Aims of the Victorian Wetlands Network

BIRD: linking the biodiversity community

Category: Victorian Wetlands Network

The Victorian Wetlands Network functions to:

Educate, inform, support and inspire others to care for and understand the significance of wetlands by:

• creating and building on partnerships with all members of society, including schools, government bodies, landholders, land managers, community groups, and individuals
• providing a focal point for discussion, sharing information and taking action in a healthy and constructive atmosphere
• providing assistance with and access to information by:
  • keeping up to date with local, regional, state and national (and international) wetlands issues and events
  • keeping a database of relevant wetland information
  • providing the opportunity to network with others
  • setting up a library of relevant references, government papers, legislation, literature, books, and organisations

Enhance the knowledge and understanding of wetlands by:

• promoting and conducting research in the following areas:
  • effects of wetting and drying on vegetation and fauna communities
  • species relationships and requirements
  • effects of nutrients, salinity and toxins entering wetlands
  • water requirements for healthy ecosystems and landscapes
  • hydrological cycles — seasonal volumes of surface water; relationship with groundwater; survival rates for aquatic and water reliant species
  • inundation periods, levels and frequencies for wetland communities
  • relationship of water in the landscape to climate and water tables</small>
• creating ongoing partnerships with education and research institutes to:
  • carry out investigation and monitoring of wetlands with the aim of gaining a greater understanding of wetland ecological and hydrological processes
  • to investigate the impacts of wetlands loss on the environment
  • carry out audits of wetlands, including flora, fauna, nutrients, pollutants and salt
  • foster an interest in and concern for wetlands in future managers
  • scientifically research the role of natural salinity within wetlands
• promoting the role of natural salinity within ecosystems
• building an information database containing:
  • historical wetlands
  • current wetlands — condition, requirements and threats
  • species — historical and current, their requirements and threats
  • migratory/mobile species reliant on wetlands — populations, location, season, length of stay, conditions required, threats
  • wetland related EVCs

Achieve protection of wetland ecosystems by:

• promoting and assisting establishment of constructed wetlands
• promoting and lobbying for the permanent protection of existing wetlands
• promotion of historical wetlands restoration projects
• investigating land acquisition of wetlands
• lobbying for publicly owned wetlands to remain in public ownership
• promoting and lobbying for water for wetlands
• permanent protection of environmental flows, natural drainage patterns and water regimes
• promoting and lobbying for no further draining of wetlands and floodplains
• protecting and enhancing the ecological processes involved in healthy wetland ecosystems

Assist with and improve appropriate management techniques for wetlands by:

• promoting retention of existing wetlands on private land
• promoting removal of exotic species of flora from wetlands and their riparian zones
• removing non-indigenous species of flora from wetlands where this is assessed as being environmentally sound and beneficial to wetlands ecology and habitat values
• promoting the use of indigenous flora species in wetland restoration, wetland creation and farm dam planting, and actively promoting their advantages over exotic species
• encouraging ecologically sound commercial operations
• promoting stock-exclusion fencing of wetlands, and farm dams
• promoting the exclusion of heavy stock from wetlands. Grazing by sheep or light animals to be in accordance with an environmental management strategy
• lobbying to ensure that commercial harvesting from wetlands (aquaculture, vegetation, and seed) only be conducted in an ecologically sustainable manner, and in accordance with an environmental management strategy

Seek funding and offer appropriate support to others for submissions by land managers for assistance with wetland retention or creation.

Establish and maintain a public fund to be called the “The Wetlands Fund� for the specific purpose of supporting the environmental objectives/aims of the Victorian Wetlands Network. The Fund is established to receive all gifts of money or property for this purpose and any money received because of such gifts must be credited to its bank account. The Fund must not receive any other money or property into its account and it must comply with subdivision 30-E of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.