The Heart Morass Story

The Gippsland Lakes are the largest estuarine lagoon system in Australia (Gippsland Lakes Ramsar Site, Strategic Management Plan, DNRE) and cover some 400 square kilometres. The Lakes are valued for the social and economic opportunities they provide, and their environmental importance as a wetland system is internationally recognised. The Lakes are vulnerable to the effects of changing land use within the catchment and to changes in the Lakes' hydrology as a result of diversion of water from within the catchment and the creation of a permanently open entrance to Bass Strait in 1889.

The wetlands of the Gippsland Lakes provide a suite of hydrological, biological, chemical and physical functions important to the health of the Lakes system.  The westernmost area of the Gippsland Lakes, the Lake Wellington wetland complex (12,510ha), includes the Heart Morass. This network of wetlands represents about 75% of the wetlands in the Lake Wellington catchment.

The Heart Morass is located at the Mouth of the Latrobe River.  The 1800ha wetland system was first settled in 1841 for the purpose of livestock grazing.  The majority of the Heart Morass has been drained, cleared and managed for beef and dairy production for over a century.  Approximately 400ha of the Heart Morass is currently in public ownership, managed by Parks Victoria as the Heart Morass State Game Reserve.  In 2006 the remaining areas of the Heart Morass were held in private ownership, under seven major private ownership parcels.

In 2006 a working group appointed by Field and Game Australia Inc, Watermark Incorporated and the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority identified three significant and separate parcels of land and recommended these be purchased under the WET Trust established by Field and Game Australia.

The first of these three parcels was purchased in 2006 with the assistance of the Hugh Williamson Foundation. A memorandum of Understanding was established between Field and Game Australia Inc, Watermark Incorporated and the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and the management and rehabilitation of this parcel of land has progressed with extremely pleasing results since that time.

In 2009 the opportunity arose to purchase the second of the three major privately held areas. Field and Game Australia Inc, Watermark Incorporated and the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority with the assistance of the Hugh Williamson Foundation have successfully negotiated to purchase the additional land from the Frawley Family – again under the WET Trust.

The Heart Morass has proven to be an excellent site for school children to experience environmental exploration activities arranged by the Bug Blitz Trust. The Bug Blitz Trust has very welcome expertise in environmental education and experiential learning.

Figure 1: Aerial photo montage of the Heart Morass wetland system 

Figure 2: Land Purchase Scenarios Identified in 2006.

Initial Purchase

In 2006, a 785 hectare area of the Western Heart Morass was purchased under the WET Trust. In 2009 a further 286 hectares of land with the area described as the Central Heart Morass became available and purchase negotiations were completed successfully with the assistance of the Hugh Williamson Foundation.

The management and rehabilitation of lands totalling 1071 hectares (2637 acres) within the Heart Morass continues. The project seeks to maximize the potential of Heart Morass as an asset for education and environmental endeavours as well as appropriate recreational activities.

Stage one of the Heart Morass project has achieved outstanding environmental outcomes with respect to weed control, soil enhancement, water flow management and quality, water fowl breeding levels, pest control, tree planting, fencing and cleanliness of the site.

Click here for more information on the 2010 Heart Morass Ballot