The Lower Latrobe wetlands are a place of spiritual and cultural connection for the Gunaikurnai people. Over many thousands of years, customs and lore have been passed orally between generations about the cultural values and uses of the wetlands and their importance to all Gunaikurnai people. The wetlands are on the lands of the Brayakaulung clan of the Gunaikurnai.
For the Gunaikurnai, the overarching objective for the wetlands is to provide and maintain healthy Country. Healthy Country includes the importance of place and the health of the entire ecosystem, including maintaining water quality, controlling pest species and maintaining a natural, seasonal flow regime and overbank flood events.
Environmental objectives for the delivery of water for the environment for the lower Latrobe wetlands should take a cultural landscape approach.
Watering requirements to support cultural values and uses include:
- timing the delivery of water for the environment planned in partnership with the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Corporation (GLaWAC) to support a seasonal flow regime and wet and dry periods that embody healthy Country
- maintaining freshwater supply to the Latrobe River estuary, Dowd Morass, Sale Common and Heart Morass and associated freshwater habitats
- providing connectivity between reaches and onto floodplains and maintaining water quality to support cultural values and uses of significance to the Gunaikurnai.
The wetlands support many keystone species important to the Gunaikurnai, and boran (pelican) and tuk (musk duck) are the mother and father in the Gunaikurnai creation story. If boran and tuk are living and breeding at the wetlands, it is a sign Country is healthy. If they are not, flows should be provided to promote required habitat and ecosystem services.
Other birds are important for woorngan (hunting) and food, including nalbong (water hens), gidai (black swans), boyangs (eggs) and koortgan (ducks except for tuk). Gidai require submerged and softer emergent vegetation to make nest mounds, placing them on a small island or floating them in deeper water. Gidai breed in late winter to early spring after the water level rises. Actions that fill the large wetlands and support the growth of loombrak (water ribbon) and submerged aquatic plants will support gidai. Ensuring that the lower wetlands and floodplain depressions (for example, billabongs) receive freshwater flows in winter/spring will provide the conditions for submerged and emergent aquatic plants to grow and provide food and nesting materials for the waterbirds.
GLaWAC is developing a vision for the wetlands that aligns with GLaWAC’s Gunaikurnai Whole-of-Country Plan. Key aspects of the vision include:
- healthy Country: reflecting the spiritual and cultural values of the Gunaikurnai custodians; healthy Country contributes to the well-being of the Gunaikurnai
- water access: access to water is crucial for many cultural values, including identity and relational values, future economic values and place values, among many others. Access to water, through ownership or management, means water made available to the Gunaikurnai on the Latrobe system and the Thomson system that provides freshwater to the wetlands. Every effort should be made to maintain freshwater-dependent values, which in turn deliver cultural values
- cultural and economic use: returning to cultural practices and Gunaikurnai-informed management at the lower Latrobe wetlands is key to returning to a more freshwater habitat for cultural uses and cultural species. It will also provide for water- based tourism, cultural education and ecotourism (camping) experiences
- connection: GLaWAC takes its responsibility very seriously to work closely with the people it represents on management decisions concerning Country and the health of Country. Gunaikurnai cultural obligations reflect Gunaikurnai views on healthy Country and, in turn, help the Gunaikurnai continue their ongoing connection to the land and waters of Country
- climate change: the Gunaikurnai have cared for Country for thousands upon thousands of years, through many cycles of climatic change, and they understand how to manage the landscape as it too changes. When cared for using traditional knowledge, Country can be healed. Mitigation of climate change factors affecting the lakes, rivers and other waterways of the lower Latrobe wetlands can be effective with resources and empowerment provided to the Gunaikurnai.
Increasing the involvement of Traditional Owners in environmental water planning and management and ultimately providing opportunities to progress towards self-determination within and beyond the environmental watering program is a core commitment of the VEWH and its agency partners. This is reinforced by a range of legislative and policy commitments, including the Water Act 1989, the Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework, Water for Victoria (2016) and in some cases, agreements under the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010.
Where Traditional Owners are more deeply involved in the planning and/or delivery of environmental flows for a particular site, their contribution is acknowledged in Table 3.2.1 with an icon. The use of this icon is not intended to indicate that these activities are meeting all the needs of Traditional Owners but is incorporated in the spirit of valuing their contribution and indicating progress towards deeper involvement.
 | Watering planned and/or delivered in partnership with Traditional Owners to support cultural values and uses |
GLaWAC and West Gippsland CMA are exploring opportunities to enhance environmental flows with Gunaikurnai outcomes in the lower Latrobe wetlands. In 2022-23, this is planned to include a jointly managed Gunaikurnai event to deliver water for the environment in Dowd Morass.