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Western Port Bay is one of Victoria’s most significant wetlands and wildlife sanctuaries. It’s an important place for the people that work, live and play amongst its shores.

But this amazing place is facing serious health challenges – and the way it’s being managed isn’t fixing these problems.

There’s growing support for our new plan to protect Western Port Bay’s unique wetlands and support sustainable marine and tourism industries.

Hastings MP (Paul Mercurio) and Bass MP (Jordan Crugnale) have committed to champion the plan. But we need to empower them to advocate for it with the State Environment Minister Ingrid Stitt.


Use the form below to share your personal message.

Tell them why you want the Victorian Government to action the new framework for a healthy Western Port Bay.

We’ll send your words on a mangrove, fur seal or French Island postcard straight to their office.

  • If your electorate is Hastings (Paul Mercurio), or Bass (Jordan Crugnale), ask your local MP to champion it with the environment minister
  • If you’re outside of these areas, send your message straight to the environment minister


Need some inspiration? Here’s a potted history of the decade-long effort to protect these special places.

  • Western Port Bay is the only wetland in Victoria recognised by both the United Nations as a Biosphere Reserve and the International Ramsar Convention for wetland conservation
  • Rich in marine biodiversity – habitat for 1,350 identified marine species (3-4 times more than Port Phillip Bay), with Phillip Island (and Seal Rocks) home to the largest colonies of Little Penguins, Short-tailed Shearwaters and Australian Fur Seals in the world
  • A bird sanctuary for 65 per cent of Victoria’s threatened bird species
  • Important culturally for the Traditional Custodians
  • The lack of a bay-wide plan is not keeping the Bay healthy from the range of threat it faces (water pollution, gas terminals, population pressures and more)
  • A recreational nature playground
  • Read more on the greater vision for the Bay