DuneCare project receives funds in uphill battle against erosion

SOME of the Bellarine’s famous native sand dune’s flora and fauna will be conserved for years to come after extra funds were directed towards one of the region’s biggest attractions.

The Australian Government’s Bellarine and Great Ocean Road Dunecare Project is committing $1.5 million toward conserving the habitats of sand dunes and preventing the erosion of native flora and fauna on coastal crown land between St Leonards and Marengo.

“The DuneCare Program will invest strongly into on ground outcomes so that coastal sand dune native flora and fauna habitat at risk of erosion is improved, protected, and conserved at high priority sites on the Bellarine and Great Ocean Road,” Corangamite Catchment Management Authority CEO John Riddiford said.

“Collaboration with coastal Crown land managers and the community is critical to ensuring the environmental outcomes of the initiative are achieved and self-sustaining post investment.”

Funds will come via the Coastal Management Grants Program to coastal public land managers, which will be utilised for ground works that will protect and remediate fragile coastal dune systems.

Ground works worth up to $850,000 will be delivered by coastal Crown land managers including:

– Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management
– Borough of Queenscliffe Council
– Barwon Coast Committee of Management
– City of Greater Geelong
– Surf Coast Shire
– Parks Victoria
– Barwon Water
– The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority.

The second part of this new initiative is the Dunecare secondary schools program, aiming to target Year 9 and 10 students in the Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast regions.

The school program will educate students about the benefits of dune conservation and protection, building student and local community stewardship as a result.

Schools expected to undertake the project include St Ignatius College, Geelong College, Oberon High School, North Geelong Secondary College, Kardinia International College, Bellarine Secondary College, St Joseph’s, Christian College and Belmont High School.

It will also be delivered by the Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre, Bellarine Catchment Network, and Ecologic, with support from the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.

Funding will originate from the Australian Government’s Environment Restoration Fund.