Community organisations and volunteer groups help to care for our marine and coastal environment through activities such as revegetating coastal areas, monitoring native shorebirds and animals, presenting education and awareness raising sessions, and so much more!
There will always be a need for dedicated volunteers on our coast, and there are roles for people of all ages, interests and abilities. To join a community group or learn more about our magnificent coastal and marine environment, contact a Coastcare Victoria Officer.
Celebrating Coastcare Week
1 - 7 December 2025
Coastcare Week is an annual nationwide celebration of Coastcare that recognizes and celebrates community volunteers who are actively restoring, enhancing, and protecting the coastline, waterways, habitat, and biodiversity in their community.
Coastcare Victoria Community Grants
The Victorian Government funds the annual Coastcare Victoria Community Grants. The grants fund community-led environmental groups and organisations that deliver projects to support the community in caring for and acting for the marine and coastal environment.
For more information, visit: https://www.marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/coastal-programs/coastcare-victoria/coastcare-victoria-community-grants
2025 Summer by the Sea
The 2025 program rans from 6 to 25 January across Victoria’s coastline, giving people the chance to discover the amazing coastal and marine environments locally or where holidaying. It combines fun and education through a wide range of activities, where participants can learn about coastal and marine environments and how to protect them for future generations.
Program highlights include snorkeling in Portsea, stargazing in Inverloch, canoeing in Swan Bay and searching for sea slugs in San Remo!
Summer by the Sea is supported by coastal land managers, community groups and conservation agencies across Victoria.
Bookings for activities can be made at www.summerbythesea.vic.gov.au.
The theme for 2025 is ‘The Beach is For Everyone’, celebrating diversity and finding different ways to include everyone within the marine and coastal environment.
2024 Coastcare Victoria 30 Year Forum: 'Looking back to look forward'
During National Volunteer Week, Coastcare Victoria celebrated its 30-year milestone with an extremely successful Forum that brought together over 100 attendees, both in person on Bunurong Country on the coast in Naarm (Port Melbourne), and online. The event was a vibrant gathering of the Coastcare Victoria community, celebrating and honouring three decades of unwavering volunteer dedication to the protection and enhancement of Victoria's marine and coastal environments.
The forum not only celebrated the past but provided inspiration for future actions. Volunteers, Community Groups and Organisations, Traditional Owners, Agency Partners, past Coastcare Victoria staff and expert presenters delivered a series of engaging presentations and workshops that highlighted the collective efforts, challenges and successes in preserving the natural beauty and health of our coastlines.
Coastcare Victoria held a series of forums across the Victorian coastline in May and June 2022 to celebrate volunteers who contribute to the health of the state’s marine and coastal environment.
Each session focused on building the knowledge and capacity of volunteer groups involved in the Coastcare Victoria program so they can further contribute to the improvement and management of Victoria’s marine and coastal environment.
Topics included citizen science tools, engagement in a digital context, the importance of involvement and working relationships with Traditional Owners and land managers, with better understanding of cultural heritage along the Victorian coast and marine environment. Attendees also heard presentations from other volunteers and shared their experiences and leanings.
We hope those that made it had as great at time as we did.
Coastcare Victoria was a major partner in the 2019 Victorian Marine and Coastal Forum, which brought together coastal and marine managers, researchers and volunteers to enable the building of relationships, sharing knowledge and collaborating across the sector to solve current and future marine and coastal challenges. The forum took a participatory approach through presentations, workshops and networking opportunities to support cross sector collaboration.
For more information visit the forum website
In April 2017 Coastcare Victoria, with support from the Phillip Island Nature Parks and community volunteers, organised a forum to connect and inspire Coastcare volunteers from across the state.
For more information and to access some of the resources shared at the forum, please click below.
Around 90 enthusiastic people from across the state, representing over 65 volunteer groups including Coastcare, Landcare, ‘Friends’ groups and many more, gathered on Phillip Island for the Coastcare Volunteer Forum on the last weekend in April 2017.
Fieldtrips to learn about the amazing work happening on our coast generated optimism and enthusiasm and workshops allowed volunteers to learn new skills.
This program was developed by Coastcare staff in partnership with key local volunteers Gayle Seddon and Mike Cleeland.
Coastcare thanks Phillip Island Nature Parks for their wonderful support of the forum, the efforts of staff and local volunteers was fundamental to the success of the forum.
Below are some of the resources shared at the forum. For more information contact your Coastcare Facilitator.
Child Safe Standards Open Space Notes
Coastcare Victoria Team
Coastcare Victoria Program Manager
Acting currently:
Laura Town-Hopkinson
0427 818 683
laura.town-hopkinson@deeca.vic.gov.au
Substantive:
Lindy Mills
0473 848 101
lindy.mills@deeca.vic.gov.au
Coastcare Victoria Barwon South West
Shaya Kaartinen-Price
0436 604 127
shaya.kaartinen-price@deeca.vic.gov.au
Coastcare Victoria Port Phillip & Westernport
Jess Schubert-Hoban
0475 557 628
jess.schubert-hoban@deeca.vic.gov.au
Coastcare Victoria Gippsland
Laura Town-Hopkinson
0427 818 683
laura.town-hopkinson@deeca.vic.gov.au
Coastcare Victoria Strategy
The Coastcare Victoria Strategy sets out the focus and strategic direction for Coastcare Victoria.
Developed through a participatory-engagement process, the strategy aims to strengthen and support community-based volunteers with the information and resources they need to continue their work protecting and restoring Victoria’s amazing coastal and marine environment.
This includes providing grant funding, training, facilitating networks, connecting communities with citizen science opportunities, and enabling Traditional Owner self-determination.
Coastline Newsletter
Coastline is a Coastcare Victoria publication for coastal and marine communities throughout Victoria. You will now find Coastline in the pages of the DELWP Marine and Coasts Newsletter
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Coastline Celebration Issue
This special celebration edition of Coastline highlights the accomplishments of our Coastcare Victoria volunteer community between 1994-2021.
Their stories and images demonstrate what amazing things can be achieved when our community members come together as coastal champions, and will inspire you to join in.
Page last updated: 13/05/25