Improving the health of Victoria’s waterways and catchments in the face of escalating climate change initiative delivered an integrated output-based set of programs to continue to protect and restore Victoria’s regional waterways and catchments, which are severely degraded from over 150 years of human intervention and economic development.
This protection and restoration is a multi-generational task, which also needs to adapt to the contemporary challenges of climate change and Victoria’s expanding population. Restoring these natural systems – which are of deep value to current and future generations – requires investment stretched over more than 50 years at a level commensurate with the repairs and service needed.
Through this initiative, the Victorian Government continues to deliver the programs and benefits outlined in Chapter 3 (Waterway and Catchment Health) of Water for Victoria.
This initiative significantly invests in regional employment to deliver multiple components of the program. Funding supports approximately 325 jobs across regional Victoria, primarily within catchment management authorities (CMAs) and their delivery partners and contractors.
This report also includes updates relevant to the 3 year $24.5 million initiative announced under the Government’s 2021-22 State Budget, Supporting regional communities and economic recovery through healthy waterways which is a fully integrated subset of the 4 year 2020-21 initiative Improving the health of Victoria’s waterways and catchments in the face of escalating impacts of climate change.
The sections of this report that relate to the smaller initiative are noted where relevant.
Theses projects continued the long and complex job of repairing environmental damage to our waterways and managing current impacts. The projects aimed to address the following problems:
The majority of funding for these 2 initiatives has been invested through Victoria’s 9 regional CMAs in 2021-22 according to these agreed programs.
CMAs delivered this integrated program with Traditional Owners and regional partners, including local shires and councils, Parks Victoria, Landcare and related environment groups.
Like many government programs around Australia (and the world), this initiative faced significant challenges in delivery during the initial years of the program, particularly:
Following the changing weather patterns over winter and spring in 2021, the Bureau of Meteorology confirmed a La Niña summer pattern in November 2021.
The uncertain weather (including both wetter periods in some parts of the south as well as drier periods in the north) provided challenges for consistent delivery of program outputs related to outdoor initiatives. For example, while a wetter winter/spring in the south slowed the delivery of riparian program, this same rain enabled more environmental water to be delivered than expected in some systems.
In 2021-20, there were a variety of emergencies and hazards faced across the state relating to environmental factors, including prolonged and toxic levels of blue green algae outbreaks. Many of these lasted for several weeks to months due to a combination of factors, including warmer temperatures during both daylight and night hours.
2021-22 also brought increased storm activity with heavy downpours resulting in localised flooding of our waterways.
During the April 2022 storm event, East Gippsland experienced intense and heavy rainfall varying between 230 mm and 300 mm, as well as high wind and storm surges along the coastline.
Many areas adversely impacted by high rainfall events were sites previously impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires and which had only recently re-opened or sites that had previously been hit by similar storm events in the initial years of the program.
Repeatedly high rainfall across southern Victoria during mid-2022 led up to a major flood and storm event in October 2022 across northern and western Victoria. Waterways in all major catchments feeding the Murray River (and the Murray itself) were damaged, as were waterways in the Wimmera, Hopkins and Barwon catchments, and several Ramsar listed wetlands (Barmah Forest, Gunbower Forest, Kerang Lakes).
The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine caused significant and ongoing disruptions to supply chains, leading to impacts in projects which had a construction/works aspect. Impacts included delays in securing materials, including cement and timber, plus steeply rising costs of these materials and fuel.
Despite the end of Victorian lockdowns in 2021, COVID-19 impacts on project delivery remained significant in 2022, as staff, stakeholders, contractors and the general community continued to apply periods of home isolation as required. This caused delays to projects where on-site construction/works were involved.
This funding allows CMAs to implement a range of waterway health initiatives in partnership with Traditional Owners, agency partners and community groups across Victoria, which are related to the delivery of the Victorian Waterway Management Program.
This part of the initiative delivers on-ground environmental works to protect and restore rivers and landscapes that Victorians love and use. The Victorian Government has identified 36 regional waterways for large scale restoration over the next 30 years (Flagship Waterways) – identified in Chapter 3 of Water for Victoria.
During 2016-20, the first set of Flagship Waterway projects commenced across regional Victoria, while the 2020-24 initiative funded long-term, large scale restoration projects at 9 additional Flagship Waterways.
The Glenelg Hopkins CMA Rivers of Warrnambool project was launched in February 2022. The project works to protect and improve habitat along the lower reaches of the beautiful Merri and Hopkins rivers and Brucknell Creek.
The Mallee CMA Kings Billabong project launched in June 2022. The project will protect and improve around 60 hectares of critical habitat along the Murray River, which is a significant home to several locally threatened and internationally recognised species.
Mallee CMA partnered with Parks Victoria in April 2024 to install ten information signs across the Kings Billabong site on the Murray River in Mildura. These informative signs will help guide visitors, highlighting key facilities and attractions including boat ramps, camping areas and walks. The First People of the Millewa Mallee were engaged to complete 0.4 hectares of revegetation works at the site, which included mulching and seed bombing. The seed was sourced from the First People of the Millewa Mallee native plant nursery.
North Central CMA partnered with Barapa Barapa First Nations people to deliver on-ground works at the Murray and Loddon Floodplain site. This included training for Barapa Barapa First Nations field crews to undertake revegetation and weed control at the site.
The West Gippsland CMA has completed an eight-year evaluation of progress toward the long-term project outcomes. Highlights include:
The West Gippsland CMA released an informative video about the project.
In the East Gippsland CMA’s Flagship Waterway project on the Mitchell River, a highlight has been the extent on native revegetation that was achieved. The lower Mitchell River has over 40 riparian frontages protected under a Landholder Agreement and of those sites, 11 have received native species plantings.
The Upper Barwon is choked with willows limiting the capacity of the river to deliver environmental flows and drinking water for Geelong. With only 5 willow replacement projects being successful in 25 years, despite repeated attempts to address the issue, the CMA commissioned Monash University to investigate landholder attitudes and behaviours regarding riparian management. The report’s findings helped the CMA modify the program requirements and engagement approach, leading to significant uptake by landholders.
Flagship Waterways are supported by targeted Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement (MERI) plans to track, evaluate and communicate progress towards long-term objectives. Monitoring that is tailored to objectives was developed for each Flagship Waterway project. A consistent MERI approach will mean findings can also be evaluated and reported at a state-wide scale.
In 2023-24 CMAs completed evaluations of their Flagship Waterway projects that started in 2016. The findings were rich with information and learning and provided a great insight into these significant projects. The evaluation outcome will be used to inform future delivery of these projects.
This part of the overall initiative delivered a large scale coordinated program of action to improve the health of the Gippsland Lakes, foster collaboration with regional partners through project implementation, and increase the awareness and involvement of the community in the management of the Gippsland Lakes and its important environmental, cultural and social values.
Funding of $7.5 million was provided over the 3 years of the initiative. The program is continuing to implement 46 key projects involving 21 regional delivery partners including Traditional Custodians of the Gippsland Lakes, the Gunaikurnai people. These projects are delivered under a series of program themes such as:
The East Gippsland CMA supports organisations to deliver projects that implement priority actions within Gippsland Lakes Ramsar Site Management Plan and other regional strategies, guided by a revised ‘Gippsland Lakes Priorities Plan’. Clear governance has been provided through a second term of the Gippsland Lakes Coordinating Committee (GLCC).
The project was delivered across the Gippsland Lakes and its catchments. Whilst on ground projects had a focus on the Gippsland Lakes Ramsar site (and the implementation of the Gippsland Lakes Ramsar Site Management Plan (GLRSMP)), the project also implemented works in major contributing catchments, including:
The initiative made a major contribution to the key long-term outcome for the GLRSMP, which is to maintain or improve the ecological character of the Gippsland Lakes.
In 2020-21, led by East Gippsland CMA, regional partners across the Gippsland Lakes landscape finalised an integrated program of works until 2024 and presented this to the Gippsland Lakes Coordinating Committee (GLCC). More information on the great work undertaken by the many local partners at the lakes is available on the Love Our Lakes website.
Victoria has 12 wetlands of international importance that are listed under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Significant actions to protect and improve these special sites have included:
340 hectares of weed control was completed along the Yaringa and Hastings Foreshore's and Bittern Coastal Wetlands, contributing to the improvement in condition and extent of critical saltmarsh habitat.
35,181 hectares of pest animal control was undertaken on French Island, Phillip Island, and along the western shoreline of Western Port, contributing to the protection of waterbirds and shorebirds.
Partnered with Bunurong Land Council to employ an Indigenous Ramsar Ranger, to work on Country and contribute to the maintenance and improvement of ecological values of the Western Port Ramsar site.
Confirmed that the Barmah - Millewa Forest Ramsar Site supports around 30% of the national population Australian Bittern, using acoustic monitoring and field observations to identify 78 Australasian Bitterns.
The stand-out success has been the monitoring of Moira-grass grazing enclosures, where it has been shown the exclusion of large herbivores has resulted in an almost 2000% increase in the cover of Moira-grass, and a 4-fold increase in plant height when protected from grazing for 12 months.
Positive initial results from tall marsh control at Johnsons Swamp in the Kerang Wetlands. Tall marsh is very important habitat for waterbirds such as Australasian bitterns and little bitterns. Too much of it can lead to not enough open water habitat for a range of other wading birds. A pair of brolga were observed wading in Johnsons Swamp directly following tall marsh control.
Glenelg Hopkins CMA are implementing new management options to control weeds that grow on the beach and sand dunes, impacting important nesting habitat for Hooded Plover and Sanderling. Weeds such as Coast Beach Daisy and Marram grass are crowding out nesting habitat, though targeted spraying has successfully reduced weed cover (from 30% before spraying to 2% after spraying). Monitoring of nesting sites will track if weed control leads to improved breeding success.
This major component of the initiative is a core function for CMAs under the Water Act 1989 to protect the health of our waterways.
Over 2021-24, CMAs processed over 30,000 waterway permits, licences and planning advice/approval actions – including large and complex housing and industrial developments on floodplains and key infrastructure projects, including road bypasses and wind and solar energy projects.
These required technical analysis of information in the form of scientific investigations associated with engineering and hydraulic studies to verify flood flow paths, flood depths, flow velocities and flood risk sensitivities.
As an example, in West Gippsland CMA the following Environmental Effects Statements (EES) were reviewed, and detailed technical analysis was completed:
Wimmera CMA contributed technical floodplain advice to support significant regional development projects including WimResources Avonbank mineral sand EES at DooenIluka Wimmera mineral sands mine proposal at Toolondo Western Victoria Transmission Network Project.
Providing support to Horsham Rural City Council in relation to the City to River planning and development process., and to Stawell Gold Mine tailings dam lifting.
The provision of accurate and timely flood advice to the public through this program reduces Victoria’s financial exposure to flooding by hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Working in close partnership with local shires and councils, over 90% of these permits and planning approvals were completed within required statutory timeframes.
Delivering all of these services provides very significant savings and benefits to the public and the environment. For example, in West Gippsland CMA alone, it is estimated that delivery of water statutory functions in 2020-21 achieved:
Water statutory staff in CMAs also supports a range of related initiatives. For example, during 2021-22, staff in East Gippsland and North East CMAs have supported major disaster recovery programs for a number of waterways that were damaged in the 2019-20 bushfires and 2021 flood and storm events.
These programs received separate funding, but are dependent on the technical expertise of Water Statutory staff in relation to design and approval of the construction of new and repaired waterway structures.
Find out more about through these North East CMA Bushfire Recovery updates:
This component supported important citizen science programs that focus on waterway health, including EstuaryWatch and Waterwatch Victoria, and a range of other programs monitoring frogs, waterbirds and litter.
The EstuaryWatch and Waterwatch annual achievements report for 2022-23 notes that citizen scientists contributed a total of 92,030 hours to care for our waterways, equivalent to 12,720 volunteer days through the programs. This volunteer effort provides an economic value of $3,841,332
Highlights from delivery of community-based citizen science programs included:
Waterwatch Victoria proudly partnered with the Odonata Foundation to deliver the Great Australian Platypus Search, a state-wide investigation into platypus populations using environmental DNA (eDNA).
With samples collected from 2,000 sites across Victoria, the data produced as part of this project will help scientists to develop a comprehensive map of platypus populations across the state and will be used by waterway managers to better understand risks to our waterways and inform appropriate management efforts.
North Central CMA Waterwatch engaged Barapa Land and Water Country Aboriginal Corporation to monitor 4 sites on the lower Loddon River and Box-Pyramid Creek as part of the Native fish recovery plan. The plan aims to restore native fish populations and ecological health in the Central Murray system by improving the natural values and connectivity of waterways.
Fourteen regional Waterwatch coordinators were involved in statewide waterbug training in the North East region in April 2022. This 2-day event catered for all levels, including those new to the network and some experienced in Waterwatch and waterbug identification. Following on from the regional coordinator training, 4 Waterwatch-funded regional community workshops were delivered.
In March 2023, CMAs came together to celebrate 30 years of waterway citizen science. With over 1,404 active Waterwatch sites and 137 active EstuaryWatch sites across Victoria, volunteers were recognised for their commitment and contribution to our regions’ waterways. Audiences joined an online panel in May 2023, with longstanding volunteers, coordinators and researchers reflecting on the past 30 years of waterway citizen science and imagining what the next 30 years may bring.
For further information on waterway citizen science and to read the Waterwatch and EstuaryWatch Annual Achievement Reports.
This component supported CMAs with on-ground delivery of waterway health commitments under the Water Act 1989, and Water for Victoria. It also supported CMAs to deliver community engagement, participation and awareness activities outlined in the Water Act Statement of Obligations.
Delivery of these projects by CMAs complements their delivery of Flagship Waterway projects, with a focus on other waterway sites that are identified as management priorities in Regional Waterway Strategies.
Wimmera CMA made great progress in delivering its Waterways of Wimmera project in 2021–22, partnering with the regional DELWP team to deliver 50 hectares of pest plant and animal control along the beautiful Mackenzie River near Horsham and entering into 10-year management agreements with 6 landholders to protect high value waterways and wetlands in West Wimmera.
The agreements will ensure that:
Corangamite CMA made significant progress in the delivery of its Surf Coast and Otways Restoration program. The incentives component of this program provided funding for:
A communications and media campaign was delivered through social media, newspaper, newsletters, CCMA website and via Landcare and other partners. This led to 16 landholders signing up for frontage protection projects covering over 67 hectares and 22 kilometres of frontage in the Curdies and Surf Coast catchments.
These projects include 5 sites that protect the habitat for threatened native fish species, such as the Australian grayling and Yarra Pygmy Perch, and willow removal from 4 sites along 4 kilometres of Curdies River frontage.
North Central CMA commenced its Upper Avoca River Reconnection project in 2021-22, working closely with Dja Dja Wurrung Aboriginal Corporation (DJAARA) using a co-design approach. This collaborative approach is developing strong connections between DJAARA and the CMA.
During 2023-24, Djandak and the North Central CMA maintained a strong partnership on the project delivery. This has facilitated positive discussion of priority outcomes on how best to incorporate DJAARA traditional cultural values into the project.
North Central CMA has also continued strong success in their Tullaroop Catchment Restoration Project, delivering on-ground works to create a healthy, continuous riparian corridor along Birch’s Creek. eDNA sampling in October 2023 positively detected platypus presence at 14 of the 28 sites sampled. The results demonstrate that platypuses are currently widespread throughout Birchs Creek, occupying most sites surveyed
North East CMA engaged with multiple partners in their Upper Mitta Mitta River restoration project. North East CMA partnered with Parks Victoria on the Headwater Woody Invasives Project to maps woody weeds in the catchment. The assessment revealed a high success rate in controlling willows.
West Gippsland CMA has produced a series of wonderful short videos outlining their success in delivering key projects.
This initiative also provided the primary funding for the development of the third Victorian Waterway Management Strategy (VWMS). The third VWMS will build on the strong policy foundations of the previous Strategies while addressing emerging challenges and opportunities in waterway management in Victoria.
In August and September 2023 the public were invited to provide early feedback on a Discussion Starter to inform the new strategy. A What We Heard report is available at: Victorian Waterway Management Strategy.
Feedback from the Discussion Starter, along with advice from Traditional Owner groups and feedback from other stakeholders, is being used to inform the draft strategy. The draft third strategy will be released in 2025, and it is expected to be finalised in late 2025.
A key piece of community input to the new VWMS, the My Victorian waterway survey, was concluded in May 2022, with 6,000 responses received. This major piece of social research sought to understand better community uses, expectations, attitudes and behaviours towards waterways.
It provided a contemporary data set on how Victorians use their waterways and what they value about them, and builds on data collected in a previous My Victorian Waterway Survey (2009) to identify trends over time. The final analysis report is available at My Victorian Waterway Survey.
In June 2021, the new Rivers and Riparian Action Plan was finalised. It outlined what government planned to do to manage Victoria’s waterways over the period 2020–21 to 2023–24. It continued the government’s key commitment to improve the health of waterways and riparian land in Victoria. Many of the key waterway health projects under this plan were funded through the Improving the health of Victoria’s waterways and catchments in the face of escalating impacts of climate change and Supporting regional communities and economic recovery through healthy waterways initiatives, which are described in this report.
Under this part of the initiative, a suite of complementary monitoring programs continued to support:
These monitoring programs measured and evaluated responses to management activities, including riparian and wetland management and the delivery of water for the environment.
Results from the Stream Change Assessment project have been finalised and summarised in a technical report, Stream Change Assessment: Riparian Woody Vegetation. The project aimed to develop and implement a workflow to assess woody riparian vegetation changes using LiDAR derived data between two assessment periods (2010 and 2018-20). The findings and underlying data will support the department and CMAs to evaluate the outcomes of riparian management and guide the development of regional and state waterway strategies.
During the 8 to 10 year period between assessments:
As part of this work, a range of data products will be made available through the Victorian spatial data library.
In a major piece of work that has taken over 4 years, the first state-wide condition assessment for estuaries was completed under this initiative.
The new Index of Estuary Condition (IEC) will help guide state policy and regional investment programs and improve reporting back to communities. You can access the extensive data and commentary. The assessment describes the diverse physical conditions, plants and animals found in these vibrant aquatic ecosystems and is a health check at a point in time.
Over 100 estuaries in Victoria were assessed, with nearly one-third found to be in moderate condition. The report identified the Gippsland coastline with estuaries in excellent condition and another quarter of estuaries located across Victoria's coastline in good condition. Estuaries in poor condition were within catchments dominated by agricultural and urban land uses.
Supporting the new IEC, a new project was completed detailing risks to estuarine fringing vegetation from prolonged inundation at intermittently open and closed estuaries that are subject to artificial openings. TThe outcomes of this work provides an additional source of information that can be used by regional CMA estuary managers when considering risks of artificially open estuaries. A range of data products associated with this work are available through the Victorian spatial data library.
The riparian and wetland intervention monitoring programs are state-wide, long-term intervention monitoring programs that are being implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of riparian and wetland management. These programs gathered and reported on data through EC5 as scheduled.
The Riparian Intervention Monitoring Program revealed evidence of positive changes in a range of indicators associated with 6 of the 8 management objectives when compared to ‘control’ sites where no riparian management was undertaken.
For example, after 3 years of management:
Monitoring of sites after the widespread and significant flooding in late 2022 showed that most sites (both managed and controls) had some degree of scour and/or bank mass failure in response to flooding. However, results indicated that the severity and/or frequency of scour and mass failure was less at intervention sites than control sites. Generally, most managed sites had more instream and/or fringing vegetation present than control sites. Sites with a high cover of instream or littoral vegetation, appeared to have less flood impact (scour and mass failure) than sites with little or no instream and fringing vegetation.
The positive results of the program to date are of particular relevance to land managers working in riparian environments. They provide confidence that interventions have been successful in achieving many of the management objectives. The results also have significant implications in providing confidence to funding bodies that such interventions, if carried out well, provide a worthwhile return on investment.
The Wetland Intervention Monitoring Program was established to inform:
To answer these questions, the program monitored 21 sets of fenced-ungrazed and open-grazed paired plots in temporary freshwater wetlands with different grazing regimes and vegetation communities across 4 catchment management regions.
Early findings from this work have shown that grazed temporary freshwater wetlands on farms can hold high biodiversity values despite a long history of grazing and that complete exclusion of livestock does not always result in positive outcomes. For instance:
A series of the popular native fish report cards were released each year. The native fish report cards are brief overviews of the health of target fish populations, which present survey summaries from a selection of rivers and streams across Victoria. This project is a collaboration between DEECA (including the Arthur Rylah Institute) and the Victorian Fisheries Authority, in partnership with recreational fishing license holders.
The Native Fish Report Card program has been underway since 2017 with recent results available.
In partnership with DEECA Biodiversity division and external partners, a comprehensive citizen science-based project has been developed to survey the distribution of aquatic vertebrate species throughout Victoria’s rivers and streams using an innovative technology known as environmental DNA (eDNA).
This project has collected eDNA samples from around 1,800 sites across Victorian rivers and streams. The data will be used to develop and update models which will provide a contemporary representation of the distribution of species analysed. This information will in turn, be used to help the department and regional waterway managers better understand risks to these species and inform appropriate management efforts.
Sampling relied heavily on citizen scientist networks, including school students and children. To support the sampling program, CMA citizen science coordinators assisted with the volunteer effort via existing Waterwatch, River Detectives and volunteer networks. The results of this work are available here. All data will be made available through the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas.
A project was undertaken to characterise wetland hydrologic stress in Victoria using Landsat data from 1988-2022. Hydrologic stress measures showed a general decline in wetland hydrology (mean and maximum magnitude, duration, and frequency) and indicated over 20% of wetlands in Victoria substantially deviated from their historical hydrologic regimes.
Projections of hydrological stress under climate change were also explored and indicated that between 1,399 and 1,706 wetlands as potentially 'lost' due to declining inundation, primarily affecting seasonal and episodic wetlands in north-western Victoria.
Projections also indicated significant decreases in permanent and seasonal wetlands, with an increase in episodic wetlands. This information will be used to guide state and regional planning and management of wetlands.
The statewide environmental water program ensures that Victoria’s environmental water is secured and managed to protect the environmental values of waterways now and into the future.
The environmental water component of the initiative invested in regional employment, environmental water management, on-ground works, community and Traditional Owner engagement, and monitoring to demonstrate and evaluate outcomes. It also supported the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) to effectively manage over 650 gigalitres (long-term annual average) of Victoria’s environmental water entitlements to deliver shared benefits for the environment and community.
This component delivered core CMA statutory functions and Ministerial Statement of Obligations, as well as priority on-ground actions outlined in current regional Waterway Strategies, Victorian Government legislation and plans such as Water for Victoria (2016). This included employment of environmental water reserve officers (EWROs) across 9 CMAs, community engagement, and engaging with and involving Traditional Owners and Aboriginal communities in environmental water planning and management.
Funding provided to CMAs between 2020–24 for environmental watering planning, monitoring and reporting resulted in engagement of over 9,100 individuals in environmental watering related events and networks and over 490 publications. Numerous groups have contributed to planning, decisions or implementation of environmental watering and associated activities, including Traditional Owner groups, community groups and government agencies/corporations.
Key achievements to date include:
In 2020, the delivery of a coordinated spring watering event in the Murray system from Lake Hume to the sea, which was a joint action by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, VEWH, NSW and South Australian Governments – with the MDBA as manager of The Living Murray. The event focussed on outcomes in the Murray River channel and supported outcomes at Barmah Forest, supporting significant breeding events for many colonial nesting waterbirds.
Waterbird breeding was recorded at 5 of 7 Wimmera Mallee wetlands in the North Central CMA region, during spring 2021 after water for the environment was delivered. This included 3 species of duck and Australian Grebe. The watering also provided water in the landscape to support terrestrial biota.
North Central CMA delivered 7.7 GL of environmental water to Lake Meran in central Victoria during 2021–22. Since the filling of the lake, the number of visitors to the lake has been very high, providing shared benefits through camping, water skiing, swimming, fishing and many other water-based activities.
North Central CMA also held a successful Showcasing the Campaspe event at Rochester in May 2022, attracting nearly 40 people from diverse backgrounds.
Arthur Rylah Institute scientists shared research findings of the positive impact waterway management actions, including water for the environment, have had on the native vegetation and fish along the river. A local fisher captivated the audience with her enthusiasm and tips for fishing the river and her involvement in the Women In Recreational Fishing (WIRF) Network.
Environmental water is providing positive outcomes for the Lower Latrobe wetlands, part of the internationally important Gippsland Lakes Ramsar site. The West Gippsland CMA detected a large-scale colonial bird breeding event in Dowd Morass (March 2022), with evidence of more than 300 nests, attributed to royal spoonbills, little black cormorants, pied cormorants and Australasian darter. This is significant as it was the largest breeding event since the 2010-11 floods.
At Heart Morass, recent efforts to reduce the salinity in the wetlands primed the wetland to respond to the floods, with freshwater dependent vegetation establishing in large areas across the wetland to levels not seen for 30 years. The fresh conditions also saw the first recorded breeding of the green and golden bell frog in Heart Morass.
The Goulburn Broken CMA’s Environmental water management project highlighted a new initiative to engage mental health patients with local green spaces, including Reedy Swamp and the Goulburn River, which both receive environmental water.
Under the Victorian Nature and Health Memorandum, the Goulburn Broken CMA and Goulburn Valley Health have created a green passport to provide information for 4 walks in the Goulburn Broken catchment area for patients to undertake. This initiative provides positive health outcomes for patients as well as the opportunity for community engagement with high value sites in the catchment.
The Wimmera CMA launched a one-minute clip promoting the benefits that water in the Wimmera River has achieved for social and recreational outcomes. The clip was included in the CMA’s summer seasonal water update and has received over 1,100 views to date.
The North East CMA completed the delivery of the Ovens Environmental Water Entitlement during the late-summer (King River) and mid-autumn (Buffalo River) in 2022. This included partnering with Taungurung Land and Waters Council (TLaWC) and a private landholder to use water they had donated, to boost the amount of environmental water delivered in the King River.
These donations (36 ML of water from TLaWC and 56 ML of water from a private landholder), combined with the environmental water entitlement held in Lake William Hovell enabled 142 ML to be released over 2 days in late summer to improve flow variability and support TLaWC’s environmental watering objectives of healing Country.
A fish survey was carried out and continuous water quality monitoring infrastructure were installed on the King River to provide additional information for future environmental water deliveries.
The Corangamite CMA developed a fact sheet for the Lower Barwon Wetlands that describes the values of this Ramsar-listed site and how environmental water is used to support these. The fact sheet has been promoted through social media, at online events and ‘in-person’ field days.
In autumn-winter 2021, more than 27,000 ML of water was delivered to Ramsar-listed wetlands in the southern Hattah Lakes system, to improve the condition of surrounding river red gums, stimulate the growth of aquatic plants, support carbon and nutrient cycles and provide food and habitat for waterbirds.
In 2022–23, significant and widespread colonial waterbird breeding was recorded at sites that received water for the environment and natural flooding, including:
Lake Hindmarsh retained water from the 2022-23 floods, with additional flows delivered in 2023-24. Rules in place that protect passing flows, which are also part of the Environmental Water Reserve, have helped to maintain the lake's connection to the Lower Wimmera River. Three bird surveys conducted in 2023 and 2024 observed:
A survey at Moodie Swamp showed increased waterbird numbers, including several threatened species, following environmental watering. These results informed the wetland's closure to duck hunting for 2024.
Environmental water flows continue to create optimal conditions for the critically endangered Murray Hardyhead at Kunat Kunat (Round Lake) and Lake Elizabeth. In 2024, efforts to boost populations has begun with the translocation of 7 individuals to Falla Dam.
In March 2024, a 2-day Tandanus Catfish fishing competition was held in the Glenelg River resulting in the relocation of 102 catfish to the Murray-Darling Basin as an effort to improve the catfish population after the 2022 blackwater event.
The program also enables environmental watering events that support cultural values identified by Traditional Owners, including vegetation growth and providing habitat and feeding conditions for waterbirds. Some of these highlights include:
This component of the initiative delivered small infrastructure projects that contribute to more efficient and effective delivery of water to priority environmental sites by undertaking investigations, designs and on-ground works to construct, maintain or remove targeted infrastructure.
One example was the completion of a rock ramp fishway on the Buchan River in the East Gippsland CMA region in April 2022. This removed a barrier to native fish migration, linking 127 km of the sub-alpine streams of the Nunniong Plateau to the lower Snowy River and estuary, supporting species like the threatened Australian Grayling. East Gippsland CMA worked closely with East Gippsland Water and the East Gippsland Shire Council during the design process to avoid impacts on drinking water supply or on the bridge downstream of the proposed fishway. A 2024 survey recorded native fish, including the EPBC-listed Australian grayling and Cox's Gudgeon successfully using the fishway.
Another example was the removal of the Bromfield Street Weir in early 2024 by Glenelg Hopkins CMA and partners, which has significantly improved fishway passage on the Merri River. Post-weir removal surveys in May 2024 showed that diadromous, migratory, and marine visitor species were all present upstream of the weir, where before the weir removal they had been absent.
This part of the initiative funded projects that enable better management of the environmental water reserve, and demonstrate or improve outcomes of environmental watering and on-ground works across Victoria.
Highlights include:
The Victorian Environmental Water Holder provides services as legislated in the Water Act 1989 to manage environmental water entitlements across all of Victoria, via a mix of operational, technical, communications, engagement and administrative functions.
VEWH plan for, manage and report on use of Victoria’s environmental water holdings each year; this includes preparation of the seasonal watering plan, seasonal watering statements, annual report, reflections annual watering booklet and corporate plan.
Wet conditions across the state in 2021-22 meant that environmental water demands at Hattah Lakes, Gunbower Forest and Lake Wallawalla (Lindsay Island) in northern Victoria were largely met from VEWH and Living Murray unregulated flow entitlements. This freed up other parts of the environmental water portfolio to be used elsewhere.
Over the 4 years to 2024, the VEWH:
Highlights include:
VEWH collaborated with Goulburn-Murray Water, Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Water NSW and Commonwealth Environmental Water Office in September 2021 to review the informal operating constraint on flows at Torrumbarry and carry out a trial to lift the constraint from 18,000 megalitres per day to 23,000 megalitres per day.
This enabled a spring fresh in the Goulburn River to be delivered during an unregulated flow event in the Murray River, supporting 2 important environmental outcomes:
Supported a higher flows trial project in the mid-Goulburn River with Goulburn Broken CMA and Taungurung Land and Waters Council. The trial reconnected floodplain wetlands that have high environmental and cultural values. Results from the trial will be used to inform future water management at the wetlands.
Delivered water for the environment to Lake Boort for the first time in August 2022. This watering action was a partnership between Dja Dja Wurrung Aboriginal Clans Corporation, North Central CMA, the VEWH, Goulburn Murray Water and Parks Victoria, delivering 1,913 ML to partially fill the lake. This supported river red gums that were planted in 2017 and culturally important vegetation, such as spiny flat sedge.
The VEWH has developed a new environmental watering outcomes reporting tool (e-flow projector) to support internal and external reporting requirements. E-flow projector is a web-based application that applies a rigorous and repeatable method to assess the achievement of environmental flows. The VEWH has used the tool since July 2021 to:
Under this initiative, funding was provided for the delivery of Victoria’s environmental watering obligations under the Commonwealth Water Act - Basin Plan (2012). This includes funding for delivery of:
Across 2020–24, Basin Plan environmental watering obligations were delivered (Chapter 8, Environmental Watering Plan) in partnership with the VEWH and CMAs. This included annual reporting and the first 5-yearly reporting about environmental outcomes at an asset scale (Schedule 12, Matter 8), and updating the Wimmera, Northern Victoria and Victorian Murray Long-Term Watering Plans.
To complement these updates, Victoria’s Environmental Water Management Plan Guidelines were also updated in June 2022 to provide more detailed direction on how CMAs can align their EWMPs with Basin Plan requirements and terminology, and strengthen the requirement for CMAs to partner with Traditional Owners in the development and updating of EWMPs. CMAs have begun updating several EWMPs to better align with the new Guidelines.
Across 2021-24, the department also initiated and participated in discussions with MDBA and representatives from other jurisdictions to prepare for:
Over 2023-24 the department and VEWH also participated in the interjurisdictional working group for the MDBA’s next update to its Basin-wide Environmental Watering Strategy. We provided input and feedback on scope and content during planning and drafting ahead of its planned publication in early 2025.
Annual reporting obligations related to environmental watering under Schedule 12 (parts of Matters 6, 9, 10 and 14) have been delivered as required. Victoria has also subsequently participated in interjurisdictional discussions intended to streamline the annual reporting process in future years.
The Murray Programs component delivers critical activities to support the Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Project (VMFRP), which helps to meet Victoria’s water recovery obligations under the Basin Plan and to implement Water for Victoria Action 4.11.
Since this project was funded, there has been a policy progression towards more Traditional Owner self-determination and genuine and meaningful outcomes with the release of Water is Life.
The project is delivering on key components of the VMFRP that are not funded by the Commonwealth, including:
(Note: Aboriginal Water Assessments are undertaken with the Traditional Owners to better understand the water and land aspirations across the project area. This will enable cultural objectives to be identified and inform environmental water use, and when available, cultural water.)
The Our Catchments, Our Communities program is strengthening CMAs to lead integrated catchment management (ICM) and catchment stewardship in partnership with the community and Traditional Owners.
The department has driven the following initiatives through the program:
Regional Catchment Strategies (RCS) are the primary strategic planning document for natural resource management in each region defined in the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. The role of the RCS is to guide collective efforts and improve the health of land, water and biodiversity, and they are vital for vibrant, prosperous, and sustainable communities and environments.
Ten RCS, covering all regions of Victoria, have been approved in the initial years of delivery in EC5 and are now operational. They have been developed with key sector partners, Traditional Owners and the broader community.
The fully integrated website portal is Victoria's Regional Catchment Strategies.
Better alignment of integrated catchment management (ICM) with Traditional Owners’ aspirations for Country has been undertaken in 2 stages:
The investment in landscape-scale catchment stewardship projects across the state was delivered by CMAs in collaboration with delivery partners, including:
Stewardship projects are building on the success of the first state-wide ICM strategy for Victoria to improve the holistic management of land, water, and biodiversity.
Highlights include:
The Small Block Big Dreams program delivered by the Corangamite CMA under Our Catchment Our Communities in partnership with Landcare, has supported more than 200 small landowners across the region to better care for and improve the management of their properties and the environment. The substantial interest and participation in the program have delivered 8,000 Ha of catchment stewardship in the region.
A strong partnership between Goulburn Broken CMA, Taungurung Land and Waters Council, and other partners, is Taking Care of Country as a key focus of delivering Our Catchments Our Communities. Biik Cultural Land Management have collected information at Ready Lake to support reading Country and healing Country activities with over 100 cultural sites now added to the Victorian Heritage database, while also contributing to the broader 3,821 Ha of stewardship achieved.
Co-naming of the Powlett Catchment / Kugerungmome project recognises an important part of Country for the Bunurong people and the strong partnership between West Gippsland CMA, Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (BLCAC), and other regional partners. The Our Catchments Our Communities funded project has brought partners together to align with BLCAC priorities while delivering 1,259 Ha of catchment stewardship through fencing, pest management, revegetation, and other activities.
Our Catchments Our Communities has funded on-ground stewardship in the Glenelg Hopkins region through partnerships and practice change. Bolstering crop yields while preserving and managing natural assets such as wetlands and their associated values with over 200 landowners and individuals, has contributed to 14,125 Ha of planning, assessments, and management activities.
in EC53, CMAs delivered 17,530 good and services related to planning and regulation – achieving 178% of the target (9,838) . These mainly included engagement events (15,344), partnerships (433), assessments (1,028), publications (383), management agreements (128) and plans (203).
The OCOC program has funded engagement events (field day, training, workshops and presentations) that attracted 10,479 participants – which is 212% of the target (4,945) for EC5.
Integration of Port Phillip & Westernport CMA (PPWCMA) into Melbourne Water was effective from 1 January 2022. The integration of catchment management and waterway management roles and boundaries for the Port Phillip and Western Port region under one organisation strengthens natural resource management in Victoria. It better positions the region to respond to the long-term challenges of catchment and waterway management.
The mid-term evaluation of the Victorian Rural Drainage Strategy (2018) was completed and has found it to be delivering on its vision: ‘Landholders are empowered to work together and will be supported to improve their management of dryland rural drainage.’
Improved catchment health and resilience. The program delivered 46,764 hectares of active stewardship.
Catchment Partnership Agreements (CPA) across the regions are being renewed with a strong focus on Traditional Owner roles and responsibilities. The entire Gippsland region is now covered by a renewed CPA between the East and West Gippsland CMA and all Gippsland Environment Agencies.
Landcare strategy grants have been awarded to Landcare Groups in the Upper Mount Emu, Fiery, Salt Creeks, Lake Bolac and Upper Hopkins River catchments.
In the Goulburn Broken region, $160,100 in grants have been funded to improve land management practices, monitor and assess threatened species populations and reduce the impacts of climate change.
Community members in the Lower Kiewa and Powlett River catchments have improved their capacity. Land managers, community members, industry and government agencies have been engaged in the process. The project's next phase is to offer grants to catchment stewards in the area.
The restoration and protection of a unique chain of ponds in the Perry River catchment has continued to build strong partnerships and commitments. 15ha of revegetation, plantation pine removal and 8 ecological surveys have been delivered by Trust for Nature.
Over 100 landholders in the Greater Grampians and North-Central CMA regions have attended land management workshops and field days. Over 2,500ha of private land is now influenced by sustainable farming practices, knowledge and skills.
Djandak and Taungurung Traditional Owners have commenced trial frameworks for engaging with private landholders. Resulting in two Custodianship projects working to improve healing and caring for Country.
From the High Country to the South West, leadership grants and training have been established through innovative programs. Women’s leadership in natural resource management has been promoted through the Gippsland Environmental Agencies Women in Leadership Program. Guiding leaders and their communities through change and becoming more resilient.
The department has facilitated a series of stewardship-focused peer learning workshops with CMAs, Traditional Owners and other delivery partners, with over 80 participants.
A partnerships project in the North East has been developed to build the capacity of farmers’ for improving soil health management. This will increase production in the area while minimising nutrient losses into catchments and waterways.
In the Coliban Catchment, 10 environmental sites are being monitored monthly by community members, including 2 sites monitored by Djandak Traditional Owner staff who received Waterwatch training and equipment.
To deliver on commitments and opportunities identified through the creation of the CGRSWS, funding was allocated to a suite of waterway health complementary measures and catchment management improvements. The quick-win projects enable prudent and targeted early investment, in preparation for full implementation through EC6.
Commencing in 2022–23, the actions enable water users, water corporations, CMAs and Melbourne Water to manage and respond to water threats over the next 10 years. Complementary measures do not involve water recovery, but can improve the overall health of waterways.
Progress so far includes:
Funding provided to West Gippsland CMA for construction of infrastructure to supply water to Lower Latrobe Wetlands. This activity will preserve and strengthen freshwater-dependent values in these wetlands in the medium term, and allow time to plan for the long term, in accordance with Australia’s international obligations under the Ramsar Convention and is a priority site for Gunaikurnai Traditional Owners and the local community.
Funding provided to West Gippsland CMA for construction of a fishway at Maffra Weir to improve the abundance, distribution and diversity of native fish species in the Macalister River and broader Gippsland catchment and to maximise the benefits of the existing environmental entitlement and any future water recovery. This activity will include updating the detailed design and detailed costing of the fishway.
Funding provided waddawurrung Traditional Owners Corporation (WTOAC) for preliminary investigations into the repair of concrete channelling in the Moorabool River to determine the best methods of restoring and nrehabilitating the channel and prevent flow losses.
Funding provided towards Melbourne Water’s preliminary investigations to understand requirements for a fishway to improve connectivity and upgrade of the outlet to improve delivery of environmental water.
Funding to support community groups and, if self-determined as a priority, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation to provide input into strategic planning for the health and amenity of Gardiners Creek / Kooyongkoot in the Yarra catchment. The project will bring together the numerous friends/community groups and work with local councils and government agencies, particularly Melbourne Water, to identify priority actions for the creek which looks at the health, cultural values, recreational values and amenity issues and access with a community focus.
Funding to Melbourne Water, facilitating its integration with Port Phillip and Westernport CMA and the finalisation of a new Regional Catchment Strategy; enabling it to adopt a whole-of-catchment approach to natural resource management (NRM) and waterway health in the Port Phillip and Westernport region. On-ground actions were undertaken at three priority locations to improve catchment health, delivering multiple benefits to land, water, biodiversity, Traditional Owners and local communities.
Page last updated: 30/10/24