The Friends of the Gippsland Lakes provides an avenue for interested persons to participate in projects and activities to enhance the environment, amenity and facilities within the vast Ramsar* listed Gippsland Lakes, located in Victoria, Australia including :
- Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park,
- Lakes National Park,
- Blond Bay Reserve,
- Gippsland Lakes Reserve,
- wetlands such as McLeod Morass, and Heart Morass
- other crown land frontages abutting the Gippsland Lakes
We are very keen to collaborate with other groups, agencies and people with similar interests. We are committed to promoting the values and assets of the Lakes, Parks and Reserves.
FoGL is an Incorporated Association registered with Consumer Affairs Victoria and is bound by the rules and regulations that entails.
We urge you to join the Friends of the Gippsland Lakes and help protect our precious fragile environment.
VISION
The importance of protecting and enhancing biodiversity, the natural environment and unique eco-systems of the Gippsland Lakes Parks and Reserves is recognized, respected and highly valued by the community and is reflected in all aspects of planning, land use and tourism.
MISSION
We actively strive to protect and enhance the natural environment and biodiversity of the Gippsland Lakes area through research, evidence-based submissions to government bodies, initiation of on-ground projects and engaging the community through activities and education.
*The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites. It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the convention was signed in 1971.
Detailed Purposes
1. The purposes of the Association are:
A. To provide an avenue for interested persons to participate in the management of the Gippsland Lakes Parks and Reserves.
B. To support activities and projects that enhances the environment, amenity and facilities of the Gippsland Lakes Parks and Reserves and their immediate environs.
C. To promote an understanding amongst the community of the values and assets of the Gippsland Lakes Parks and Reserves, and the management actions needed to conserve those values and assets.
D. To collaborate with other groups, agencies and individuals with similar interests to those of the Association.
E. To provide advice and feedback to the agencies responsible for management of the Gippsland Lakes Parks and Reserves.
F. To function as a group generally in keeping with that of other Friends groups who support the management of public land in Victoria.
2. The initial area of interest for the Association lies between Loch Sport in the west and Lakes Entrance in the east. The primary focus of the Association is management issues that are land based more so than those that are water based, although it is recognised there is often an interaction between them.
3. The Association interprets the term ‘Gippsland Lakes Parks & Reserves’ to mean those public land areas that abut or are nearby the waters of the Gippsland Lakes or the adjacent coastline that are gazetted or managed as Parks or Reserves under the National Parks Act, the Crown Land Reserves Act, or the Land Act, and includes, but is not restricted to:
* Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park;
* Lakes National Park;
* Blond Bay Reserve;
* Crown Land frontages abutting the Gippsland Lakes; and
* Gippsland Lakes Reserve.
4. The Association uses the term ‘immediate environs’ to include land and water within close proximity to the Gippsland Lakes Parks & Reserves, which may be either public land or private land.
5. Solely for the purpose of furthering the purposes set out above, the Association shall have power:
(a) To subscribe to, become a member of and co operate with any other association, club or organisation, whether incorporated or not, whose objects are altogether or in part similar to those of the Association PROVIDED THAT the Association shall not subscribe to or support with its funds any club, association or organisation which does not prohibit the distribution of its income and property among its members to an extent at least as great as that imposed on the Association under or by virtue of the Rules.
(b) To buy, sell and deal in all kinds of articles, commodities and provisions, both liquid and solid, for the members of the Association or persons frequenting the Association’s premises.
(c) To purchase, take on, lease or in exchange, hire and otherwise acquire any lands, buildings, easements or property, real and personal, and any rights or privileges which may be requisite for the purposes of, or capable of being conveniently used in connection with, any of the objects of the Association PROVIDED THAT in case the Association shall take or hold any property which may be subject to any trusts the Association shall only deal with the same in such manner as is allowable by the law having regard to such trusts.
(d) To enter into any arrangements with any Government or Authority that are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the objects and the exercise of the powers of the Association; to obtain from any such Government or Authority any rights, privileges and concessions which the Association may think it desirable to obtain; and to carry out, exercise and comply with any such arrangements, rights, privileges and concessions.
(e) To appoint, employ, remove or suspend such managers, clerks, secretaries, servants, workmen and other persons as may be necessary or convenient for the purposes of the Association.
(f) To construct, improve, maintain, develop, work, manage, carry out, alter or control any houses, buildings, grounds, works or conveniences which may seem calculated directly or indirectly to advance the Association’s interests, and to contribute to, subsidise or otherwise assist and take part in the construction, improvement, maintenance, development, working, management, carrying out, alterations or control thereof.
(g) To invest and deal with the money of the Association not immediately required in such manner as may from time to time be thought fit.
(h) To take, or otherwise acquire, and hold shares, debentures or other securities of any company or body corporate.
(i) To lend and advance money or give credit to any person or body corporate; to guarantee and give guarantees or indemnities for the payment of money or the performance of contracts or obligations by any person or body corporate, and otherwise to assist any person or body corporate.
(j) To borrow or raise money either alone or jointly with any other person or legal entity in such manner as may be thought proper and whether upon fluctuating advance account or overdraft or otherwise to represent or secure any moneys and further advances borrowed or to be borrowed alone or with others as aforesaid by notes secured or unsecured, debentures or debenture stock perpetual or otherwise, or by mortgage, charge, lien or other security upon the whole or any part of the incorporated association’s property or assets present or future and to purchase, redeem or pay off any such securities.
(k) To draw, make, accept, endorse, discount, execute and issue promissory notes, bills of exchange, bills of lading and other negotiable or transferable instruments.
(l) To sell, improve, manage, develop, exchange, lease, dispose of, turn to account or otherwise deal with all or any part of the property and rights of the Association.
(m) To take or hold mortgages, liens or charges, to secure payment of the purchase price, or any unpaid balance of the purchase price, of any part of the Association’s property of whatsoever kind sold by the Association, or any money due to the Association from purchasers and others.
(n) To take any gift of property whether subject to any special trust or not, for any one or more of the objects of the Association but subject always to the proviso in paragraph (c).
(o) To take such steps by personal or written appeals, public meetings or otherwise, as may from time to time be deemed expedient for the purpose of procuring contributions to the funds of the Association, in the shape of donations, annual subscription or otherwise.
(p) To print and publish any newspapers, periodicals, books or leaflets that the Association may think desirable for the promotion of its objects.
(q) To amalgamate with any one or more incorporated association having objects altogether or in part similar to those of the Association and which
shall prohibit the distribution of its or their income and property among its or their members to an extent at least as great as that imposed upon the Association under or by virtue of the Rules.
(r) To purchase or otherwise acquire and undertake all or any part of the property, assets, liabilities and engagements of any one or more of the
incorporated associations with which the Association is authorised to amalgamate.
(s) To transfer all or any part of the property, assets, liabilities and engagements of the Association to any one or more of the incorporated
associations with which the Association is authorised to amalgamate.
(t) To make donations for patriotic, charitable or community purposes.
(u) To do all such other things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the objects and the exercise of the powers of the Association.