Protecting the South West Coast
The Coastal Connections project is working with community groups, Indigenous trainees and private land managers to protect and restore coastal, estuarine and wetland habitat. This project protects coastal habitat through:
- Multiple year conservation management agreements with private landholders
- Permanent protection under Conservation Covenants
- Management activities for endangered coastal plants.
Management activities include: stock exclusion, weed and pest control.
Coastal Connections supports employment of Indigenous trainees, providing an opportunity to share knowledge and build skills in Natural Resource Management. Coastal community groups are supported through grants for activities that focus on protection and rehabilitation of coastal habitat, as well as the engagement and education of local communities. This project is supported by Glenelg Hopkins CMA, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
- Coastal Connections is in its third of five years’ funding
- The project is funding management activities on 285 hectares of high value coastal habitat on private land (that is 40 MCG’s!)
- The total area on the coast that is protected under Management Agreement has increased five-fold!
- The project has established permanent protection through a Conservation Covenant on 83 hectares
- This has increased the total area on the coast in the Glenelg Hopkins CMA region that is permanently protected by 30%
- The project has established a great working relationship with Worn Gundidj, which has resulted in the training and further employment of an indigenous recruit
- Ten community groups have successfully run field days, working bees, tours and fox drives
- The project has just announced funding for another 12 groups
- Endangered coastal plants -Mellblom’s Spider-orchid, Limestone Spider-orchid, Coast Dandelion, Maroon Leek-orchid and Metallic Sun-orchid- are benefitting from specific management activities.
- One new population of Mellblom’s Spider-Orchid (Caladenia hastata) was discovered. This has increased the number of known populations from three to four.
Coastal Community Groups, Land managers, Worn Gundidj Employment Agency, Trust For Nature, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
Funding & Investors
Australian Government – $1,466,226