thirsty 13species Mr Brumby, Mr Baillieu, buy me a drink! A call for action by the Victorian National Parks Association & Environment Victoria VNPA logo & style sheet NATION N A A L I P R A O Our River Red Gum parks and R T K C I S V PMS 1615 C: 0.0 M: 56.0 Y: 100.0 K: 43.0 A c In PMS 397 C: 11.5 S threatened species are dying of thirst M: 0.0 Y: 100.0 S N K: 11.5 OCI TIO PMS 632 C: 76.0 A M: 0.0 Y: 15.0 K: 11.5 c: 0 c: 60 m: 0 m: 0 y: 0 y: 100 k: 80 k: 27 c: 30 m: 70 y: 100 k: 0 c: 15 m: 35 y: 50 k: 0 Typeface: Book Antiqua Regular thirsty 13species Acknowledgements The Victorian National Parks Association and Environment Victoria acknowledge the Yorta Yorta and Wadi Contents Wadi as Traditional Owners and Victoria’s first co-managers of River Red Gum national parks and pro- tected areas. We also acknowledge all Traditional Owner groups as part of the Murray and Lower Darling Introduction .................................................................................................................. 4 Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN). We thank all of the people and organisations that have contributed images or information to this Victoria’s new national parks .................................................................................. 6 publication. This includes, but is not limited to: Birds Australia, Keith Ward, The Australian Reptile Centre, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Shepparton News, and the Victorian Environmental Report urges water buy-back ................................................................................. 7 Assessment Council. Time for Victoria to pitch in .................................................................................... 8 This report was published in October 2010 and produced by Nick Roberts. Rains only temporary reprieve ............................................................................... 9 Report design & editing: John Sampson. Red gums need a decent drink............................................................................10 Copyright 2010. Take action ...................................................................................................................11 Cover images: Brolga, Chris Tzaros; Squirrel Glider, Peter Robertson (DSE); Murray Cod, Gunther Schmida; White-Bellied Sea-Eagle, Dean Ingwersen. The digital illustration A River Red Gum ecosystem ..........................................................................12-13 of River Red Gums is based on a photo supplied by the Shepparton News. 1. Blue-Billed Duck ...............................................................................................14 2. Silver Perch .........................................................................................................15 VNPA logo & style sheet Victorian National Parks Association is an independent, non-profit, 3. Inland Carpet Python .....................................................................................16 NATION membership-based group, which exists to protect Victoria’s unique natural N A A L I P R environment and biodiversity through the establishment and effective management A 4. White-Bellied Sea-Eagle ................................................................................17 O R T K of national parks, conservation reserves and other measures. We will achieve our C I S vision by facilitating strategic campaigns and education programs, developing V 5. Broad-Shelled Turtle .......................................................................................18 A c S In policies, through hands-on conservation work, and by running bushwalking and S N OCI TIO outdoor activity programs that promote the care and enjoyment of Victoria’s natural A 6. Brolga ...................................................................................................................19 c: 0 c: 60 m: 0 m: 0 y: 0 y: 100 k: 80 heritage. k: 27 c: 30 7. Murray Cod ........................................................................................................20 m: 70 y: 100 Address: Level 3, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053. k: 0 c: 15 m: 35 y: 50 Phone: 03 9347 5188. k: 0 8. Moira Grass ........................................................................................................21 Email: [email protected] Typeface: Book Antiqua Regular Website: www.vnpa.org.au 9. Superb Parrot ....................................................................................................22 Environment Victoria is a non-government, not-for-profit environment 10. Plumed Egret ...................................................................................................23 organisation that believes our future depends on all Victorians. That’s why our goal is 11. Mueller Daisy ..................................................................................................24 to mobilise all 5 million Victorians to safeguard our environment. At the heart of our work is a belief that people are a part of the environment, and not separate to it. So we 12. Giant Banjo Frog ............................................................................................25 PMS 1615 C: 0.0 M: 56.0 Y: 100.0 work with people from all walks of life and levels of environmental awareness to solve K: 43.0 PMS 397 C: 11.5 M: 0.0 Y: 100.0 the challenges common to all of us. K: 11.5 PMS 632 C: 76.0 13. Squirrel Glider .................................................................................................26 M: 0.0 Y: 15.0 K: 11.5 Address: Level 2, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053. References ....................................................................................................................27 Phone: 03 9341 8100. Email: [email protected] Website: www.environmentvictoria.org.au A call for action by the Victorian National Parks Association 2 Our River Red Gum parks and threatened species are dying of thirst & Environment Victoria 3 thirsty 13species This report highlights the plight of just 13 flood-dependent species Introduction under threat from a lack of environmental water in the new River Red failure by past Victorian Report called on the Victorian Gum parks. There are many more at risk. Secure water allocations will A governments to arrest declining Government to “act with urgency” and help ensure the survival of these “Thirsty 13”. river health has left large tracts of River buy back water for stressed rivers and Thirsty 13 Listed as a threatened Flood Found in At risk? Red Gum forests and globally significant wetlands. species dependent? River Red wetlands struggling to survive. The Victorian Government must (Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act) Gum parks This failure, the result of taking too immediately secure environmental water 1. Blue-Billed Duck Yes Yes Yes Yes much irrigation water combined with allocations as a priority to ensure the 2. Silver Perch Yes Yes Yes Yes below average rainfalls associated with a survival of our River Red Gum parks. 3. Inland Carpet Python Yes Yes Yes Yes drier climate, is also risking the survival 4. White-Bellied Sea-Eagle Yes, also migratory Yes Yes Yes Furthermore, a legally-entitled, secure 5. Broad-Shelled Turtle Yes Yes Yes Yes of many flood-dependent native plants and reliable allocation of environmental 6. Brolga Yes Yes Yes Yes and animals threatened at either a water for the River Red Gum parks must 7. Murray Cod Yes, also listed under national Yes Yes Yes national or state level. be a high-reliability entitlement. threatened species legislation Our rivers and wetlands have been 8. Moira Grass No, limited locations in Yes Yes Yes Victoria starved of water for so long that we The Victorian Government 9. Superb Parrot Yes, also listed under national Yes Yes Yes can no longer rely on good rainfalls should: threatened species legislation to restore them. Instead, we need to 10. Plumed Egret Yes Yes Yes Yes • Guarantee environmental water address the root causes of their long- 11. Mueller Daisy Yes, also listed under national Yes Yes Yes term decline by guaranteeing new sufficient to sustain Victoria’s River Red threatened species legislation environmental water allocations for our Gum national parks, delivered from 12. Giant Banjo Frog Yes Yes Yes Yes River Red Gum parks, before it’s too late. 2012. 13. Squirrel Glider Yes Yes Yes Yes Only then can we hope to ensure • Purchase in partnership with the the future healthy survival of more Federal Government at least 300GL of than 100,000 hectares of River Red new water for the Goulburn River and Gum parks and protected areas across 250GL of new water for the Murray i northern Victoria. River by 2012. • Amend the Stage 2 Food Bowl project What needs to be done to include a major environmental water purchase component. The Victorian Government demonstrated strong leadership by • Develop ecologically robust creating four new national parks to environmental watering plans for River protect River Red Gum wetland forests. Red Gum national parks within two But there remains unfinished business: years. without water, these new parks face a • Immediately remove all barriers to grim future. water trade to enable purchases of The 2008 State of the Environment environmental water. A call for action by the Victorian National Parks Association 4 Our River Red Gum parks and threatened species are dying of thirst & Environment Victoria 5 thirsty 13species Victoria’s new national parks Report urges water buy-back n July 1, 2010, the Victorian The Barmah and Gunbower national n