Healthy waterways and catchments Progress snapshot

December 2019 Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

Our record investment in waterways and catchments Taking action Intensive on- Target ground works such achieved We have invested $222 million over four years to as vegetation, Waterways and weed and pest catchments are improve the health of our waterways and catchments management, healthier and erosion control, Recovery more resilient to instream habitat challenges. – ’s largest ever investment. With this funding, improvements and growth and water for Place-based we are working to protect the rivers and landscapes the environment actions drop to a Planning management. maintenance level. that people love and use. and target setting The wellbeing and prosperity of Victorian communities depend “In coming decades, Identifying on healthy waterways and catchments, yet so many of our most long-term our waterways will be outcomes with loved rivers, estuaries and wetlands have been degraded over under pressure from partners and time. Increasing urban development, climate change and a lack of communities. awareness about the activities that affect waterway health are putting increased population our waterways and catchments at risk. and a changing climate. We have made a long- This investment is helping to deliver Water for Victoria, our plan to term commitment to Dec 2019 manage water to create more liveable and thriving communities for all restore and improve Victorians, now and into the future. waterway and catchment health, so we can meet Our approach focuses on: 2.5 YEARS 10 YEARS 30 YEARS these challenges now and strengthening local relationships for future generations.” putting community at the centre of decision-making Environmental condition Management effort Community benefit range Minister for Water Lisa Neville delivering a wide range of waterway and catchment projects for Victoria’s cities, towns and regions.

Our successes come from working in partnership with Victoria’s catchment management authorities, water corporations, the Victorian Restoring waterway and Environmental Water Holder, Traditional Owners, local government and community partners. catchment health takes a long-term commitment. We COVER: Aerial Davis Creek, Three years into delivering our $222 million investment, Arthur Rylah Institute (ARI) will see the full benefits of our RIGHT: Merbein Common, North Central it’s time to take stock and look at how we are tracking. Catchment Management Authority (CMA) investment in decades to come.

1 Healthy waterways and catchments Healthy waterways and catchments 2 Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

How are we improving the health of our waterways Partnerships Bring it all together and catchments? We are partnering with Traditional Integrated catchment Owners, community groups and management is about bringing individuals to achieve better, more the right people together to 15,000 Victorians are We are working with our partners lasting change. share knowledge and effort. It’s helping us restore and communities across the state about managing land, water and our waterways and We are: biodiversity resources together catchments – enough to and being able to respond and on projects to restore waterway and strengthening partnerships with adapt to local needs. fill Rod Laver Arena. catchment health, while also planning Traditional Owner groups and ahead for the future. Aboriginal Victorians We are delivering Our Catchments, partnering with recreational Our Communities, Victoria’s first groups such as anglers statewide strategy for integrated catchment management, in collecting data with thousands partnership with catchment 2,172 gigalitres of water of citizen scientists management authorities. Under for the environment working with community groups this strategy, we are delivering on projects to restore waterway new projects and building new delivered at more than and catchment health. partnerships and leadership skills. 80 sites across Victoria. That’s equivalent to Target priority areas Monitor our progress over 10,000 MCGs. Healthy waterways and their We monitor, evaluate and report catchments support a diverse on our actions at hundreds of sites range of native plants and across the state, so we can identify animals, and underpin a healthy what works, adjust our approach ecosystem. They also give us and report back to the community. recreational opportunities and Citizen science data also helps fill knowledge gaps. 10 new Catchment support economic development Partnership Agreements through important industries such We look at how our ecosystems as tourism. with 222 partners. are changing – whether the trees are healthy, how many different With community support, we have types of plants there are, and identified priority areas and we are: the numbers, distribution and managing vegetation breeding activity of waterbirds, fish and frogs. This means we can creating or improving identify issues earlier and act to 10 large-scale and long- in-stream habitats prevent any decline or threat to term flagship waterway releasing water for the our waterway ecosystems. projects are restoring 2,280 environment. priority waterways and kilometres catchments across of land alongside Victoria. our waterways improved. Twenty years of regeneration efforts at Critical Bend on the .

43,500 hectares of environmental TOP: Lake Hawthorn fish release, CMA works in LOWER: Revegetation works, catchments CMA completed. RIGHT: River regeneration, East Gippsland CMA 2000 2008 2019

3 Healthy waterways and catchments Healthy waterways and catchments 4 Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

Fish

Native fish are reaping the benefits from improvements to habitats and water for the environment. Our work to date is achieving positive results, and pointing us in the right direction for future planning.

Better fish habitat Native fish returning Better fishing Over the past 200 years, our At-risk native species are now Coordinated delivery of water for waterways and catchments have being seen for the first time in the environment and extensive been highly modified. This has decades, and in some cases, revegetation and habitat works Australian Grayling Murray Hardy-head Resnagging the affected our native fish in different more than a century. have boosted Victoria’s native fish back from the brink makes a comeback Seven Creeks ways, and many species are now populations, with anglers reporting threatened. One of Australia’s most that 2018 was the best year they’d The endangered Australian This critically endangered Trout Cod numbers are endangered native fish, the had in a decade. Instream habitat works, Murray Hardy-head was Grayling has been spotted fish was found in record increasing at Seven Creeks, including rocks, snags and fish found in record numbers in Silver Perch have returned to in the for the numbers at Lake Elizabeth, thanks to 28 new hand- hotels are benefiting fish, insects the North Central region in places like the Campaspe and first time in 122 years. after being manually made wooden snags. and other aquatic fauna that autumn 2019. Goulburn rivers for the first time re-introduced back in 2015. live in or near our rivers. in 10 years. Abundances and distributions Water for the environment of juvenile Murray Darling Murray Cod have returned to This means we are creating the Snags are instream woody allows us to create the right Rainbowfish have increased the Campaspe and Goulburn right conditions for this flow- The North Central Catchment habitats that provide vital habitat conditions for native fish to in the Broken and Campaspe rivers and are at a 10-year high dependent species. We have Management Authority used water for fish, birds, frogs and bugs, breed and migrate over longer Rivers. in the system. worked hard to restore the for the environment and revegetation giving food, shelter and spawning Glenelg River, including building distances. We’re seeing higher numbers of to improve water quality and reduce sites for breeding. In the past, fishways and providing water for Critically endangered juveniles at more sites. salinity levels, creating better snags were deliberately removed Removing barriers to fish Variegated Pygmy Perch the environment to mimic ideal conditions for this little fish. to help the flow of floodwater. But migration has noticeably have increased tenfold in Estuary Perch and Tupong have breeding conditions for the species. this led to erosion. We now know Only a small number were released, improved the abundance and the Glenelg River. migrated to the upper reaches The Grayling is not the only native that snags actually protect the fish to benefit; Estuary Perch and showing how successful relocation range of native fish species. of the Glenelg River, and stream bed and bank from erosion. Tupong have returned to areas can be. Blackfish numbers have more more than 330 km upstream of Newly built low-level bridges than doubled. Through the Wetland Monitoring While seemingly simple, lots of and fish passages are helping where they were seven years ago in science and engineering goes into the Glenelg Estuary at Nelson. Assessment Program (WetMAP) native fish to breed, feed and in autumn 2019, we also found replacing snags. Since building succeed. “The Glenelg River is Blackfish numbers have more populations of Murray Hardy-head the new structures, young Trout the best I have seen than doubled and the number of at three other northern Victorian Cod and Macquarie Perch have it for 50 years.” critically endangered Variegated wetlands that receive water for been spotted below Gooram Falls, Pygmy Perch has increased tenfold. the environment. indicating successful breeding. Lachie Turner, a keen angler and sheep farmer. Anglers, citizen scientists and community members alike can access information about recreational and threatened non-recreational fish species through the web portal at: nativefishreportcard.org.au TOP LEFT: Silver Perch, by Jarod Lyon, ARI TOP CENTRE: Werribee Park fishway, by R.Ayres, ARI TOP RIGHT: Murray Cod , Gouburn Broken CMA LOWER LEFT: Australian Grayling, ARI LOWER CENTRE: Murray Hardy-head, ARI LOWER RIGHT: Fish habitat at Seven Creeks, Goulburn Broken CMA

5 Healthy waterways and catchments Healthy waterways and catchments 6 Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

Vegetation

We are protecting and restoring vegetation in and around our waterways and catchments to reduce erosion, improve water quality and improve habitat for native birds, fish and other waterway creatures.

Better protection of Better habitat for plants threatened plants Plants are responding well to We are removing weeds, replanting habitat improvements across the state: native vegetation and releasing Meeting our River Red Gums Bringing a community water for the environment to Populations of significant vegetation targets rebound at Gunbower transformed vision to life create the right conditions for plant species such as Ridged threatened plant species to thrive: Watermilfoil, Spoon-leaf Mud- The land along our At Gunbower Forest, water Recovery is well underway A significant wildlife for the environment is at the Snowy River and its corridor now extends Watering the Wimmera-Mallee mat and Spurred Arrowgrass are waterways is called riparian pipeline wetlands is improving growing well after water for the land. The Regional Riparian improving the health of catchment, where we’ve across 20 private life for threatened species, environment was delivered to Action Plan has accelerated River Red Gums. been working since 2002. properties on the Tall Sneezeweed and Chariot Carapugna Swamp. the rate of on-ground works Mornington Peninsula. across Victoria and we have Wheels, as well as Hard-head Native species, including already met our five-year Saltbush. wetland plants, responded well targets ahead of schedule. We recorded all life stages of River The catchment is 99 per cent after water for the environment Work along the Jacksons Creek We have: Red Gums including seedlings, free of willows, has a continuous was delivered to Gaynor The local community wanted to corridor is protecting the quality saplings, poles and trees when corridor of native vegetation along Swamp, Black Swamp, Reedy protected and improved reconnect fragmented remnants and extent of native vegetation releasing water for the environment the Snowy and Buchan Rivers and Swamp and Kinnairds Wetland 2,294 kilometres of land of high-value vegetation to and maximising the distance at Gunbower. The data shows a is rated as excellent condition. This in spring 2018. along rivers, creeks and create wildlife corridors (called between the waterway and wetlands higher proportion of River Red Gum work has given the river a much- biolinks), while also improving areas under urban development saplings, richer native understory needed boost in productivity, water quality at several local to improve water quality. Better habitat for fish, carried out more than vegetation and more cover, benefiting fish and other animals, waterways. The resulting Greens birds and wetland animals 33,000 hectares of which is all good news for this and providing recreational water New trees planted along the waterway vegetation Bush to Arthurs Seat Biolink is internationally significant wetland. for canoeists and kayakers. banks of Skull Creek with the The right vegetation is an works one of 19 integrated catchment Gunaikurnai Traditional Owners important part of the ecosystem management projects, which eradicated woody weeds when it comes to improving habitat: are protecting and improving such as willows and includes extensive revegetation, weed control and pest animal the Red Gum Plains and its In July 2018, we provided water blackberries at nearly all control work. wetlands in East Gippsland, for the environment to Barmah project sites which is home to the nationally Forest along the , worked with over 1,000 endangered Plains Grassy inundating low-lying wetland landholders to carry out Woodland. habitats and resulting in good on-ground works along growth of aquatic plants, frog waterways breeding and waterbird nesting. partnered with more than In spring 2018, we filled Little Lake 330 volunteers and 50 TOP LEFT: Beaded Glasswort, Meran near Kerang to maximum angling clubs, and school Westernport CMA capacity – the first time the and community groups TOP CENTRE: Drumsticks in Doctors Swamp, lake received water since the in on-ground works along by Jo Wood, Goulburn Broken CMA our waterways. TOP RIGHT: Barmah Forest, Goulburn Broken CMA 2010–11 floods. This was good LOWER LEFT: River Red Gums, by D.Kleinert for the iconic River Red Gums LOWER CENTRE: Snowy River, East Gippsland CMA and boosted aquatic plants LOWER RIGHT: Biolink project, Port Phillip that are food for vulnerable and Westernport CMA endangered waterbirds.

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Waterbirds and other waterway creatures

Waterbirds love the release of water for the environment at our wetlands and lakes. We’re seeing threatened species of birds and other waterway creatures in places they haven’t been seen for years.

As we protect and restore waterways across Victoria, we are recreating the right conditions for our native waterbirds. Our monitoring programs show us that wetlands across Victoria are being used for feeding, breeding and roosting habitat. This is very important for migratory species, which in some cases fly from as far as Russia and Bringing back Brolgas dancing again Wimmera platypus found China to our wetlands. the Bunyip Bird in our wetlands surviving and thriving International Planting vegetation and releasing water for the environment are importance of We are seeing more of this In partnership with After disappearing during bringing birds back to our waterways, with some great results: our wetlands iconic bird, as we improve community groups, we are the millennium drought, our wetlands and turn small restoring Walker Swamp, an a small and fragile Better breeding Better bird conditions Victoria has 12 wetlands of areas of private land into important breeding site for platypus population is international importance Bittern-friendly habitat. Brolgas in northern Victoria, re-establishing itself in the The central Murray wetlands Little Lake Meran’s spring fill listed under the Ramsar using on-ground works. system in became a haven for waterbirds event in 2018 benefited waterbirds, Convention. A primary western Victoria. in 2016–17, with a return of rare especially ducks such as the Grey purpose of the Convention Australasian Bitterns as well as Teal, Eurasian Coot, Pink-eared Affectionately know as the Bunyip is to protect wetlands that Bird, the Australasian Bittern was Magpie Geese, previously Duck, the vulnerable Musk Duck and are important refuges and We’ve seen a steep decline in thought to be extinct in this the endangered Blue-billed Duck. once believed to be the voice of breeding sites for migratory a much larger mythical creature their population over the past Recent monitoring found new region since 1913. two decades from the loss and Gaynor Swamp saw a waterbird birds. Many of Victoria’s that lurked around our waterways. young platypus in the Mackenzie degradation of habitat and from boom after its first delivery Ramsar wetlands are visited The Bunyip darkened the folklore River. Releasing water for the foxes. Nesting pairs of Brolgas now of water for the environment. by migratory birds from as of Australia’s Aboriginal people environment in the lower section for centuries before crossing number around only 200 to 250. Monitoring revealed four Brolga far away as northern Europe. of the river has helped maintain over to early Europeans. platypus habitat, particularly in pairs, 1,452 Black-winged Stilt, 785 Work is ongoing to restore the Our newest Ramsar site dry times. We have found platypus Whiskered Tern and 107 Glossy Ibis The only frightening thing about swamp including large-scale pest at Glenelg Estuary and DNA in new areas of the river, this year. this bird is its dwindling numbers; control, habitat improvements and Discovery Bay provides which tells us that the river system about 1,000 are left in the world. revegetation. habitat for 95 bird species, However, in an exciting observation has sufficiently good quality of which 24 migrate from habitat to sustain the platypus Threatened species for Victoria, we counted at least 16 Russia and China. at one time at Lake Murphy in 2017, population, but also allows it to are breeding in systems and 40 in the Kerang Wetlands in grow and move downstream into where they haven’t been late 2018 ‑ an exceptional number. new areas. seen for many years.

TOP LEFT: Turtle on log, ARI 154 TOP CENTRE: Warbler eggs, Goulburn Broken CMA TOP RIGHT: Bittern, by Matthew Herring bird species LOWER LEFT: Bittern, North Central CMA were recorded LOWER CENTRE: Brolga, by Chris Tzaros from WetMAP LOWER RIGHT: Platypus, North East CMA 9 Healthy waterways and catchments bird surveys during Healthy waterways and catchments 10 2018–19. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

“The beauty of Our Catchments, Our Communities is that it allows our crews to be out working on-Country and to really understand the values and stories connected to those Working with places. It’s important – the recognition of our own people being able to partner and work on some of these projects in places that we don’t normally get access to.” Traditional Grattan Mullett Senior, Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation

Many Traditional Owner groups This project gives Traditional are involved in local planning and Owners the opportunity to Owners monitoring: work back on Country. Project partners are collaborating to 4 Aboriginal Leadership Barapa Barapa and Wemba implement and promote cultural Grants funded through Wemba are working with the practices, such as controlled Traditional Owners have strong connections Arthur Rylah Institute to learn Our Catchments, Our burns at project sites. Partners Communities. to Country, which includes land and water. how to monitor wetland water have also carried out weed We are partnering with Traditional Owners birds at seven priority sites on control, revegetation along their Country. creek banks and set up frog ponds. and Aboriginal Victorians to care for On World Heritage listed waterways and catchments. Gunditjmara Country, the Project sites have renewed Budj Bim Connections project cultural values by reintroducing 23 Aboriginal Water is improving native vegetation, culturally significant food and Officers employed reconnecting aquatic habitats fibre plants. across Victoria and the and sharing and integrating Aboriginal Water Officers Traditional Owner knowledge. Wadawurrung Traditional Network established. Owners and Corangamite Dja Dja Wurrung are leading Catchment Management the Wanyarram Dhelk project to Authority have been working improve the health of Bendigo together to manage the Creek and its tributaries, and waterways on Wadawurrung improve community connection Country. In 2019, a ceremony to the waterway. was held to celebrate water Appointed our first released to the Aboriginal commissioner to trigger the migration of the to the Victorian Short-finned Eel. Environmental Water Holder. Yorta Yorta people and research staff from the Arthur Rylah Institute are sharing modern ecological knowledge and traditional knowledge systems LEFT: Partners in planning and to reduce the high death rate of management, Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation and freshwater turtles in the mid- 20 Aboriginal Victorians East Gippsland CMA, by Craig Moodie Murray River region, and assist appointed to boards, RIGHT: Corangamite CMA Rural in the plight of their struggling councils and advisory Women’s Forum 2019, by Ferne Millen Photography totem, the Broad-shelled Turtle. committees, across the water sector.

100% of catchment management authorities have a partnership with Traditional Owners.

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“My largest cod is 85 cm, but my mate caught one that was 104 cm, which is almost unheard of in the Campaspe.”

Supporting Adrian Leo, a catch-and-release fisherman from Bendigo.

Healthier people Healthier waterways How Victorians value our recreational waterways and catchments We understand how important the We are partnering with recreation recreational values of water and and community groups to waterways are for our communities increase participation in and for the wellbeing of Victorians. waterway stewardship activities. values We are providing greater support We have seen a surge in native 92% 85% for activities such as fishing, Australian fish thanks to extensive animals, scenery plants and camping, canoeing and boating: revegetation and habitat works and birds coordinated delivery of water for Victorians are enjoying the benefits of improved The ‘Corringle Walk, Talk and the environment: waterways and catchments, whether walking by a Paddle’, held by East Gippsland CMA each year, teaches the We delivered water to 171 river river, kayaking or fishing. For the first time in Victoria, local community about the reaches and wetlands in Victoria cultural significance of water in 2017–18, many benefiting 76% walking, 69% community use of waterways and recreational benefits to the Gunaikurnai people, the recreational and social values. hiking and picnics and cycling bbq’s have been enshrined in our water legislation.. variety of native Australian We time the release of water plant and animal life and the for the environment into some importance of using water for recreational rivers, like the the environment to keep the Snowy, to keep river levels higher river healthy. over holiday periods when people most want to paddle. The annual ‘Breakfast with 36% 31% the Birds’ event hosted by Many towns rely on water for the fishing boating North Central CMA brought environment to run their annual almost 100 people from three fishing competition, such as the states together this year at Horsham Fishing Competition Lake Murphy to appreciate the held on the Wimmera River, importance of these wetlands. which provides a boost to the This event taps into the interest local economy. 19% 19% kayaking, cultural and of community members and canoeing, historical hobbyists, while also promoting We are supporting partnerships sailing sites our work to protect and improve between recreational angling Victoria’s wetlands. groups and catchment management authorities to revegetate their local rivers and waterways. Anglers all over Victoria have taken part in restoration activities – planting vegetation, installing fencing and cleaning up rubbish to return stretches of waterways to their original habitat through LEFT: Fun in the , the Angler Riparian Partnerships East Gippsland CMA program. RIGHT: Cycling Lake Hawthorn, by Mallee CMA

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It’s vital for this particular program to continue into the future, because the success of investing in natural resource management is a time-based thing. Continued investment Partnering will not only ensure ongoing success, but will actually build more capacity in the community, which in turn will lead to better and brighter projects.. with local Nathan Wong, Program Manager Natural Resource Management at Dja Dja Wurrung Enterprises

Catchment management We are strengthening community authorities bring together regional participation in waterway and communities partners and communities, catchment management through including Traditional Owners, citizen science – thousands to manage waterways and of generous and committed 50,000 people Many Victorians are already out there, on catchments. The Our Catchments, Victorians are helping us with our connected through Our Communities strategy work and giving us invaluable data: our programs. the ground, doing important work to protect is strengthening community participation and engagement Waterwatch and EstuaryWatch and enhance Victoria’s vital waterways and across Victoria to improve are two sister programs that catchments. We are putting community land, water and biodiversity connect local communities management: with waterway and catchment at the centre of waterway and catchment management. These citizens 10 new Catchment Partnership scientists spent over 10,000 19 integrated catchment health and our programs are working to Agreements with 222 hours caring for 1,481 sites in management projects. have a significant and lasting impact on partnerships, setting out 2018–19. how regional groups and our regional communities. organisations will work better EstuaryWatch volunteers are together for their communities. collecting water quality data to create the first ever statewide 19 integrated catchment Index of Estuary Condition management projects working Assessment, due for release 12 leadership grants for with Traditional Owners, in 2020. The data will be used women, innovators and community groups, schools and to report back to communities Aboriginal Victorians. individuals across the state. and help us manage and protect these valuable coastal 43,587 hectares of environmental waterways. works to improve the health and resilience of catchments. Citizen scientists have uploaded more than 1,500 photos at 35 sites using the Fluker Post Research Project app on their 8,600 people engaged phones, since its release in 2018. in field days, workshops, The photos create a permanent meetings and training LEFT: Bug monitoring for water visual record of progress health, Mallee CMA on integrated catchment at some of our most iconic RIGHT: Night frog monitoring, management. Mallee CMA waterways and landscapes.

We have over 10,000 volunteers in citizen science projects, including 2,700 students.

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Acknowledgment The Victorian Government proudly acknowledges Victoria’s Aboriginal community and their rich culture and pays respect to their Elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal people as Australia’s first peoples and as the Traditional Owners and custodians What’s next? of the land and water on which we rely. We recognise and value the ongoing contribution of Aboriginal people and communities to Victorian life and how this enriches us. These are some of our success stories, We embrace the spirit of reconciliation, working towards the but we know there’s more to be done. equality of outcomes and ensuring an equal voice. Restoring waterway health is a long- term and large-scale commitment. It can take a generation to realise the © The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Accessibility Land, Water and Planning 2019 outcomes we seek. If you would like to receive this publication in an alternative format,

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons please telephone the DELWP In coming decades, we know our Attribution 4.0 International licence. You are free to Customer Service Centre on 136186, re-use the work under that licence, on the condition email [email protected]. waterways will be under pressure from that you credit the State of Victoria as author. The increased population and a changing licence does not apply to any images, photographs gov.au (or relevant address), or via or branding, including the Victorian Coat of Arms, the National Relay Service on climate. We plan to keep improving the Victorian Government logo and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) 133 677 or relayservice.com.au. the health of our waterways and logo. To view a copy of this licence, visit http:// catchments. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This document is also available on Graphic design by Red Mullet Creative the internet at delwp.vic.gov.au Text by Bean Communications Printed by Dynamite Printing, Dandenong.

ISBN 978-1-76077-860-6 (Print) ISBN 978-1-76077-861-3 (pdf)

Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or ABOVE: Birdwatching, Mallee CMA other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.

17 Healthy waterways and catchments Summary Three years after launching Water for Victoria and our largest ever investment in waterway and catchment health, we are seeing the benefits across Victoria:

large-scale, long-term projects are improving priority waterways

water for the environment has improved the health of our waterways and catchments Aboriginal knowledge and values are being integrated into planning and management integrated management approach delivered through hundreds of partnerships with Traditional Owners and communities extensive regeneration works have been implemented with community partnerships, land stewardship and citizen science programs

enhanced access to more recreational opportunities for the health and wellbeing of all Victorians

native fish numbers are on the up, waterbirds are breeding, frogs are returning and the plants are thriving.

This is a long-term commitment, with it sometimes taking decades to restore our waterways and catchments. Building on our work so far, it’s only going to get better as we continue For further information visit: to deliver policy and programs for waterway and catchment health, water.vic.gov.au now and for future generations.