PARK WATCH Article September 2026 |

The latest in community care and action for Western Port Bay from Shannon Hurley, Nature Conservation Campaigner

Western Port Bay is one of those places that stays with you.

It’s the penguins scurrying onto the sand as they emerge after days fishing at sea, fur seals hauling themselves onto rocks, migratory shorebirds arriving from thousands of kilometres away, and the people who swim, kayak, sail, fish, walk and spend time around the Bay.

It’s a place people love. And that love is becoming a powerful force for change.

Western Port Bay is under increasing pressure from population growth, pollution, development and climate change. Yet decisions about the bay are often made project by project, through separate agencies and processes.

We think there’s a better way. And today, we’re giving you a little sneak peek behind the scenes.

What you’re seeing here is still very much a work in progress. We’re developing the campaign strategy with our community, Environment Victoria and partners, and the design and messages are still taking shape. We haven’t launched this publicly yet, so consider this your first look at what we’ve been working on.

One bay. One plan. A healthier future.

Our goal: secure a commitment from the Victorian Government to implement the Western Port Bay Framework.

The Framework would bring together a whole-of-bay plan and a dedicated Western Port Bay Fund. Together, they would help protect important habitats, restore degraded areas, support research and monitoring, and fund community-led projects and Traditional Custodian and community stewardship.

Building a community movement

The message we keep hearing is clear. People want a say in the future of their bay. That community includes Traditional Custodians, nature conservation groups, local businesses and tourism operators, fishers, recreational users, scientists, researchers and the many locals who care about Western Port Bay.

Our role is to bring those voices together and turn that shared care into action. We recently saw what that can look like at a community talk on Phillip Island/Millowl, where around 100 people came together and unanimously voted to support and adopt the Western Port Framework.

That kind of support matters. It shows decision-makers the community is on board.

Taking the conversation beyond Western Port Bay

In August, we also headed to the Gippsland New Energy Conference to talk about why nature needs to be part of the conversation as we plan for a new energy future.

Because whether we’re talking about energy, development or conservation, the same principle applies: good planning needs to consider nature and the communities who live alongside it.

So, what happens next?

We’re building the campaign from the ground up – raising awareness, growing our network, creating opportunities for people to get involved and putting pressure on decision-makers to commit to a better future for Western Port Bay.

The campaign pathway is to: build awareness, build support, mobilise the community and create political pressure.

We want to make Western Port Bay a key election issue and ask candidates and political parties to clearly state whether they support the Framework.

Look out in the coming months for opportunities to put signs up, attend events, sign online actions and come together as a community.