Our shared vision with the landholder and partnering organisations is to mimic the historical water regime and return the wetland to a healthy and diverse habitat for waterbirds and frogs.

The Plain Paddock has historically been filled by large flooding events, however, prior to environmental water delivery in 2019 and natural flooding during 2022-23, the wetland had not been significantly flooded since 2012.

Identified as a priority watering site by the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority and covered by a conservation covenant, The Plain Paddock supports a significant remnant of the pre-agriculture landscape associated with the Broken Creek floodplain.

Following each water delivery, monitoring has shown that a diversity of wetland types has been promoted by a more ‘natural’ watering regime of wetting and drying cycles creating shallow waters and mudflats, open deeper waters and the growth of wetland dependent vegetation.

Waterbird species such as black fronted dotterel, the vulnerable glossy ibis, red-kneed dotterel, nationally listed sharp-tailed sandpiper and whiskered terns have all benefited from the on-going environmental watering strategy.