Victorian Coastal Wetland Restoration Program

This program enables Victorians to strategically invest in the health of our coast with respect to biodiversity enhancement, coastal and shoreline protection, marine life and fish habitat, and carbon sequestration – all of which are critical to our health, prosperity, and very existence.

Furthermore, the preservation of wetlands provides us with the opportunity to test research solutions for helping mitigate climate change and improve natural capital whilst simultaneously contributing to economic growth, capacity building alongside land managers, and community wellbeing in Victoria.

The Victorian Coastal Wetland Restoration program incorporates the following objectives:

Program background

Coastal wetlands have seen loss of 9,000 ha, or roughly 25% of their pre-European extent, and continue to face a range of human impacts. The loss of, or disturbance to these ecosystems has had drastic negative impacts on Victoria’s biodiversity, particularly resident or migratory birds.

Victoria’s new Climate Change Act 2017 and the proposed Marine and Coastal Bill 2017 offer significant opportunities to develop systems to improve the management and protection of Victoria’s coastal and marine areas, of which coastal wetlands represent a critical but degraded asset.

Through the  Biodiversity Response Planning (BRP) program of the Victorian Government, Deakin University’s Blue Carbon Lab has the opportunity to put years of science into on-ground action.