Did you know your Lotto tickets have helped create the Busselton Jetty Underwater Sculpture Park?

While plenty of West Aussies have hit the Lotto jackpot, Lotterywest’s impact on the broader Western Australian community is where you’ll find the real winners.

We’ve been looking at how Lotterywest grants are helping the people of our State through a variety of different avenues, and this week we’re diving into the seriously awesome Underwater Sculptures at Busselton Jetty.

Already one of Australia’s great artificial reefs, since 1865 the submerged timber and steel piles have become colonised with a stunning array of marine invertebrates, in the process making a home for over 300 marine species.

And this year that reef became even more exciting thanks to a $1,000,000 Lotterywest grant going towards the installation of 13 underwater sculptures on the seabed around the Jetty!

Not only have the works supported the 11 Western Australian artists involved in creating the sculptures, but they’re already creating further habitats for marine life to colonise, along with helping further connect the community with the marine environment.

This colonisation will be monitored through a collaboration between Busselton Jetty Inc., Bunbury’s Dolphin Discovery Centre (another grant recipient), WA Universities, and other organisations, to provide vital data and enhance artificial reef science knowledge in WA.

This latest grant is on top of the existing $200,000 grant that has gone towards improving volunteer facilities.

You can learn more about Lotterywest grants via the Lotterywest website, and for more info on Busselton Jetty’s Sculptures head to their website.

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This article is sponsored by Lotterywest and endorsed by us. Please see our Editorial Policy for more info.