WET - Advantages - Milestones   

The Trust has a number of distinct advantages:

• A clear understanding of valuable wetlands and the measures required to restore degraded areas of habitat
  
  
• Capacity to aggregate small areas of wetlands in private hands
  
  
• Capacity and resources to work with neighbouring landowners to address water flow, pest control and where required subdivision issues
  
  
• A direct link to the 50 years of highly regarded conservation experience amassed by Field and Game Australia inc
  
  
• A eagerness to work with other conservation and community based organisations to ensure localised goals are highlighted and addressed.
  

Milestones

2001	WET Public Fund established and fund raising commenced.
2005	Heart Morass Working Group formed with a MoU  signed by  Field and Game Australia Inc. (FGA),  Watermark Inc., and West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA)
2005	Consultants GHD commissioned to prepare water balance model, environmental flow assessment and risk assessment of land buy-back options for Heart Morass.
August 2006	Field and Game Australia Inc Members reach fund raising target $605,000 for the Heart Morass acquisition and restoration.
September 2006	$500,000 support for the Heart Morass acquisition and restoration confirmed by the Hugh Williamson Foundation.
September 2006	WET Public Fund Purchases Heart Morass wetlands for $1,100,000.
March 2007	The Heart Morass Restoration Project officially launched by the Hon. John Thwaites, Minister for Water, Environment and Climate Change.
March 2007	West Gippsland Catchments Management Authority appoints an environmental officer to undertake long term planning for the restoration of the site.
March 2007	Restoration Plan for the Western Heart Morass completed by the West Gippsland Catchments Management Authority. The plan addresses challenges for the Western Heart Morass (785 Hectares purchased by the WET Public Fund) and additional leasehold Crown Reserve lands along the Latrobe River and the Long Waterhole Reserve.
April 2007	FGA volunteers with $1.5 million dollars of earth moving equipment completed vital earthworks that could only be undertaken whilst the wetland is dry.
2007-2008	More than 420 school students participate in Bug Blitz activities on the heart Morass.
June 2008	FGA Board Members issue instructions to transfer the ownership of the organisation’s perpetual lease at Lake Buloke to the Trust. This 117.0 ha property will become the second WET Trust conservation property when transferrals are completed late in 2008.
2009	Bug Blitz expands to welcome over 300 school students to the site.
June 2009	Negotiations commence for the purchase of the second stage of the Heart Morass.
November 2009	The WET Trust enters into a partnership with the Bug Blitz Trust, Watermark Inc., and West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) to purchase stage two of the Heart Morass with the support of the Hugh Williamson Foundation.