At Perry Bridge, on Gunaikurnai Country on the shoreline of Lake Wellington, the Strathfieldsaye Estate property is the focus of a new partnership project funded by the Gippsland Lakes Coordinating Committee (GLCC).
The significant estate covers approximately 2000 hectares, and includes a heritage listed homestead and farm outbuildings.
“The historic property was established in the late 19th century and bequeathed by the late Dr Clive Disher to the University of Melbourne. Ownership was subsequently transferred to the Australian Landscape Trust (ALT), which currently manages the property as an ecologically sustainable organic grazing property,” said Paula Camenzuli, natural resource management strategic planner for West Gippsland CMA.
“We recently met on site with project partners Greening Australia, Trust for Nature and Australian Landscape Trust to learn more about the property and to scope out works to address land degradation issues that they need help with.”
Wave action, wind, and storm surge events over recent years have caused the loss of large native reedbeds and significant soil erosion along the shoreline of Dishers Bay, within the Strathfieldsaye property.
This has led to a decrease in land and an increase of sediments and nutrients within Lake Wellington, which contributes to water quality decline and the loss of submerged vegetation within the Gippsland Lakes system.
“Project partners walked the shoreline together to undertake a preliminary assessment of the erosion issues and discussed approaches they could trial to help reestablish reedbeds and stabilise the shoreline. These included a variety of solutions using vegetation, introducing woody structure, and engineering techniques,” Ms Camenzuli said.
As the area is of cultural significance to the Gunaikurnai, the various approaches will be discussed with members of the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) before works commence.
This project is being delivered by West Gippsland CMA as part of the $248 million investment by the Victorian Government to improve the health of waterways and catchments.
Of this, $7.5 million is being provided to improve the health of Gippsland Lakes over three years (2021-2024), through support to the Gippsland Lakes Coordinating Committee and for the delivery of on-ground works and community engagement.
