Cannons Creek Saltmarsh Restoration
Cannon's Creek Saltmarsh Overview
The Cannon's Creek Saltmarsh Revegetation Project restored 167,000m² of endangered Coastal Saltmarsh and coastal wetlands on private landholder property. A total of 173,000 plants were established across five distinct ecological vegetation classes: Mangrove Shrubland, Coastal Saltmarsh, Estuarine Grass Flats, Brackish Grassland and Plains Grassland.
Key species planted include Suaeda australis (Austral Seablite) and Salicornia quinqueflora (Beaded Glasswort), an important winter food plant for the Orange-Bellied Parrot, whose entire population breeds in Tasmanian grasslands before crossing Bass Strait to feed on Victorian saltmarshes. Disphyma crassifolium (Rounded Noon Flower) forms a dense succulent mat that prevents erosion, and produces one of Victoria's largest and most impressive mass floral blooms.
Restoration of saltmarsh is highly technical work. Minor variations in soil levels, tidal flows and salinity have significant impacts on plant survival, requiring detailed knowledge of planting niches and adaptive techniques. Many saltmarsh species are listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act with limited parent-plant collection areas, and are slow-growing and recalcitrant in the nursery propagation phase, demanding niche propagation techniques and highly trained staff.
Objective
- Restore 167,000m² of endangered Coastal Saltmarsh and coastal wetlands.
- Reinstate natural soil levels, tidal flows and saltmarsh ecology.
- Establish five distinct ecological vegetation classes across the site.
- Support habitat for the Orange-Bellied Parrot and native halophytes.
- Enable natural recruitment of FFG-protected species from the seedbank.
Services Delivered
- Native plant supply
- Ecological restoration
- Environmental maintenance
- Monitoring & establishment
- Weed management
Project Partners
Restoration Results
Patience and research were highly rewarded on this project, with high plant survival across the site. Adaptive planting techniques and skilled site maintenance, including plant identification for native halophytes, ensured that species returning from the seedbank were protected rather than removed.
FFG-protected Atriplex paludosa (Marsh Saltbush) and Wilsonia germinated from the seedbank and were carefully cultivated and spread further across the site. Flowering and seeding events were monitored against rainfall, resulting in very high rates of natural recruitment and establishment of key species such as Salicornia.
Since revegetation began, we have observed increased biodiversity, including the return of bird species such as the white-faced heron, willy wagtails, whistling kites, egrets and spoonbills. Victoria has lost as much as 50% of its saltmarshes since pre-European settlement (Serrano et al., 2019; Duarte de Paula Costa et al., 2021), and one day we hope to spot the Orange-Bellied Parrot on this restored coastline.