Sunraysia region

Overview

The Sunraysia region includes First Nations include the Latji Latji, Mildura, Merbein, Red Cliffs Barkandji, Muthi Muthi, Malyangaapa, and Robinvale. Maraura and Tatitati.

The region contains many Tourism is a major contributor to the significant wetlands including region’s economy with the riverine the Hattah–Kulkyne Lakes and environment and the irrigation sector Neds Corner. helping to maintain it.

Sunraysia is renowned for its The urban area of Mildura was selected horticulture including almonds, by Canadian irrigators George and citrus and grapes. William Chaffey as the site for the region’s first irrigation settlement in the 1800s.

Image: Wallpolla State Forest, Victoria Carnarvon N.P.

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Capital cities outside of MDB Gundabooka N.P. Louth Major water storages Pilliga West Byrock State Forest Split Rock Uralla Wetlands and natural lakes Pilliga Reservoir Paroo–Darling Nature Manilla National Park k National parks Macquarie Marshes Reserve e e r C

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Menindee Main Weir B og Tottenham an Dubbo R iv Narromine er Menindee Lakes Burrendong Menindee NEW SOUTH WALES Reservoir Wellington Weir 32 Mudgee Kinchega N.P. Tullamore

Windamere Goobang N.P. Yathong Reservoir Rylstone State Forest Round Hill h nc Ivanhoe Nature Reserve ra ab An g lin r ar ive D n R t Wi la Condobolin a llandra Creek ach re L Parkes G Lake Cargelligo Orange Danggali Portland Conservation Forbes SOUTH Park Lake Cargelligo Pooncarie Bathurst Hillston AUSTRALIA Lake Brewster r ive R ng Willandra Lakes region Carcoar Reservoir Burra rli Lake Cowal Da Oberon Mungo N.P.

Grenfell Cowra Booligal Sydney Lock 6 1 Morgan Riverland Goolgowi B West Wyalong la Wyangala Reservoir Lake Victoria n d Wentworth 5 C Lock 9 re Lock 2 Lock 5 Lock 11 Cocoparra N.P. e River Murray Lock 7 k Lock 3 2 Great Cumbung Renmark 4 Lock Merbein Swamp Lock 8 10 Mallee Cliffs N.P. Banrock Station Berri Mildura Barmera Blanchetown Griffith Young Lock 4 3 Red Murrum Hanwood Lock 1 bidge Cliffs e River Murray River N.P. Hay Temora Boorowa Crookwell Loxton Legend Fivebough– Robinvale Tuckerbil Swan Reach State border Leeton Cootamundra Basin border Lock Balranald River/creek 15 Town/city Hattah– Capital city Kulkyne Water storage/lake Lakes Narrandera Murray Sunset N.P. Rive National Park r Mu Billiat Conservation Ramsar site Hattah rra Hattah Lakes y Park Irrigation area Oolambeyan N.P. Adelaide Mannum Salt interception scheme Yanga N.P. Yass Hattah-Kulkyne N.P.

Moulamein k ree Tooleybuc o C Wagga Wagga Lake Feature creature: Ouyen N B nc iem illab Ya Murray Bridge Southern bell frog ur ong Burrinjuck George Riv Cre Gundagai er Werai Forest ek Reservoir Lockhart Lake Brindabella N.P. Tailem Bend Pinnaroo Murrayville Alexandrina Tumut The southern bell frog (Litoria raniformis) Canberra E is a large endangered species of frog Swan Hill dw Milang Lower Lakes ar and Coorong found around permanent water in parts d R Jerilderie Blowering ive B T Wa l River r illa u Goolwa of the southern Murray–Darling Basin. koo b m Reservoir Sea Lake ong Ginini Like all frogs, the southern bell frog has Deniliquin Cr Henty u e t ACT Lake Albert ek Flats Barrages an important place in the food chain, R i Murray Mouth v Tinderry acting asBig a predatorDesert for insects and algae Finley e Wyperfeld N.P. Kerang Tu r Barham Koondrook– ppal C Nature Meningie and preyWilderness for birds and snakes. Females Wetlands reek Perricoota Namadgi N.P. Reserve are usuallyPark larger than males and can Hopetoun Forest Millewa Forest The Coorong Kerang Talbingo reach up to 10.4 cm in length. The Gunbower Torrumbarry Tumbarumba southern bell frog varies in colour and Lake Albacutya Forest Reservoir Weir Tocumwal pattern, but is typically olive to bright R i emerald green, with irregular gold, brown ve Lake Mulwala urray Hume Reservoir r M River M Cabramurra or bronze spotting. u rr Barmah Forest Wycheproof ay Maragle State Forest Albury Adaminaby Lake Hindmarsh Kow Moama Yarrawonga Weir Corowa Swamp Broken Cre ek Wodonga Echuca Goul burn Lake Buloke Ri Khancoban Cooma Charlton L ver o Kosciuszko d d Nhill o Wangaratta N.P. Donald n Shepparton R M Ov it r iv e ta Blue Lake e n M ve A s i i vo r Bro Ri tta R c ke ve K R r n r i n a R i ve Little Desert N.P. R e iv e r o v e s St Arnaud iv i r Winton Wetlands w d e a r R r Av on R Dartmouth a Riv e Benalla h er p i c v i s Waranga Basin e Reservoir Horsham R a r Bendigo p m Mt. Buffalo N.P. Alpine N.P. W a C Bright im m e Cairn ra Lake Nillahcootie R i Curran ve r Reservoir Eppalock Maryborough Reservoir Seymour Castlemaine Mansfield Alpine N.P. Avoca Omeo Tullaroop Eildon Reservoir Halls Gap Reservoir Grampians N.P. Goulb urn R iver Kinglake N.P. Lake Eildon N.P.

VICTORIA Melbourne Sunraysia region

Key information

Mildura had an estimated population of around 55,000 in June 2018.

Mildura is a major horticultural centre notable for its grape production, and the area supplies The Sunraysia region got its 80% of Victoria’s grapes. name from a promotion on behalf of the Australian Dried Fruits Association in 1919 to Rainfall totals are about 280 mm find a name to describe the dried a year and spread across the fruits grown in Mildura. The months and seasons, with winter winning name was Sun-Raysed, and spring having the wettest which was modified to Sunraysia days. to describe the district as a whole.

Around the region

Lindsay-Wallpolla Islands have been Upon completion, the sustainable 1 identified as an icon site for targeted 4 diversion limit project at Lindsay Island environmental restoration under The has the potential to support the watering Living Murray initiative. and restoration of 5,365 hectares of environmentally and culturally significant floodplain. The Lindsay–Wallpolla Islands offer 2 excellent bird watching opportunities and more than 220 bird species have Australia’s only naturally pink salt been observed in the Murray–Sunset 5 - Murray River Salt - is produced in National Park. the region. There are 15 salt interception schemes Mildura is adjascent to NSW towns (including Murray River Salt) which divert 3 including Wentworth and Buronga. approximately half a million tonnes of Wentworth is situated on the junction salt away from the river and adjacent where the Murray and Darling Rivers landscapes each year. These schemes are meet. implemented in conjunction with the Basin Salinity Management 2030 strategy. Who does what in the Sunraysia region

Goulburn Murray Water (GMW) – 1800 013 357 Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) – responsible for making the seasonal 1800 633 362 determination for all northern Victorian responsible for compliance and enforcement declared water systems. of water management legislation in NSW.

Lower Murray Water – (03) 5051 3400 New South Wales Department of Primary Industries – provides water and drainage services to Fisheries – 1300 550 474 urban and rural water users along the oversees the management of fisheries River Murray, from Kerang to the South including compliance, threatened species and Australian border. habitat management. Western Murray Irrigation – (03) 5027 4953 New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and maintains 3 pump stations; 2 re-lift Environment (DPIE) – 1300 361 967 stations and 184 km of pipelines which manages allocated water for the environment, supply irrigation and drainage services including adaptive environmental water to 4,100 ha of irrigated land in Curlwaa, licences held by the NSW Government Coomealla and Buronga. DPIE Water determines the volume of water Mallee Catchment Management Authority – available for allocation to towns, water users (03) 5051 4377 and the environment. works with the community, government and funding organisations to protect and enhance Murray–Darling Basin Authority land, water and biodiversity resources. prepares, implements, monitors and reviews the integrated plan for the sustainable use of Agriculture Victoria – 136 186 the Basin’s water resources works with the agricultural industry on operates the River Murray system and research and helps maintain effective delivers water to users on behalf of partner biosecurity controls. governments Victorian and NSW governments researches and monitors the quality and allocates water to entitlement holders, quantity of Basin water resources and the coordinates delivery of water for the condition of its associated rivers, wetlands environment and floodplains develops and implements water creates and shares information about the resource plans. Basin’s water resources and dependent ecosystems. Western Local Land Service (LLS) – 1300 795 299 Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder – delivers services to improve NSW primary (02) 6274 1111 production within healthy landscapes and manages the Australian Government’s water assists rural and regional communities to be entitlements and allocations of water for the profitable and sustainable. environment. Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) – Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (03) 9637 8951 – 1800 803 772 an independent statutory body responsible responsible for efficiency programs and for holding and managing Victoria’s collaborating with Basin states. environmental water entitlements.

Connect with us. The MDBA has offices in Adelaide, Albury–Wodonga Canberra, Goondiwindi, Griffith, Mildura, Murray Bridge, Local connection Toowoomba, and regional engagement officers around the Basin. your nearest MDBA office is Mildura Lot 4a 152 Deakin Avenue, VIC 3500 1800 230 067 [email protected]

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