, the diversity of which rivals Australia's famous Kakadu region. The most significant and sensitive are recognised as being of international importance and are listed under the Ramsar Convention.
Our wetlands provide habitat for a diversity of and number of plants and animals, many of which are rare or threatened. In particular the City’s wetlands are one of the most important waterbird areas in Australia, with the highest concentration of migratory shorebirds in Victoria.
Wetlands perform many other important functions in the environment. They are highly productive ecosystems and can improve water quality by trapping sediment and utilising and storing nutrients. However, wetlands throughout Australia continue to face major threats from pressure such as urban development, competition for water, weed invasion and pollution through stormwater runoff.
Working to protect and enhance our wetlands is vital to secure these important natural places.
Wetland Wanderings Ecotour
The Wetland Wanderings Ecotour is a self guided tour showcasing a number of amazing wetlands, from coastal and freshwater wetlands to major waterways and smaller creek systems.
The Wetland Wanderings Ecotour brochure provides and overview of Geelong’s wetlands and a map to help plan a tour or visit to a particular site. Each of the eleven featured wetlands also has its own brochure highlighting the features of the site and providing more detail.
Stormwater Quality
The Geelong Healthy Waterways Program is a whole of catchment approach to address stormwater pollution at the source and protect Geelong's unique and diverse natural waterways. This education and awareness program is an innovative, long-term approach to educate local industrial and commercial businesses, residents and schools about stormwater pollution and ways to reduce its impact on the local environment.
Waterway management is shared in our region
Waterway management is shared between a number of different agencies in the Geelong region. The City of Greater Geelong manages the environmental values of many rivers, lakes, and wetlands in our municipality. However, other authorities such as The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CCMA) and Parks Victoria also manage some waterways in our municipality.
Geelong Wetlands Strategy
The Geelong Region Wetlands Strategy is a project funded through the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CCMA) by the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality program, a joint initiative of the Victorian and Australian Governments.
Our Wetlands Strategy provides direction and policy for our approach to the conservation, management and enhancement of our wetlands. We will use our Wetlands Strategy to protect and enhance the biodiversity and ecological values of our Wetlands.
|