Cheetham Wetlands

Located 20 kilometers southwest of Melbourne, Australia, the Cheetham Wetlands is a 420-hectare wetland system composed of artificial and natural lagoons.

Originally a natural salt marsh and grassy woodlands, the area was later used as a saltworks. The wetlands were established on old salt works land on the western shores of Port Phillip Bay, and sits within the Municipal Councils of Hobsons Bay and Wyndham City. The area was later designated as crown land for conservation purposes, and was set aside to protect the wetland system and its diverse fauna and flora, including migratory birds. The lagoons created by the saltworks now attract many birds to the area.

Despite being artificial wetland lagoons, the ecological processes created by the Cheetham Wetlands are significant in sustaining values under the Ramsar Convention. The wetlands provide a wealth of functions such as ground water recharge or discharge, water purification, water storage, nutrient recycling, sewage treatment, shoreline stability and retention of sediment.

The Cheetham Wetlands has recorded supporting over two hundred species of birds, with many of them returning annually. The area supports significant populations of the Red-necked stint (Calidris ruficollis), Red-necked avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae), Sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), Double-banded plover (Charadrius bicinctus), Common greenshank (Tringa nebularia), Marsh sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis), Curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea), Orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster