Actions & Achievements Report
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VICTORIAN CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES’ ACTIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS REPORT 2016/2017 FOREWORD 3 CONTENTS CMA REGIONS 4 PARTNERSHIPS 5 SUPPORTING GOVERNMENT 6 SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES 7 INVESTMENT 8 OUTPUTS 9 STATEWIDE HIGHLIGHTS 10 WATER FOR VICTORIA 11 OUR CATCHMENTS OUR COMMUNITIES 12 ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITIES IN NRM 13 SUPPORTING THE LANDCARE MOVEMENT 14 20 YEARS OF CATCHMENT IMPROVEMENT 15 DELIVERING THE NATIONAL LANDCARE PROGRAM 16 SUPPORTING PRODUCTIVE & SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE 17 ADVANCING INDIGENOUS PARTICIPATION 18 PLANNING AND ACTION FOR CLIMATE CHANGE 19 INCREASING DIVERSITY & INCLUSION 20 REGIONAL ACTIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS 21 WIMMERA 22 WEST GIPPSLAND 26 PORT PHILLIP & WESTERNPORT 30 NORTH EAST 34 NORTH CENTRAL 38 MALLEE 42 GOULBURN BROKEN 46 GLENELG HOPKINS 50 EAST GIPPSLAND 54 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF VICTORIA’S INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES CORANGAMITE 58 The Catchment Management Authorities proudly acknowledge Victoria’s Indigenous communities and their rich culture, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We recognise the intrinsic connection of Traditional Owners to Country and value their role in the management of land, water and biodiversity. We acknowledge the ongoing contribution this makes to catchment management. We support the need for genuine and lasting partnerships with Indigenous people and communities to understand culture and connections to Country in the way we plan for and manage our catchments. We acknowledge our legislative obligations to Traditional Owner groups and consider them paramount amongst our responsibilities. HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE AND PRODUCTIVE LAND, FOREWORD WATER AND BIODIVERSITY MAINTAINED THROUGH INTEGRATED CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT THAT IS STRONGLY COMMUNITY BASED, REGIONALLY FOCUSED AND COLLABORATIVE. This latest Action and Achievements Report CMAs fill a vital role in the delivery of a range clearly shows the impact that Catchment of Victorian Government environmental policy Management Authorities (CMAs) are having in and programs. As well as Water for Victoria, our regional communities – delivering the rivers CMAs are key agents for delivery of the Andrews and landscapes that we love and use. The Government’s investment in Protecting Victoria’s achievements, now spanning twenty years, have Environment – Biodiversity 2017 and our made a clear difference to Victoria’s liveability and commitment though Victoria’s Climate Change to our land, water and biodiversity. Adaptation Plan. It is great to see progress with the roll out of the Together with the CMAs, the Government has Victorian Government’s Water for Victoria and been working to improve equality and diversity our largest ever investment of $222 million in across Victoria’s water sector. CMA Boards healthy waterways and catchments. The report now include a majority of women as well as five highlights work to improve the health of 36 priority Aboriginal Victorians, enabling them to better waterways and delivers dedicated environmental reflect the communities they represent. water to improve the health of our rivers, wetlands This report is clear evidence of the 10 CMAs’ and estuaries.This investment also includes commitment to improving transparency and $22 million to support the Our Catchments Our accountability in the sector and achieving on- Communities strategy, helping to demonstrate ground improvement. how better partnerships between government and community can deliver better on-ground outcomes. 19 major projects are delivering for regional communities right across Victoria. The value of CMAs is also recognised through considerable and important complementary investment of over $57 million by the Australian Hon Lisa Neville MP Government. The work we have done to Minister for Water develop a strong catchment sector and a strong framework for on-ground delivery is also working to secure and support future investment by the Australian Government. VICTORIAN CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES’ ACTIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS REPORT 2016/2017 3 VICTORIA’S INTEGRATED CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK IS WORKING TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE OUR RIVERS AND CMA REGIONS LANDSCAPES WHILE SUPPORTING PRODUCTIVITY FROM OUR LAND AND WATER RESOURCES. NORTH CENTRAL The North Central region covers 30,000 square kilometres (13% of the state). It is home to 250,000 people, is valued for its internationally recognised environmental GOULBURN BROKEN assets and supports a diverse agriculture sector. The Goulburn Broken region covers over 24,000 square kilometres of which two thirds is under private ownership. It extends north from the outskirts of Melbourne to the Murray River. It yields 11% of the Murray Darling Basin’s water despite making up only 2% of its area. MALLEE The Mallee region covers almost 40,000 square kilometres making it the largest catchment area NORTH EAST in Victoria. It runs along the Murray River from The North East region extends across 19,000 square Nyah to the South Australian border and south kilometres between the Murray River in the north, Victorian through vast dryland cropping areas and public Alps in the south and the Warby Ranges in the west. The reserves. region is home to 100,000 people, provides 38% of the Murray Darling Basin’s water and is 55% public land. WIMMERA The Wimmera region covers 30,000 square EAST GIPPSLAND kilometres straddling the Wimmera River. The East Gippsland region covers 22,000 Agriculture is the dominant land use, economic square kilometres and is approximately 80% driver and employment sector. A quarter of the publicly-owned land mainly as significant 50,000 people who live in the region depend State forests, national and coastal parks. directly on agriculture for their income. WEST GIPPSLAND GLENELG HOPKINS The West Gippsland region covers 18,000 square kilometres from The Glenelg-Hopkins region covers 26,000 square kilometres Warragul to the Gippsland Lakes and from the Great Dividing Range to and is characterised by flat volcanic plains in the south, with the Wilsons Promontory. It provides the majority of Victoria’s electricity, 60% Grampians, Dundas Tablelands and Central Highlands dominant of Melbourne’s water storage and 20% of Australia’s milk production. in the north. With 80% of the region cleared for agriculture, it is one of the most productive farming areas in Australia. PORT PHILLIP & WESTERNPORT Spanning 13,000 square kilometres that feed into Port Phillip Bay and Western Port, this region CORANGAMITE has a 4.5 million resident population whilst also boasting some of Victoria’s most productive The Corangamite region extends across 13,000 square kilometres of which 78% is farming lands and spectacular parks that are home to all four State flora and fauna emblems. in private ownership. The region has rich and diverse landscapes ranging from expansive volcanic plains to coastal environments and the Otway Ranges. VICTORIAN CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES’ ACTIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS REPORT 2016/2017 4 MANY INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS AND ORGANISATIONS CONTRIBUTE TO THE HEALTH OF OUR RIVERS AND LANDSCAPES. PARTNERSHIPS PARTNERSHIPS ARE VITAL TO EFFECTIVELY SUSTAIN OUR ENVIRONMENT, UNDERPIN OUR ECONOMY AND PROVIDE A RANGE OF SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL BENEFITS FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. LAND OWNERS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGRICULTURAL LOCAL COMMUNITIES In managing their own land, Aboriginal people have a strong Victoria’s 79 local councils INDUSTRIES Local communities make a many thousands of individuals and continuing connection with are significant contributors to Agricultural industry groups significant contribution to and land owners across Victoria the land. Traditional Owners have catchment management through support extensive networks of catchment management. Many make significant contributions important cultural obligations to the regulation of land use land managers through research, community members volunteer to protecting and improving manage traditional lands and and development, public land development and extension their time to participate in the health of natural assets, waterways. Their knowledge, management, strategic planning activities. Group examples activities such as planting days, ecosystems and important experience and practices are including environmental strategies include Mallee Sustainable clean up days and monitoring places. being increasingly incorporated and urban stormwater plans, Farming, Birchip Cropping programs such as Waterwatch into planning and managing of and support to landholders and Group, GippsDairy and Vegetable and EstuaryWatch. natural resources. community groups. Growers Association of Victoria. COMMUNITY GROUPS VICTORIAN AND WATER UNIVERSITIES AND VOLUNTEERS AUSTRALIAN CORPORATIONS AND RESEARCH Significant contribution is made GOVERNMENT Victoria’s 19 water corporations INSTITUTIONS by volunteers and organised ORGANISATIONS lead urban and rural water supply, Universities and other institutions community groups including A range of government agencies sewerage disposal and treatment, undertake research and Landcare, conservation and statutory bodies implement recycled water and drainage produce information to improve management networks, ‘Friends’ policies and programs for our services. They deliver water to understanding of natural groups and committees of landscapes and resources. entitlement holders including systems and support adaptive management. They are often significant land working with the Victorian management approaches to owners or managers, and provide Environmental Water Holder enable continued improvement. investment to deliver and support