Tahbilk’s elegant wines and wondrous wetlands Tahbilk Estate is an historic family been significant to my family. As owned winery, established in 1860 custodians of the Estate we have an and located in the Nagambie Lakes environmental responsibility to leave region of central Victoria. Purchased a sustainable legacy for those family by the Purbrick family in 1925, members to come.” Tahbilk comprises 1,214 ha of rich With the construction of the river flats with a frontage of 11 km Goulburn Weir and other irrigation to the Goulburn River and 8 km of infrastructure, the historical flow permanent backwaters and creeks. regime of the Goulburn River was While Tahbilk is revered for its changed, from one of high flows elegant wines it also has a rich in winter to one of a permanently ecosystem of wetlands and native flowing summer irrigation stream. vegetation that are home to many Previously the river and its associated of Australia’s rare species. Visitors billabongs had periodically dried to the winery can enjoy this unique back into a series of water holes. natural environment by traversing Indeed the local Aborigines knew the six kilometres of walking paths this area as “tabilk tabilk”, or the of the Tahbilk Eco Trails or taking place of many waterholes, thus a cruise through the wetlands on giving the property, Tahbilk, its Tahbilk’s eco-friendly electric boat. name. The present Tahbilk wetlands area was created with the raising of Hayley Purbrick, Manager of the the water level at the time that the Tahbilk Wine Club and Tourism Goulburn Weir was built in 1889. Operations says, “Conserving the natural environment has always Celebrating NRM achievements in the Goulburn Broken The Tahbilk wetlands are a self- our biodiverse values and bolster our native cat fish. flushing series of lagoons joined to sequestration potential. We have Through revegetation activities, the Goulburn River at both ends and partnered with the Goulburn Broken organic waste treatment and by have become a safe haven for a vast CMA who is assisting us with our investing in reputable carbon array of indigenous flora and fauna. planting and providing important reduction schemes to offset current At least two threatened species are knowledge and expertise to help us emissions, Tahbilk achieved its making the Tahbilk wetlands their get the job done properly. objective of becoming carbon neutral home. The native cat fish (Tandanus “Tucked away on the property in the 2011-12 financial year. tandanus) which is declining is a collection of old Yellow Box throughout the Murray-Darling Basin “In our second year of achieving this trees which are native to the area. is now breeding in the wetlands goal we have been able to internally The Estate has one of the largest and the Water Shield Lily (Brasenia offset 983 tonne of CO through our populations in the district and we are 2 schreberi), which is unique to Victoria, own re-vegetation projects leaving looking to build on that by collecting is also thriving. A confirmed recent us with 1,525 tonne of CO to cover seed and replanting this species back 2 finding of the Broad-shelled Turtle through the purchase of external to its original population. (Chelodina expansa) in the wetlands is offsets. also important because it is a species “In partnership with various “Some of the successful strategies that hasn’t previously been recorded government agencies, Goulburn we have implemented include a in Nagambie. Broken CMA and the Goulburn conscious effort to reduce the use of Broken Indigenous Seedbank, we are The Nagambie Lakes is the only winery vehicles by the vineyard team running a number of environmental Australian wine region, and one of and better management of older wine rehabilitation programs including only six worldwide, where the meso- stocks through the Wine Club. These an ongoing pest plant and animal climate is dramatically influenced by were two very simple ideas which had eradication program, an indigenous an inland water mass – its climate a positive impact on our results. In the flora and fauna identifying program, is consistently 3oC cooler than the process we have saved over $20,000. and water quality monitoring. In surrounding area. addition, Tahbilk Estate and the “We currently have 19,000 Wine Club Hayley Purbrick says, “Long before GB Seedbank have established a members and talk to 30,000 people it became fashionable to plant trees, trial site for the production of local each year. Some 40,000 people come Tahbilk Estate was planting local indigenous seeds for revegetation through our gate each year. We have indigenous trees and shrubs to form projects throughout the Longwood a good story to tell about protecting inter-connecting wild life corridors Plains area. Another successful project and enhancing the values of the to allow the free passage of animals, undertaken with the assistance of natural environment and we have birds and insects across the Estate. A the Goulburn Broken CMA was the good reach in the community. We long-term revegetation strategy for upgrading of wetland crossings to have community volunteers help us planting around the wetlands was allow for the more effective passage out with the plantings and we make developed back in 1991 and is still of fish between the wetlands and the a conscious effort to contribute to being implemented. Goulburn River.” education about the environment.” “We have earmarked 80 ha of land Goulburn Broken CMA also assisted for planting in September 2014 with in placing 386 large snags in the a mix of native species to maintain lagoons to provide habitat for the Project works funded by the Victorian State Government Celebrating NRM achievements in the Goulburn Broken.