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Point Henry Wetlands
Rebuildling an Environment
There are no tall forest trees or verdant undergrowth in coastal salt marsh ecosystems, not even rich heathland flowers to draw the eye, but these wetlands are like magnets to a wide range of bird species, as well as containing considerable floristic diversity.
An extensive wetlands management program has recreated habitat for rare and endangered migratory birds, including the Japanese snipe, which use it as a summer destination.
So marked has been the improvement that the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has classified a section of the area as a wildlife sanctuary.
About 400 hectares of Alcoa-owned land outside the fenced plant site is included in the project. The objective is to integrate the needs of the plant's operations with management of adjacent land that includes buffer zones, landfill sites, and areas of farmland.
Zoning of the overall area caters for tailored management of farmland/woodland, salt marshes and dunes, coastal freshwater wetlands, constructed wetlands, landscaping for aesthetics, and recreational activities.
The project enhances the wetland environment by creating a transition from modified ecosystems to relatively untouched areas. It provides fresh and salt-water habitats for wildlife, re-establishes appropriate and balanced vegetation and caters for diverse populations of birds and other animals.
Point Henry's waste minimisation program, which has reduced general waste going to landfill by 99% from 36,000 cubic metres in 1991 to approximately 360 cubic metres in 2000, has played a part too. In one area, a former landfill site has been converted into a wetland through the removal for recycling of concrete rubble, bricks and steel.
Opportunities for education, research into a variety of wetland ecosystems, and passive recreation attract the involvement of voluntary groups, neighbours, educational institutions and government departments, all of which are playing an important part in the realisation of the project. Deakin and Ballarat Universities have active research projects in the wetlands; Birds Australia and Geelong Field Naturalists, help with a bird monitoring program; and members of the East Geelong Rotary Club assisted in planting indigenous vegetation.
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