Platy Patch for the Platypus
LOCATION
Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Area
TRADITIONAL OWNERS
Gunditijmara, Eastern Maar
ACHIEVEMENTS
- Increased platypus habitat in waterways
- Improved riparian areas through revegetation
- Reduced non-native species in waterways
- Increased awareness of platypus and habitat in local area
INVESTMENT
$1.652M over four years as part of the $24M Platy Patch Project across Victoria
PARTNERS
- Australian Government NHT: Urban Rivers and Catchments Program
- Victorian Government
- CMAs
- Melbourne Water
- Coliban Water
- One Tree Planted
- Zoos Victoria
- Australian Platypus Conservancy
- Local Governments
- Parks Victoria
- Landcare
A state-wide project across 14 sites to support the iconic platypus brings additional habitat and riparian vegetation to waterways in the southwest.
A total of $1.6M of works to support, create and protect platypus habitat are now underway on, in and around four sites along the Merri and Hopkins Rivers in Warrnambool by Glenelg Hopkins CMA and project partners as part of the Victorian statewide Platy Patch.
The project is jointly funded through both the Australian Government through the Natural Heritage Trust under the Urban Rivers and Catchments Program and Victorian Government through the Rivers of Warrnambool Flagship Waterways Project.
“There has been a lot of planning going on in the background for these projects for a long period of time, and it’s exciting these projects are underway in our local area,” Glenelg Hopkins CMA CEO Adam Bester said.
The first of these projects led to a platypus habitat installation at Jubilee Park at Woodford being completed in early 2024. Platypus are difficult creatures to study, since they are secretive and mainly active at night, dusk and dawn.
Whilst they are found across much of Victoria, they need reliable surface water and flows, stable banks to burrow, intact streamside vegetation, instream woody habitat and sufficient invertebrate food.
Works to improve Platypus habitat will occur in the Warrnambool projects and build on the significant works the CMA has already undertaken to support the rivers around Warrnambool, including fish habitat works, riverbank woody weed removal, and stream connectivity over the last 20 years.
Platy Patch works will be undertaken by Glenelg Hopkins CMA in partnership with a variety of stakeholders including private landholders, Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, Warrnambool City Council and local angling and community groups.
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