Future plan focuses on access, preservation

INDENTED Head Woodland Nature Reserve has long-term protection and will soon have a new name to reflect its Indigenous heritage.

The City of Greater Geelong adopted a masterplan for the site at last month’s meeting, which it says will help conserve endangered vegetation and migratory birds.

COGG will also work with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners on a joint naming process as part of an eight-year plan for the reserve.

Development of the plan also included consultation with community groups such as Indented Head Community Association, whose advocacy led to COGG acquiring the land from a housing developer in 2019.

Improvement plans include development of a basic path network throughout the reserve, which currently has no formal access, while COGG would explore grant opportunities to fund upgrade projects it would deliver in two stages.

Consultation earlier this year found support from approximately 90 per cent of residents for the plan’s principle of supporting natural values.

The reserve’s conservation value includes its habitat for Latham’s Snipe – a camouflaged migratory bird that is the largest of its type in Australia and spends time at the woodland each year when it travels from Japan following its breeding season.

Bellarine Ward councillor Stephanie Asher said the masterplan aimed to strike a balance between conservation and providing recreation opportunities.

“Along with protecting the natural heritage of the reserve, the conservation of a wetland’s habitat for unique birdlife like the Latham’s Snipe is vitally important.

“It’s terrific to see the masterplan preserving this important space while at the same time including a basic network of paths for both locals and visitors to be able to appreciate the reserve’s natural features.”

Fellow Bellarine Ward councillor and environment portfolio chair Jim Mason supported the protection for the “significant conservation reserve”.

“In adopting this masterplan, council is showing that it is committed to the goals and objectives of the City’s Environment Strategy to protect the threatened landscapes of the Bellarine Peninsula.”