The targeted management objectives for O’Kane’s Swamp are to:

re-establish and maintain vegetation and habitat suitable for brolga and other threatened waterbird species such as Australasian bittern and Australian painted snipe;

maintain and enhance a depleted wetland type in Victoria, shallow freshwater marsh.

The landholder at O’Kane’s Swamp loves brolgas and birds, and their family history is filled with memories of brolgas that would live at the swamp for many years, becoming part of this farming family.

Using water from the Environmental Water Trust, our goal is to create suitable habitat for brolgas and other threatened waterbirds to return to the swamp.

Water has been delivered to O’Kane’s Swamp since 2017-2018 using existing channels on the property. The environmental watering program aims to restore the natural water regime which would have comprised the wetland filling following rainfall events and drying.

The restored filling and drying of the swamp have been providing new vigorous growth of wetland vegetation, re-establishing important habitat for a diversity of waterbirds to feed, nest and breed.