All the groups in the Network have been extremely active this year:
Stormwater – Advocating for the release of the 2024 Aireys Inlet Stormwater & Water Quality Assessments enabled community members to raise concerns with relevant authorities about 10 of the 11 catchments in Aireys Inlet and Fairhaven far exceeding the current Best Practice Environmental Management Standards for pollutant loads in waterways (Phosphorus, Nitrogen, suspended solids and gross pollutants). Best practice rehabilitation of the existing swale drains and implementation of a catchment-wide WSUD strategy will provide cost effective solutions. Addressing sediment runoff from the Lialeeta/GOR landslip area is also critical.
Friends of the Hooded Plover Surf Coast – The 2024/25 Surf Coast Hooded Plover season was the most successful on record – 20 chicks hatched with 10 reaching fledgling stage. The Aireys Inlet breeding pair had 6 chicks with 3 reaching fledging stage. As the 2025/26 breeding season gets underway, the Aireys pair are the first to have chicks (3) on the Surf Coast. Volunteer site presence, GORCAPA’s Wildlife Protection Zones and fox culling when chicks are present on the beach have been major contributors to success.
Estuary Openings
GORCAPA and the SCS have continued to demonstrate restraint with regard to Painkalac Estuary openings with only one opening occurring in 2025. (The long-term work by this group ensures that environmental considerations are prominent in decision-making by the Surf Coast Shire and GORCAPA which can be seen in the greatly reduced number of artificial openings.)
Distillery Creek Removal of Waterway Vegetation and Debris
The landowners are aware that the CCMA and community value the ecological importance of the riparian corridor.
Friends of Allen Noble Sanctuary
Throughout 2025, the Friends of the Allen Noble Sanctuary (FANS), coordinated by Barry Whelan, have continued to meet at the Sanctuary on the 4th Sunday of each month to weed, mulch and prune. The FANS work in conjunction with the Surf Coast Shire (SCS) who provided mulch and plants and also removed large limbs when required.
In January 2025, following a discussion at a PVN meeting, the Allen Noble Sanctuary working group was formed. Rod Brooks, Roger Ganly, Barry Whelan, Ian Laging and Anne Davies have met monthly during 2025.
The group has collected data to form a base line for conditions at the Sanctuary. All data has been posted to the FANS page of the Angair Website. This includes:
- ANS Bird Survey 2025
The updated list was compiled by Katie Pahlow with the help of Anne Davies, James Orton, Bron Ives, Margaet Lacey and Ellinor Campbell - ANS Plant List 1999-2025
Roger Ganly, Neil Tucker and Sam Bodycomb created a current vegetation list for the ANS. As a result they were able to:
– compile the results alongside earlier lists creating a document of records covering 1999-2025
– list the plant communities in different areas of the Sancturary.
– identify weeds which informed subsequent weed removal by FANS and the SCS. - Assessment of Mammals
In conjunction with a larger study of the Painkalac Valley, Barbara Wilson and Mark Garkarlis installed 10 cameras at the ANS in order to record the mammals living in or visiting the Sanctuary.As a result of the Plant mapping and the assessment of mammals Rod Brooks was able to overlay the data showing which areas of vegetation were best at creating habitat and refuges for small mammals.
- Aerial photographs were taken of the Sanctuary:
The Estuary Watch group has begun testing the water quality at the Sanctuary as part of its monthly data collection. - The ANS was one of the sites where e-DNA tests were conducted by the PVN and the results give a comprehensive picture of life in the Sanctuary.
- Rod has arranged for rep/s from the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation to visit in April 2026.
- We have sought to collect soil samples to give us information about the botanical history of the Sanctuary but have not managed this to date. This will be a task for 2026.
- We are exploring the possibility of measuring water depth using drone technology.
On behalf of the ANS working group, Rod Brooks drafted a Draft Management Plan. This plan, which can be found on the ANS page of the Angair website, is now shaping our work.
Following the collection of data and the completion of the Draft Management Plan we made contact with the SCS. The working group has met twice with Gabrielle O’Shea (Biodiversity Officer, Environment and Community Safety) and Jessica Miller (Environment Coordinator). We have agreed on the broad principles outlined in the Draft Management Plan and discussed priorities for the Sanctuary and future projects. Issues covered include:
- the build-up of sediment
- removing dead wood
- identifying the Sanctuary boundary
- planning for willow replacement
- identifying any implications for the ANS arising from the stormwater flood study and the flood mitigation and adaptation study.
The SCS has commenced planning some of these works which they hope to carry out in the near future.
Angair
Successes:
- A number of working bees held in the Valley to weed the dunes and Painkalac Nature Reserve
- Planting on the Salt Wedge
- Grants for this and next year
- eDNA project and article in Quarterly
- Use of website
- Involvement in the Show
- Bird platforms on the reservoir
- Auspicing of grants
- Forest Fire Management field trip
AIDA
- Continued to promote and support the PVN’s activities
- Agreed to financially support Swimmable Painkalac’s faecal contamination source testing
EstuaryWatch
- Maintained its monthly water quality testing
- The results were used by the consultants undertaking the Flood and Coastal Erosion studies
Swimmable Painkalac
- Successfully completed faecal contamination testing over last summer
- Painkalac Creek had consistently low levels of faecal contamination – the first time this has happened in 35 years of periodic testing
- High enterococci levels were recorded in Allen Noble Sanctuary
- Source testing was not able to be conducted as the levels of enterococci were never high enough to justify the cost of testing
- Negotiations with AIDA led to AIDA agreeing to pay for source testing, when appropriate
- Article in the Autumn edition of NewsAngle
- The Fairhaven Surf Coast Life Saving Club have signed an MOU to pay for this summer’s enterococci testing but did not agree to pay for last summer’s testing, meaning that this testing has been funded by two members of the group.
- Discussions are ongoing with the Wye River group who have purchased a test kit for analysing the human faecal contamination of water as to how this may be used by the Swimmable Painkalac group.
Ecology and management of endangered species and ecosystems
- Mammal survey community workshops and mammal trapping – April-May
- Trapping conducted for Angair (Landcare Grant) and two Community workshops for PVN (Barwon Water Community Grant), Angair (Landcare Grant). The focus of the live trapping was the estuarine wetland southeast of the Great Ocean Road, Painkalac Bridge and at Lot 2, both areas where Swamp Antechinus had been captured previously. The focus of camera trapping was the Allan Noble Sanctuary which had not been surveyed previously and Lot 2.
- At the estuarine wetland live trapping resulted in one capture of a Swamp Rat. There were no captures of any animals at the sites where the Swamp Antechinus and Swamp Rats had been recorded previously. At Lot 2 trapping resulted in the capture of one Swamp Rat and three House Mice in sedge habitat east of the platform. No mammals were captured in the billabong area where Swamp Antechinus and Swamp Rats had been captured in 2023. Of significance was the camera recording of Swamp Antechinus at two sites at Allan Noble Sanctuary. Overall, the results of both camera and live trapping in 2025 were poor compared to previous years, likely related to the two-year deep drought.
- The mammal workshops (May 3rd to 4th) were very well attended. Attendees were provided with information on the unique mammal communities and threatened species (Swamp Antechinus, Broad Tooth-rat, Southern Brown Bandicoot) of the Painkalac Valley and the importance of the integrity of the habitat. Demonstrations were provided on setting and checking traps, requirements for licensing and permits, how to identify characteristics of mammals.
- History of mammal translocations in the Otways– August meeting presentation
- Presentation on previous research with the translocation of endangered mammals -Pookila (New Holland Mouse) and Swamp Antechinus in the Otways. Translocation involved capture, handling, transport of animals, and their release and acclimatisation to a new site. The last two drought years have resulted in disappointing data for Swamp Antechinus and other small mammals in the Painkalac Valley. The possibility that translocation of the Swamp Antechinus may be something to be considered. Meanwhile continued restoration of habitat along the valley is needed for healthy corridors.
- GORCAPA Painkalac Community Forum – Thursday 16th October
- Presentations to participants on significant mammal fauna and habitat along the Painkalac with field work inspections of significant mammal habitat sites.
Wilding the Valley
- Multiple visits by school visits through Ecologic
- Ecological society of Australia visit
- Removal of weeds, including woody weeds
- Planting both on Lot 2 and on the Salt Wedge – 300 planted on Lot 2 and 1400 planted on the Salt Wedge
- Tree hollows mounted in trees and placed across Lot 2
- Changing over from degrading to non-degradable UV stable guards
Friends of Eastern Otways
- Establishment of Floating Islands on Painkalac Dam
- Intensive Camera Monitoring Program in the area – now have 14 cameras in the field
- Working with Royal Botanic Garden, Cranbourne collected seed from the endangered Spiral Sun Orchid, Thelymitra matthewsii for propagation
- Monthly weeding program throughout the district
Painkalac Valley Network
- Gobata Dja Caring for Country team visit – 12 February
- Barwon Water grant activities in 2025
- Canoe Discovery
- Wetland Discovery
- Fauna survey workshops
- Painkalac Nature Walk created with the support of the Surf Coast Shire and GORCAPA
- eDNA survey funded by Field Nats Club Victoria, Angair and two community members
- Report in Angair Quarterly and on website
- Community Estuary Day – we supported the Agency Network in the planning and promotion of this event, Barbara Wilson ran workshops and Rod gave a talk on the eDNA survey results. The success of our relationship with the Agency Network led to the Agency Network agreeing to continue the Painkalac Creek Community Hub.
- Viewing of Wilding movie