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Success Stories: 5 Wetland Restoration Projects in Australia Making Waves

Australia is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, with various biomes and ecosystems including wetlands. Due to their international significance, many of Australia’s wetlands have been allocated Ramsar status.

Despite many challenges that wetlands and their ecological communities face, which include climate change, pollution, fragmentation, invasive species, hunting and poaching, and land use change (often as a result of development) – there is reason for hope. There are a number of people and organisations that are collaborating to protect and restore wetlands across the country.

Conservation Volunteer Australia is one such organisation. As a nonprofit, we work with thousands of volunteers, and a range of partners, to protect and conserve wetlands and biodiversity across Australia. Below are 5 success stories from wetlands where we are involved in restoration projects through our national Revive Our Wetlands initiative.

Inspiring Conservation Success Stories: Wetland Restoration in Australia

Below are five wetlands in Australia where wetland restoration work is being carried out by Conservation Volunteers Australia – showing the incredible power of community and partnerships for conservation success.

1. Port Phillip Bay and Bellarine Peninsula

The Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar site in Victoria was formally established as a conservation area in 1982. It comprises one of Australia’s 67 Ramsar sites of international importance.

Located on Wadawurrung and Bunurong Country along the western shoreline of Port Phillip Bay between Melbourne and Geelong and on the Bellarine Peninsula, this Ramsar site helps to protect and conserve wetlands and the thriving diversity of species that they support, as well as the valuable ecosystem services they provide for Australians.

This vast expanse of designated conservation area includes several distinct wetland areas: Cheetham (Point Cook), Werribee/Avalon, Point Wilson/Limeburners Bay, Swan Bay, Mud Islands, and the Lake Connewarre complex. Various other nearby wetland areas have also been recommended to be added to this Ramsar site, including Lonsdale Lakes/Lake Victoria, St Leonards/Salt Lagoon, and Edwards Point – Swan Bay (Sand and Swan Islands).

There are many types of wetland habitat at this Ramsar site, including estuaries, intertidal shorelines, sub-tidal beds, freshwater wetlands, and inland saline wetlands.

These important wetland areas support hundreds of coastal plants including nationally threatened species and Victorian threatened species like the spiny rice-flower (Pimelea spinescens).

This Ramsar site is also home to many waterbirds and migratory birds like the Red-kneed Dotterel, Pacific Golden Plover, Banded Stilt, Pied Oystercatcher, Curlew Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Eastern Curlew, Ruddy Turnstone, Marsh Sandpiper, Australian Grayling, Great Knot, and the Australasian Bittern. It’s also home to the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot.

CVA has taken meaningful steps to restore the wetlands of the Port Phillip Bay’s Western Shoreline and the Bellarine Peninsula. Our efforts at these RAMSAR listed sites in 2024 have included clearing over 6,000 square metres of invasive weeds, revegetating the area by planting 1,800 native plants to restore habitat and support local wildlife. This could not have been accomplished without the over 750 volunteers which joined us in this hands-on conservation work.

Alongside restoration activities, we have also delivered a wide range of educational tours and workshops, engaged with First Nations groups to share knowledge and connection to Country, and even hosted a canoe trip to explore these vital wetlands from the water.

Looking ahead to 2025, we aim to build on these achievements by expanding our habitat restoration efforts, increasing community engagement and continuing to protect these precious ecosystems.

2. St Lawrence Wetlands

The St Lawrence Wetlands in Queensland, which are part of the greater Broadsound Wetlands, are perennial wetlands within the St Lawrence Creek system.

These wetlands represent different habitats including lagoon areas of deep open water, shallow vegetated swamps, and coastal Melaleuca swamps.

The St Lawrence Wetlands are known for their incredible birdlife. It’s home to nationally threatened waterbirds and migratory shorebirds. Birds found here include Magpie Geese, Black Bittern, Little Bittern, Baillon’s Crake, Australian Painted Snipe, Capricorn Yellow Chat, Great Crested Grebe, and swans.

Many species of fish, frogs, insects, turtles, snakes, and invertebrates as well as a wide range of plants are found here.

CVA’s Revive Our Wetlands initiative has been working towards restoring and protecting the St Lawrence Wetlands through Citizen Science events, Aboriginal connection to Country events, and Habitat restoration activities. Check out what we do!

3. Forrestdale Lake

Forrestdale Lake spans 246 hectares in the City of Armadale, within the southern Perth metropolitan area in Western Australia. It represents one of the few remaining examples of Swan Coastal Plain habitat in the area.

Forrestdale Lake is a freshwater, seasonal wetland that is mostly fed by groundwater and often dries out in the summer months. Forrestdale Lake is situated within a dune system and has large areas of open water that are surrounded by bulrushes and trees.

As a Ramsar wetland, Forrestdale Lake is an important breeding ground for many bird species, as well as a migration stop-over for migratory birds. It’s an important refuge for many shorebirds and waterbirds, and over 20,000 waterbirds have been recorded on Thomsons and Forrestdale Lake. It’s also home to Long-necked turtles and other reptiles; as well as hundreds of plant species.

Conservation Volunteers Australia is actively involved in restoration activities at Forrestdale Lake. This includes hosting volunteer events to help bring back the natural wetland habitat diversity and encourage birdlife and wildlife back into the area, resulting in an overall healthier ecosystem. This will ultimately enhance the habitat’s value and create connectivity between the wetland and adjacent bushland.

CVA has planted over 5000 plants over the last 4 years, removed thousands of weeds and is working on restoring 1ha with a diversity of native plants. We have set up bat boxes and constructed 3 bird island nesting areas using dead wood.

4. Moreton Bay and Melaleuca Wetlands

Coochiemudlo Island and Melaleuca Wetland are located within the Moreton Bay Ramsar area. The nearby Oxbow Wetlands flow into Moreton Bay, which is another important wetland area that CVA is involved in restoring and protecting. CVA is committed to preserving these vital wetland areas through our national Revive Our Wetlands Campaign in Brisbane.

Spanning over 120,000 hectares, the Moreton Bay Ramsar site includes a range of different habitats – from freshwater lakes, sedge swamps, intertidal mudflats, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves – to offshore sand islands and sand flats.

This Ramsar site also boasts incredible biodiversity and provides habitat for threatened and endangered species like the Water Mouse, Eastern Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, various species of sea turtle, the Southern Right Whale, Dugongs, the Swamp Daisy, and a host of other wildlife and plant species.

Conservation Volunteers Australia conducts regular conservation volunteering events in this Ramsar site to protect this incredible wetland, teach volunteers about its importance, and restore sections of habitat to ensure continued preservation of the area’s biodiversity and ecological function.

Working with our project partners Coochiemudlo Island Coast Care and Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee we have treated over 60,500 m2 of environmental weeds including Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia), Coral Berry (Rivina humilis), Broad Leaf Pepper Tree (Schinus terebinthifolius) and Singapore Daisy (Sphagneticola trilobata).

5. Derwent River

The Derwent River in Tasmania begins in the Tasmanian highlands, and after 230 kilometres, flows into the sea – making it a mix of fresh river water ecosystem in the upper estuary and a tidal seawater ecosystem nearer the ocean.

The river and estuary support a diverse range of plant and animal species and are a special sanctuary for animals that need protection in their juvenile stages. The salt marsh communities along the river help stabilise the coast and contribute significant amounts of organic material to the estuaries, which is important for the food chain and supports many commercial and non-commercial fish species.

This includes bird species like the endangered Australian bittern, the white-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) – a species which is listed under the China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA), and Derwent Estuary little penguins (Eudyptula minor). The salt marshes in the northwest and on King Island provide an important food source for the endangered Orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster).

The area also supports subtropical and temperate coastal salt marsh communities along the lower Derwent, which are listed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act. Some of these salt marsh plant species are rare and threatened – like the blue wilsonia (Wilsonia humilis) and the salt marsh statice (Limonium australe).

In 2024, CVA has taken measurable steps to restore this important wetland area, this includes clearing 85,000 square metres of weeds, putting 688 plantings in the soil to grow, and collecting 878 items of litter. In 2025, we aim to establish 1000 new plants in the area.

Prerequisites for Successful Wetland Restoration

Among the factors required to successfully restore wetlands, these are some that are important to the work that we do at Conservation Volunteers Australia:

🌱 Involve communities in wetland restoration activities: by engaging local communities in the conservation and restoration of wetlands, communities can cultivate a sense of place and belonging, which may fuel continued stewardship of wetlands. Community involvement can also help scale positive impacts for conservation as volunteers can help with planting seedlings and trees, as well as collecting and removing litter.

🌱 Partnerships and collaboration: wetland restoration requires partnerships between all levels of government, nonprofits, the business sector as well as civil society. If everyone collaborates towards a common goal of protecting and restoring wetlands, a lot can be achieved. At CVA we work collaboratively across sectors to achieve conservation outcomes.

🌱 Scientific expertise and data: restoration of wetlands relies on scientific experts who can interpret data that’s been collected to guide the best way forward for restoration activities, this may include where and when to plant, which species to plant, and how to monitor progress.

The success stories above that showcase how wetlands are being restored in Australia, show that collective action can power resilience. By continuing to monitor, protect, and restore wetlands we can ensure that these life-sustaining ecosystems are able to thrive now and in the future. Thriving and functioning wetlands can support wildlife, humans, and economies for generations to come.

Australia’s Wetlands: A Tale of Conservation Hope

Wetlands are critical habitats for a great number of plants and animals and provide a wide range of benefits for wildlife, people, and economies. But, despite the importance of wetlands, many wetlands face several threats and require active management and restoration to ensure their survival and protection.

Conservation Volunteers Australia is actively involved in restoring wetlands, including many Ramsar wetlands of importance across Australia.

We invite everyone to join us in conserving wetlands. There are many ways you can get involved to make a difference.

👉  Join one of our wetland conservation volunteering events across Australia.

👉  Take part in our SeaToSource Plastic Waste Challenge and tackle the impacts of plastic

on our wetlands, waterways, and oceans.

👉  Encourage your company to partner with CVA and support our environmental projects.

👉  Learn more about wetlands on our blog, and by signing up to our newsletter.

👉  Download the CVA App and find resources and a community of nature stewards.

👉  Support our conservation projects by making a donation to CVA.