Notice to Mariners No. 415 – 2026

If you have a bird bath in your backyard, you can help reduce the risk of spreading H5 bird flu by keeping it clean. 🐦
Regularly clean and disinfect bird baths, refresh the water often and wash your hands after handling them.
Where possible, keep pets away from bird baths and other places where wildlife gathers.
If you see sick or dead birds or wildlife:
✅ avoid direct contact
✅ record the exact location and what you observed
✅ report it online
🔗agriculture.vic.gov.au/birdflu

⚠️ Barwon River water quality

We`ve received advice from @barwonwater that people should avoid unnecessary contact with the water in the Barwon River until further notice.

Sewer spills have occurred in Belmont, Breakwater and Highton that have likely impacted the quality of the water in the Barwon River. Recreational users are advised to avoid unnecessary contact with the water.

Barwon Water is undertaking water quality testing and will provide further updates via their website when results are available.

For more information or enquiries, please visit the Barwon Water alerts and updates page.

🖤💛 Have you heard the call of a Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo?

You might hear them before you see them! With their distinctive, drawn-out calls, striking yellow cheek patches and bright yellow tail feathers, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos are a spectacular sight in our coastal skies.

These beautiful birds are found across south-eastern Australia, including here on the Bellarine Peninsula.

🌿 Did you know?
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos love feeding on seeds from banksias, hakeas and she-oaks. They`re also known to tear apart pine cones in search of a tasty meal!

They rely on large hollows in mature trees for nesting, making the protection of native vegetation and old trees incredibly important.

Sadly, habitat loss has contributed to declines in their populations, reminding us why caring for our natural environments matters.

Next time you`re out enjoying our coast, keep your eyes to the skies and your ears open!

Learn more from our friends at @birdlifeoz via their website.

H5 bird flu has been detected in some Victorian wetlands.
Boating and fishing can continue as normal in most areas.
If there has been a recent mortality event, avoid activities that could expose you to contaminated water, including swimming, wading, fishing and boating.
✅ Avoid direct contact with sick or dead birds
✅ Wash your hands thoroughly after visiting areas where wild birds gather
✅ Supervise children and pets around affected areas
For more information, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/birdflu

🥚 A little egg-citing news from Ocean Grove!

A new Hooded Plover nest has been reported along Ocean Grove Beach, between Wedge Street and Tuckfield Street! 🐣

These tiny shorebirds nest directly on the sand, making their eggs incredibly vulnerable to disturbance.

If you`re heading to the beach, please give our little beach-nesting locals the best chance of success by keeping your distance, following signage and keeping dogs away from nesting.

🐦 Don`t forget – the Aussie Bird Count starts today!

Our friends at @birdlifeoz are calling on everyone to spend just 20 minutes counting the birds around them between now and Sunday 25 October.

Whether you`re walking along our beautiful coastline, exploring a local park or relaxing in your backyard, it`s a great way to connect with nature and contribute to important citizen science. 🌿

No experience needed – just download the free Aussie Bird Count app and get counting!

👉 Register at https://aussiebirdcount.org.au

We`re Hiring! Sustainability & Community Officer

Help shape a more sustainable future for our coast and community!
Are you passionate about sustainability, connecting people and making a real difference to our coastal environment?
We`re looking for an enthusiastic and proactive Sustainability & Community Officer to join the Barwon Coast team!

This is an exciting opportunity to help drive our sustainability initiatives, strengthen relationships with our incredible volunteers and community groups, and create meaningful environmental education and engagement opportunities.

You`ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to protecting and caring for the beautiful coastline across Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove and beyond.

Sound like you, or someone you know?
We`d love to hear from you!

👉 Apply now: https://barwoncoast.com.au/career/sustainability-community-officer/

Please share with your networks and help us find our next team member!

#BarwonCoast #Sustainability #CommunityEngagement #EnvironmentalEducation #CoastalConservation #GeelongJobs #BellarinePeninsula

🌿 What does caring for the coast mean?

Well, it means lots of things! From maintaining the facilities and infrastructure across the 22 km of coastal Crown land we manage, to doing everything we can to protect our precious natural environment and restoring native vegetation.

🌱 Like this little Acacia melanoxylon (Blackwood) tree – one of 250 plants of varying native species planted across our coastal reserves over the past three months.

Choosing the right plants for the right places helps restore habitat, support local biodiversity and ensure our coast continues to thrive for generations to come.

It`s all part of the everyday work that goes into caring for our coast. 💚

#CaringForOurCoast #BarwonCoast #CoastalConservation #Biodiversity

🐣🐣 Great news for our little Hoodies!

We`ve got two new Hooded Plover nests at 13th Beach, and the existing nest at Bluff South Dune (The Corner) is still going strong! 💚

🥚🥚🥚 13th Beach – Boings: 3 eggs
🥚 13th Beach – The Ant: 1 egg
🥚🥚🥚 Bluff South Dune – The Corner: Nest still in place!

We`re also keeping a close eye on three potential nesting sites at Bancoora – Black Rock, Breamlea and Wedge Street to Tuckfield Street at Ocean Grove/Collendina.

It`s encouraging news for these vulnerable little shorebirds, but there`s still a long way to go before any chicks successfully fledge.

If you`re heading to the beach, please give our Hoodies plenty of space, follow temporary signage and keep dogs on lead where required.

A huge shout-out to the wonderful Friends of the Hooded Plover – Bellarine volunteers, whose dedication, countless hours of monitoring and tireless efforts to protect these vulnerable little birds make such a difference. We`re so grateful for everything you do to give our Hoodies the best chance of survival! 💚🐣

👉 Read the latest nesting update on our website news page.