The Wimmera Catchment The Wimmera catchment in Western Victoria extends from The Wimmera catchment also encompasses a large number the Grampians north to Lake Albacutya, and from the South of cultural and environmental heritage sites, such as the Australian border east to Navarre. It includes the Grampians. It also has the Wimmera River between municipalities of Hindmarsh, Yarriambiack, Northern Polkemmet and Wirrengren Plain, which has been Grampians, West Wimmera and Horsham Rural City as well proclaimed as a Victorian Heritage River. Such sites are as parts of Ararat Rural City and Buloke and Pyrenees shires. significant in terms of displaying the region’s natural diversity Centred on the rural city of Horsham, the region represents and pre and post European cultural heritage. More than 2000 about 10.3 percent of Victoria's total land area, with a sites of Aboriginal archaeological significance are associated population of around 44,000. The Melbourne-Adelaide with the reserves, waterways, floodplains and wetlands of the transport corridor traverses the region, strategically placing region. the Wimmera within an important regional and national context. This diverse environment, combined with a broadscale agricultural landscape and an ageing and declining population, The Wimmera catchment contains the Wimmera River and presents a challenging mix to natural resource management part of the Millicent Coast Basin to the South Australian in the region. border. The landlocked region covers about 23,500 square kilometres and forms the southwest part of the Murray The Wimmera is experiencing positive economic change as Darling Basin. It is a diverse region with mountains, plains, the result of agricultural diversification, an expanding tourism desert, moist foothill forest, box ironbark forest, woodlands, industry, and development of value-adding and extractive grasslands, and mallee heath. Annual rainfall varies from up to industries. These economic developments place additional 1000 millimetres in the Grampians to as low as 300 demands on the region’s natural resources, particularly millimetres on the northern plains. water, and additional responsibilities on Wimmera Catchment Management Authority to manage these Before European settlement, the catchment supported a resources in a sustainable manner. Continued agricultural diverse range of vegetation. The upper catchment was productivity is dependent upon the effective management of covered in dense eucalypt woodland with an understorey of the region’s soil and water resources, while many shrubs, perennial grasses and herbs. On the plains, vegetation recreational activities also rely on healthy natural thinned out to open woodland of buloke, native pine and ecosystems. mallee communities as well as open grassland. The remaining uncleared native vegetation cover in the Wimmera extends Wimmera CMA can expect a significant increase in workload to 14 percent of the region. This is predominantly within the and responsibility as the progressive piping of the Wimmera Grampians and Little Desert National Parks, Black Range and Mallee stock and domestic channel system through the Mt. Arapiles-Tooan State Parks, and numerous flora and Wimmera Mallee Pipeline Project gains momentum. This fauna, wildlife, bushland and forest reserves. responsibility includes analysis and decisions in respect to the substantial increase in water available to the environment The Wimmera catchment boasts some 1500 plant species and for recreational uses. and 420 animal species, including 20 mammal species, 40 reptile species and more than 250 bird species. Of these, 84 are rare, 60 are vulnerable and 29 are endangered (listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999), while 61 are listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1998. Habitats for these species occur across the landscape, in the parks and reserve system, state forests and on private land. The Wimmera River is the largest landlocked river in Victoria. Its tributaries flow from Mt Cole and the Pyrenees Ranges in the southeast and the Grampians in the south to a series of terminal lakes including Lake Hindmarsh and Lake Albacutya, two of the largest freshwater lakes in Victoria. Due to changes in land and water use in the catchment, Lake Albacutya and beyond into Wyperfeld National Park are frequently dry. Lake Albacutya, internationally recognised for its environmental value as a 'Ramsar' wetland, has only filled four times in the 20th century; the last time in 1974 following two exceptionally wet seasons. More than 3000 wetlands across the Wimmera support a diverse range of flora and fauna. These wetlands have been described as more diverse than Kakadu in the Northern Territory. Aside from the region’s surface waters, two groundwater aquifers yield potable water in large quantities; the Renmark Group and the Murray Group Limestone. 1 Wimmera Catchment Management Authority Profile Wimmera CMA was established in July 1997 under the Water Act 1989 and the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 to achieve effective integration and delivery of land and water management programs in the Wimmera. The statutory requirements of Wimmera CMA for annual reporting are governed by the Financial Management Act 1994, the Water Act 1989 and the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. The Wimmera CMA Annual Report not only addresses these requirements, it also establishes the links between the Authority’s Corporate Plan and the activities intended to make progress against the priorities and targets of the Wimmera Regional Catchment Strategy (2003-2008). Wimmera CMA is the peak advisory body on conditions, directions and priorities in catchment management in the Wimmera. The Authority is responsible for coordinating integrated catchment management and sustainable land and water use; involving relevant government agencies and the community. It also has responsibility for advising the government on catchment issues and the ‘condition’ of the catchment and its natural resources. The objectives of the Wimmera CMA reflect those set out in Section 13 of the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Mission Ensure sustainable development of natural resource-based industries, protection of land and water resources and conservation of natural and cultural heritage in the Wimmera catchment region. Vision In the Wimmera, water and land will be nurtured, native flora and fauna will flourish, people will be happy to live, work and visit and agriculture and other industries will prosper. We respect the Indigenous communities, their perspectives of landscapes, traditions, interests and rights in the land. Objectives ● Involve the community in decisions relating to natural resource management within the Wimmera catchment. ● Promote sustainable development of natural resource- based industries. ● Collaborate with industry and economic development organisations in achieving sustainable and profitable development of catchment communities. ● Maintain and improve the quality of water and condition of rivers. ● Prevent and where possible reverse land degradation (including salinity). ● Conserve and protect the diversity and extent of natural ecosystems. ● Minimise damage to natural ecosystems and natural resource-based industries caused by pest plants and animals. ● Minimise damage to public and private assets from flooding and erosion. 2 Contents Chairman’s Report . .4 Chief Executive’s Report . .5 Regional Partnerships . .7 Leading the Way: Board of Management, Governance and Organisational Structure . .8 REPORTING AREAS . .16 Strategic Planning and Investment . .16 Healthy Waterways . .20 Healthy Catchments . .28 Landcare . .31 Biodiversity . .43 Sustainable Regional Development . .48 CATCHMENT CONDITION REPORT . .35-42 STATUTORY INFORMATION . .51 Disclosure Index . .53 Financial Statements . .56 Auditor General’s Report . .72-73 Appendices . .74 Wimmera CMA would like to acknowledge community members, the Wimmera Mail Times newspaper, mpmedia and Wimmera CMA staff, especially Murray McKenzie, Allison McKnight, Dean Robertson and Murray Wilson for photographs and illustrations in this report. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority 26 Darlot Street, Horsham, Victoria 3400. PO Box 479 Horsham, Victoria 3402. Phone: (03) 5382 1544 Fax: (03) 5382 6076 Email: [email protected] ABN: 83 900 830 261 Website: www.wcma.vic.gov.au/index Printed by Wimmera Design and Print Edited and compiled by Malcolm Wyeth and mpmedia Cover and inside design by Lara Walsh Creative Solutions 3 Chairman’s Report The commitment by both the Victorian and Australian support the regional delivery of, and investment in, natural Governments to the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline, in resource management. partnership with the regional community, will deliver the largest environmental change in the region since European There is a need to determine and agree on core settlement. The pipeline will have an extremely positive responsibilities for Catchment Management Authorities and impact on the environmental well-being of our catchment, government agencies. A review of higher-level principles of especially on river health. It will guarantee more water for the relationship between the partners is required to reaffirm the environment, through the Bulk Entitlement for the and clarify roles and responsibilities in delivering Regional Environment, and will change the landscape across the whole Catchment Strategies. Resolution should focus on service region. delivery to provide a framework allowing