North Western Port Nature Conservation Reserve Weed Control

Addressing biodiversity priorities for the North Western Port Nature Conservation Reserve including enhancement of Open Woodland, Heathland, Saltmarsh and Mangrove ecosystems

North Western Port Nature Conservation Reserve supports critical terrestrial components of the Westernport Bay Ramsar site and important habitat for threatened and migratory species. Weed control will protect and enhance the Open Woodland, Heathland, Saltmarsh and Mangrove ecosystems.

This project has utilised Strategic Management Prospects (SMP) modelling to consider latest science and cost-benefit effectiveness aiming to maximise and enhance biodiversity benefits of the project within the landscape. North Western Port Nature Conservation Reserve is a priority location for controlling weeds under Protecting Victoria’s Environment- Biodiversity 2037 (Bio2037), with a cost-benefit ranking in the top 20% for action across the whole state.

This project has been identified as a high priority under the Western Port and South-East Melbourne Conservation Action Plan.

Top: Western Port Bay showing location of the North Western Port NCR. Bottom: Priority locations for weed control (purple top 20%).

Themes and Local Areas

Primary Theme:Native vegetation
Other Themes:Waterways, Wetlands, Native Animals, Coasts, Estuaries, Marine Environments
Primary Local Area:Casey, Cardinia & Baw Baw
Other Local Areas:Western Port, Mornington Peninsula, Bass Coast, South Gippsland & islands
Project location:Priority locations of the North Western Port Nature Conservation Reserve
Scale of the project:Landscape
New or continuing work:Continuing/building on previous work

Project partners

Lead organisation:Parks Victoria
Key partners:City of Casey, Cardinia Shire Council, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), Land, Melbourne Water
Registered Aboriginal Party/s relevant to the project or its area:Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation

Investment opportunities

Opportunities for investors within this project start from:$$ (Tens of thousands of dollars)
Estimated scale of investment for full project implementation:$$$ (Hundreds of thousands of dollars)
Estimated timeframe for full project implementation:2-10 years

Contribution toward targets

Primary Regional Catchment Strategy target:North Western Port Nature Conservation Reserve is over 2000 hectares and has the ability to contribute to the RCS target of sustained weed control achieved for at least 40,000 hectares in priority areas of this region from 2017 to 2027.
Relevant Biodiversity 2037 goal:Undertake weed or pest herbivore control to maintain and enhance vegetation quality in priority areas
Relevant National Landcare Program priority:Ramsar – Western Port Ramsar site – Ecological character maintained or improved

More information

Western Port and South-east Melbourne Conservation Action Plan
https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/biodiversity/working-together-for-biodiversity