Asha Bannon and Amy Russell from the CMA working on one of the floating turtle island sanctuaries. Photo: Supplied
The North Central Catchment Management Authority is teaming up with Turtles Australia to build three floating turtle island sanctuaries on Longmore Lagoon near Gunbower.
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The islands will be designed to give turtles a safe place to nest, shielding their eggs from predators.
North Central CMA project manager Amy Russell said the majority of turtle eggs fell prey to predators, and the islands could be the answer to this problem.
“Research tells us that 98 per cent of turtle eggs succumb to predation, and foxes account for about 92 per cent of that,” she said.
“These islands are the latest tool to help us turn those numbers around on the Gunbower Forest floodplain and in Gunbower Creek.”
Project manager Amy Russell on one of the turtle islands. Photo: Supplied
The islands will be tested first and if successful, may lead to many more islands being built around the region.
The islands were designed by Turtles Australia, with the pontoons built by Cohuna’s G&M Poly Irrigation.
The Ridley Corporation has also offered a helping hand by hosting the islands while they are being constructed, as well as creating a safe on-land nesting space between their mill and the creek.
An eastern long-necked turtle. Photo: Hugh McGregor
The islands will be the perfect sanctuary for the three turtle species that are common in the area — the endangered broad-shelled turtle, the Murray River turtle, and the eastern long-necked turtle.
This project is part of the Victorian Government’s $248 million investment to improve waterway and catchment health across regional Victoria from 2020 to 2024.
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