Program highlights

Western Grassland Reserve update

Land acquisition

Seasonal Herbaceous Wetland So far, we've purchased approximately 29% of the Western Grassland Reserve. As we continue to raise revenue from the MSA Levy, we will purchase more land.

Managing weeds and other threats

We work with our delivery partners Traditional Owners, Agriculture Victoria, Parks Victoria, Wyndham, Melton, and City of Geelong councils to manage weeds and deliver conservation activities in the Western Grassland Reserve area.

Wyndham City Council received an award at the 2026 Local Government Professionals Awards for Excellence for its innovative use of drone technology for a landscape-scale weed management program funded through the MSA Program.

The council has now completed weed control on more than 9,000 hectares and delivered 5,400 hectares of vegetation surveys in the Western Grassland Reserve area.

In late 2025, representatives from Parks Victoria, Wyndham City Council and the MSA Program planted a variety of threatened species at Mount Cottrell Nature Conservation Reserve in Melbourne’s west.

Since Parks Victoria began managing the site in the north-east corner of the Western Grassland Reserve, more than 18,000 seedlings have been planted there and at four other nearby nature reserves.

During spring and summer 2025–2026, Parks Victoria collected 220 kilograms of seed across 18 hectares of grassland, more than double the largest harvest of the past four seasons (101 kilograms in 2022–2023). Rangers also planted around 1,000 large-fruit groundsel seedlings into the Western Grassland Reserve area in spring 2025.

Planned burns

During the 2025–2026 season, DEECA’s Forest Fire Operations Division (FFOD) and its partners doubled their burns program with the help of specialised drones.

A total of 1,075 hectares was burned to reduce bushfire risk and support regeneration and ecological resilience for many threatened plant species at MSA sites in Eynesbury, Mambourin, Deanside, Wollert, Mickleham, Balliang, and Truganina.

FFOD partners with the MSA Program, Traditional Owners, Parks Victoria and the Arthur Rylah Institute to deliver seasonal burns.

Creating new conservation areas

The growling grass frog, golden sun moth, and striped legless lizard are some of the threatened species that will be permanently protected in 36 conservation areas across more than 5,000 hectares around Melbourne. So far, we have secured land in 21 conservation areas.

Traditional Owners are now managing land in 6 MSA conservation areas and supporting and delivering burns for ecological and cultural purposes.

Protecting rare woodland

Through our partnership with Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (WWWCHAC) and Trust for Nature, we are creating the 1,200-hectare Grassy Eucalypt Woodland Protected Area in Melbourne’s north-west.

Trust for Nature has completed a two-year landowner engagement program, and WWWCHAC has surveyed properties to identify priorities.

Growling grass frog program

Through this program, we've secured land in growling grass frog conservation areas 14 (Werribee River), 15 (Kororoit Creek), 34 (Merri Creek) and 36 (Clyde Creek). We've also completed a purpose-built growling grass frog wetland in Aintree, north of Melbourne, and delivered environmental watering projects at former dams along the Werribee River and Merri Creek, where these frogs have since been heard calling.

Planning is progressing for 21 more wetlands, with two due to start construction in the coming year (in Werribee River, Merri Creek, Kororoit Creek and Cardinia Creek conservation areas), delivered by Melbourne Water.

Planning is progressing for 21 more wetlands (in Werribee River, Merri Creek, Kororoit Creek and Cardinia Creek conservation areas), with 2 due to start construction in the coming year, delivered by Melbourne Water.

Getting on the bandi-wagon

Southern brown bandicott We’re proud to partner with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (Cranbourne Gardens) to raise awareness about the endangered southern brown bandicoot and support and encourage local councils, developers and communities to create bandicoot-friendly suburbs in the south-east.

The Southern Brown Bandicoot Program (the Program) helps residents to connect with and value nature. The Program has now engaged over 31,000 people with bandicoot displays, public events, presentations, workshops, guided walks, and other activities.

Work is progressing on habitat corridors to help bandicoots safely navigate residential areas within Botanic Ridge and Devon Meadows precincts between Cranbourne Gardens and the Urban Growth Boundary. Habitat creation has been completed at estates in Botanic Ridge precinct, with more underway.

We are also helping to improve scientific understanding of the bandicoot by contributing to the development of a state-wide genetic rescue strategy to help address the problems associated with the fragmented distribution of Victoria’s populations.

The species is thriving at The Briars Park on the Mornington Peninsula, where the population has more than tripled since the release of 21 southern brown bandicoots there two years ago as part of the genetic rescue project.

The bandicoots were translocated from Koo Wee Rup and East Gippsland, with the aim of establishing a secure and genetically diverse population, through a partnership between the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, the University of Melbourne, Deakin University and Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, with funding from the MSA.

Watch a video about the genetic rescue project.

Investment in conservation

A blue circle with a dollar sign in the middel We’ve spent more than $229 million on land acquisition and $96 million on land management, monitoring, research and other conservation actions (as of 30 June 2026).

Page last updated: 02/09/26