Winton Wetlands’ environmental potential is being diversified with expressions of interest now open on a new solar project for the site.

In response to the Australian Government’s initiative to mitigate the risk of climate change and global warming, the purpose of the proposed project is to supply green electricity generated from solar irradiation into the National Energy Market.

“The Committee of Management is capitalising on the site’s natural economic strengths and aligning themselves to add to the State Government’s energy mix, as we work towards the target of 40% renewable energy generation by 2025“ said Dr Dennis O’Brien, Chair of the Winton Wetlands Committee of Management.

“Solar farms are the most direct way to help us reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. Solar farms feed surplus power to the mains grid thereby distributing renewable, clean energy”

After two feasibility studies considering the practicability of developing a solar photovoltaic (PV) facility and associated infrastructure on the Winton Wetlands site, and the preliminary ecological constraints and planning approval matters, it was determined that solar PV projects at the Winton Wetlands site are technically viable at a commercial scale.

“The choice of location for the Mokoan Solar Project is driven by two main factors. Firstly, this location has among the highest levels of solar irradiation in Victoria. Secondly, the site has excellent topography – being very flat, with excellent drainage features.”

The proposed site is up to 800 hectares of crown land, to build and operate 200+MW capacity, equating to a provision of approximately 50,000+ households.

The Expression of Interest process is now open until Friday 12 July 2019 with further information available by contacting Daniel Basham, Chief Executive Officer on 03 5766 4462 or at ceo@wintonwetlands.org.au

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Tuesday 23 October

Winton Wetlands is fortunate to play host to some interesting ‘heroes in half-shells’ including the Eastern Long-necked turtle (Chelodina longicollis) and Murray River turtle (Emydura macquarii). Turtles love to use the edges of the Wetland’s swamps for laying eggs and are known to travel between expanses of water which provide their food resources.

“We are seeing turtles almost on a daily basis at the moment around the Wetlands”, said Lance Lloyd, Restoration Scientist at Winton Wetlands.

“We’ve seen an abundance of turtles crossing Lake Mokoan Road and they’ve even been visiting the Mokoan Hub and Café and our glamping site near the boat ramp”.

These four-legged friends contribute to the diversity of fauna represented at the Wetlands and are the subject of ongoing restoration and monitoring, including that being conducted by the Friends of Winton Wetlands who use an online mapping database, TurtleSAT, to log their findings.

Fingers are tightly crossed in the hope of finding the locally-extinct Broad-shelled turtle (Chelodina expansa), but the focus is on conservation efforts across all species.

For visitors to the area and beyond, there are a few ways to help your local turtle populations, including recording sightings using databases like TurtleSAT and lending a helping hand to turtles taking the treacherous journey across roadways.

Turtles travel to seek out healthy habitats, food and water. Keep the following tips in mind if you see a turtle crossing the road:

• Be cautious of your own safety by checking where you stop your car and being aware of other vehicles travelling on the roadway
• Take a quiet, low and slow approach towards the turtle to prevent distress
• Pick the turtle up firmly by the shell edges, keeping it low to the ground
• Move the turtle off the road making sure to keep it facing the way it was walking to continue on its travels!

Media Contact: Tanya McAlpin
03 5766 4462, 0414 266 960
tanya.mcalpin@wintonwetlands.org.au

$100 vouchers up for grabs, as well as the chance to have the artwork featured in the 2019 Winton Wetlands calendar
Simply enter the Winton Wetlands Calendar Art Competition

Twelve winners will be chosen based on their merit and creativity by the Winton Wetlands Calendar Competition Committee. These winning artworks will be featured in the 2019 Winton Wetland Calendar, with all funds raised from the sale of the calendar going to the Friends of Winton Wetlands restoration work.

This competition is open to children of primary school age and living in Australia.

Competition closing date: 5pm, Monday 12 November 2018

The Competition Committee is looking for bright colours, creativity, good technical skills, use of space and a good story to accompany the submission. Each winning artist will receive a $100 voucher.

Image: Henley Public School 2018 Calendar

Competition Requirements

Entrants must provide their full name, age, school name and grade and a parent/guardian’s contact phone number.
Artwork should be landscape, A4 size and accompanied by 25 words or less addressing one of the themes mentioned below:

• Birds – The rare Regent Honeyeater is among the nearly 200 bird species identified across our diverse ecosystems.
• Wildlife – Our site is perfect for encountering kangaroos, echidnas and even tiny antechinus.
• Pest Animals – Winton Wetlands is unfortunately home to some pest species whose effect is damaging to our restoration efforts.
• Insects – Important to our food webs and ongoing regeneration, insects are also vital to growth and balance.
• Habitat – Native plants and a healthy environment provide safe homes for our birds and wildlife.
• Threatened/Endangered Species – Winton Wetlands is home to 11 nationally listed endangered species.

Mail Submission

Artwork no smaller than A4 can be sent via post or be delivered in person to:
Winton Wetlands – Calendar Art Competition
652 Lake Mokoan Road
Chesney Vale VIC 3725

E-Submission

Artwork can also be submitted electronically to info@wintonwetlands.org.auand should be at high resolution (suggested 300dpi), landscape, A4 size, bright and clear. The original image must be available to be sent if required by the Competition Committee.

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At Winton Wetlands we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

TERMS & CONDITIONS
The promoter is Winton Wetlands, ABN 53 224 268 294
The promotion commences at 9am on Monday 15 October and closes at 5pm on Monday 12 November 2018.
The competition is open to primary school children who are residents of Australia.
Permission of a parent or a guardian to enter the competition is required as the winning images will be featured in the 2019 Winton Wetlands calendar, on the Winton Wetlands website, facebook page and in any other Winton Wetlands marketing material.
Employees of Winton Wetlands or their family members are not permitted to enter the competition.
Any entries received after the closing date will not be eligible to enter the competition.
Entrants can only submit 1 entry into the competition.
The total value of all 12 prizes is $1200. This consists of 12 x $100 vouchers.
The competition winners will be chosen by the Winton Wetlands Calendar Competition Committee and all winners will be notified by either email or phone call by Friday 23 November 2018.
If the winners cannot be contacted or do not claim their prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
Winton Wetlands reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice.
Winton Wetlands will only use any personal details for administration of the competition.