MALLEE wetlands are playing a key role in a new initiative to monitor the health of Victoria’s most important wetlands. 

Over 100 wetlands in the Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) region will be assessed as part of the Index of Wetland Condition project, a state-wide project assessing 750 natural, non-marine influenced wetlands in nine catchment authority (CMA) regions.  

The Mallee CMA has the second-largest amount of wetlands to assess in Victoria. Assessments began recently at Lindsay Island and it’s expected the majority of local wetlands will be assessed by the end of the year. 

The wetlands being tested were selected based on environmental, cultural and scientific values. Most are recognised under the Ramsar convention or the Directory of Important Wetlands and include well-known wetlands such as Hattah Lakes, Lindsay, Mulcra and Wallpolla Islands.  

Testing of wetlands will focus on recording various indicators of health including the wetland’s soils, water, plants and the wetland landscape. A wetland assessment usually takes one to two hours to complete, but can take longer for large wetlands. 

Mallee CMA chief executive officer Jenny Collins said the testing of local wetlands would contribute to important scientific evidence on the health of wetlands across Victoria and provide a benchmark for future management.

“The large amount of important wetlands in our region means we have a big job ahead of us to assess them all, but it’s important to remember just how valuable the data collected will be,” she said. 

“The results of the wetland assessments will be used to develop a score card for the wetlands detailing condition. The Department of Sustainability and Environment will also use the results to develop base-line data on the condition and extent of wetlands in Victoria.” 

The Index of Wetland Condition project has been under development since 2005, to establish an effective rapid assessment tool to assess the condition of wetlands in Victoria.

This year a standard method for assessment was developed and three Mallee CMA project officers completed the training. They will work with two botanists to complete the assessments of local wetlands.

“Our involvement in this project shows the important contribution the Mallee CMA makes to assessing the health of our region’s natural assets,” Ms Collins said.