Winton Wetlands is managed in accordance with the Crown Land Reserves Act 1978 (Winton Wetlands Reserve Regulations 2010).

Crown-Land-Reserve-Winton-Wetlands-Reserve-Regulations-2010.pdf

Under the Act and accompanying regulations, permissions, permits or licences need to be sought for various activities and events – eg. grazing of livestock in certain permitted areas (which requires a pastoral lease agreement to be in place), events, and production of movies and other media content for commercial purposes.

The Winton Wetlands Committee of Management is responsible for financial management of the Wetlands reserve, with a requirement to ensure that the costs of running the reserve are recovered to the greatest extent possible. For this reason charges may apply when using any part of the wetlands for commercial purposes.

The Committee of Management also has a responsibility to protect the health and safety of visitors to the Wetlands, and as part of meeting that responsibility it is important to know and approve of activities which can create actual or potential risks of any kind.

If you want to conduct any of the following activities, you MUST apply for approval in advance. We will seek to advise you promptly of the outcome and any fees which may apply.

• Photography for commercial purposes
• Aerial photography including drones and helicopters
• Events (including weddings, music festivals, car rallies and parties)
• Art classes and other outdoor teaching and learning for which specific fees are paid. (This excludes guided school excursions, which may be subject to a fee that already covers the full program of activities for the day.)
• Horse-riding
• Media production activity in site, including movies and advertising
• Grazing
• Other non-routine activities that may attract large groups of people at a time or create potential disturbance to the delicate wetlands eco-system.

If you are considering doing any of the above, please fill out this form and submit it for approval.

Once approved, you will be advised of any costs involved. Costs can vary depending on the size of the event or activity, the amount of preparation and clean-up required, and other site-specific considerations.

For all general inquiries, please contact info@wintonwetlands.org.au.

Some activities conducted indoors do not require any special permission – eg. weddings or conferences/seminars held in the Hub and Café or the Education Centre. If you have booked one of our indoor venues, you will receive approval automatically as part of the booking process (as long as you meet all conditions of the booking).

Please note that even when an activity is approved, there may be restrictions that apply at certain times, for reasons such as cultural heritage protection.

Winton Wetlands does not exist to make a profit, but many resources are required to accommodate non-routine activities and events on site so these costs need to be passed on to the organisers and users.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.