The news we’ve been waiting for! With target met, the Wirey Swamp Restoration Reserve land purchase is now complete

Thanks to our wonderful donors who have contributed to the land purchase fundraiser for the Wirey Swamp Restoration Reserve, we have passed our public fundraising target of $300,000. As a result, we are now able to unlock the full ‘dollar-for-dollar matching’ funding amount pledged by our plantation industry partners (OFO and ABP), and in doing so, achieve 100% of our $600,000 target.

To everyone who has played a part in the fundraiser, large or small, I’d like to express a huge and heartfelt thank you for helping us to complete this critical first step in the restoration journey. It is amazing what we can achieve together with a bit of teamwork!

I am also delighted to be able to share the fantastic news that on Thursday the 26th June 2025, settlement of the land purchase was completed – so the site is now officially owned by NGT and joins the list of our Permanent Reserves which will be held and managed by NGT in perpetuity.

This new project aims to enhance habitat for threatened wetland species in a strategic location adjacent to a Parks Victoria reserve, near a key flocking location for the threatened Brolga in south-eastern Australia. Removing cattle grazing from the wetland will be the primary initial step that will help to see an improvement in habitat condition the very next time the inflows are received – which, given the prolonged dry run we’ve encountered, we hope will be this winter!

Now that NGT actually owns the site, we’re also happy to reiterate our intention to work closely and cooperatively with our new farming and forestry neighbours, and the Strathdownie Drainage Trust (the local entity responsible for the artificial drainage network that services the surrounding district). Their local knowledge and ideas will be critical for helping us to identify and work through any potential options that are worthy of closer consideration, as we seek to optimise the environmental values of the site into the future. Needless to say, given that this area (including the adjacent Parks Victoria Reserve) is embedded in a wider landscape where primary production is the dominant land use, their input will be critical.

As long-term NGT supporters will be aware, we approach our ecological restoration projects in a methodical, considered way, so our main short-term priority (beyond removing cattle grazing) will be to simply begin collecting data, while also collating and documenting the history of the site, and the many changes it has witnessed, over the past 200 years. More news on this important background work and our future plans, will be shared over the months ahead.

Finally, if anyone reading this update would still like to get behind the project, it is not too late. Any additional funds raised from now will be directed to another exciting element of this project, which is currently still under wraps but we hope to announce in the near future… so watch this space!

Hence, NGT proudly guarantees that 100% of your donation will continue to be directed towards the Wirey Swamp Restoration Reserve project.

For more detailed information about the site and the project, please visit this page, or to donate, please click this link or the button below. And, if you haven’t already, please take a look at the fantastic video, put together in-house by NGT ecologist Lauren Creasy, for an overview of the Wirey Swamp project and our future vision for the site.

The creation of the Wirey Swamp Restoration Reserve is an initiative of Nature Glenelg Trust,
with the generous assistance of NGT’s strategic and philanthropic supporters,
public donors and our plantation forest industry partners: