The Minister for Water Lisa Neville has announced a Ministerial Advisory Committee for the area including the Moorabool River. Having a direct avenue to the minister this committee will serve to as a conduit for bringing issues to the minister.
PALM is still to learn of the terms of reference for the committee or the makeup of its members. It's chair Chrisine Forster has been in an oversight position for the recent review of the Southern Region Sustainable Water Strategy and was present when PALM made submissions to DELWP for the review.
Press release 10 October 2018
The Andrews Labor Government has announced a new body to protect and improve the Barwon River.
Minister for Water and Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville joined Member for Geelong Christine Couzens today at the South Geelong Rowing Precinct to announce the new Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) for the Barwon, Moorabool and associated waterways.
The MAC will develop recommendations for the Minister for Water and Minister for Planning in 12 months to develop a community vision for the river, associated waterways and their landscapes – building on recent community engagement and focusing Aboriginal cultural heritage and recreation, among other priorities.
The MAC will be led by independent Chair, Christine Forster – who has significant experience in natural resource management – to oversee governance and engagement processes that support the plan over the next 18 months.
In addition, the Labor Government will improve visitor facilities and recreational access to the iconic Barwon River, as part of a new initiative to improve the health of the River.
In partnership with the Victorian Fisheries Authority and the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, $480,000 will fund the building of all-ability platforms for fishing, paddling, pet-swimming and small boat access through various sites of the Geelong section of Barwon River.
The River was selected as one of nine priority areas receiving funding as part of the Labor Government’s $3.2 million Boosting Recreational Water Use Initiative to protect and enhance waterways across Victoria.
The Barwon MAC process announced today mirrors the announcement made in August to develop a Waterways of the West Action Plan for the urban rivers in the west of Melbourne.
The Labor Government’s Water for Victoria policy recognises the connection that communities, Traditional Owners and other Aboriginal Victorians have to waterways and their landscapes.
The project will also improve fishing access to the Barwon River as part of the Labor Government’s Target One Million commitment to get more people fishing, more often.
More information about the Ministerial Advisory Committee and Barwon River Action Plan is available at: water.vic.gov.au.
The Central Region Sustainable Water Strategy, developed and implemented under the Bracks government, was a landmark document pivotal in securing environmental flows for rivers like the Moorabool River.
Legislation requires the strategy be reviewed every 10 years. The current review is underway and a draft report has been released. It can be found here;
https://engage.vic.gov.au/central-region-sws-review
There were public meetings scheduled through August and the two most relevant to the Moorabool River are the following:
Tuesday 7 August 2018 03:00 PM – 07:00 PM
Mechanics Institute Ballarat, 117 Sturt St, Ballarat
Tuesday 14 August 2018 03:00 PM – 07:00 PM
Geelong Wurdi Youang Room North Level 5, in the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre, 51 Malop St, Geelong
The final day for submissions was the 27th August 2018.
The original strategy chapters can be accessed by clicking on the links below;
- Cover and Chapter 1 (PDF, 2.1 MB)
- Chapter 2 (PDF, 918.5 KB)
- Chapter 3 (PDF, 4.5 MB)
- Chapter 4 (PDF, 2.5 MB)
- Chapter 5 and Glossary (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Chapter 4 is the most directly addressing the Moorabool River in the original.
Submission from People for A Living Moorabool
Update 25th October 2018
The review is now available at;
Central Region SWS review (PDF, 3.7 MB)
Central Region SWS Feedback synthesis report with responses (PDF, 387.0 KB)
It appears the Moorabool River was the most highly represented river within the Central Region so well done to all those involved in keeping the plight of this river in front of government.
The Moorabool River is facing the very real threat of stopping flowing completely along virtually its entire length.
Earlier last month a resident on the East Moorabool River informed us that the river had ceased to flow at his property below the Bostock Reservoir. Inquiries of Barwon Water confirmed the situation letting us know that passing flows from the Bostock Reservoir had been discontinued after an extended period of no inflows. According to them this was the first time this had occurred since the Millennial Drought in 2009.
A visit to the East Moorabool River on March the 31st showed the river completely stopped at the confluence with Bungal Creek.
About a week later we received reports that flows around the quarry below Batesford had ceased resulting in significant fish and eel mortality in the two pools that quickly dry out without inflows. It is our understanding that quarry staff worked to save a number of them.
Recently flows over the Batesford Weir ceased and duckweed is once again rife.
The CCMA have informed us that there are no passing flows being released from Lal Lal Reservior due to zero inflows. The only water the river is getting from the dam is the last of the current environmental flow which was due to cease on the 12th of April.
This flow was in evidence at Sharpes road Bridge on the 3rd of April.
The CCMA are now planning to use some of next season's allocation in order to keep the river flowing for the time being. This will understandably impact on what will be available for the environment but the situation is obviously becoming serious.
This could be another rough trot for this massively over allocated river and is indicitive of the lack of resilience it has to low rainfall periods. We ask that everyone keep a watching brief on the Moorabool River particularly with regard to fish deaths or black water events.
The Miner News Story 29th November 2017
Bruce Harwood, Mayor, City of Greater Geelong,Alice Knight, Chair, Corangamite Catchment Management Authority,Jo Plummer, Chair, Barwon Water,Lisa Neville, Victorian Water Minister,Byron Powell, Chair, Wathaurung Aboriginal Corporation,Cameron Steele, Coordinator, People for a Living Moorabool and Students from Covenant College Geelong.
On Monday on the banks of the Moorabool River at Batesford near Geelong the Minister for Water, the Hon Lisa Neville MP announced more than $2.1 million waterway investment as part of The Living Moorabool project.
“The Living Moorabool project is improving and protecting the health of the river – and this is the first site being launched as part of a series of waterway projects across the state.” The investment will be delivered in partnership with Corangamite Catchment Management Authority and Barwon Water, and will improve river banks and land surrounding the river though revegetation, weed control, improved water flows and the removal of barriers to allow fish to move freely up the river.
Part of the project is a Discover the Living Moorabool access map which is a mobile-friendly website that went live Monday. The site provides locals and visitors with information to help enjoy the Moorabool River featuring practical visitor information, as well as tips on the best places to fish, learn about cultural heritage or have a BBQ. It also includes impressive drone-captured aerial imagery and details of how the community can get involved in citizen science.
“We know the Moorabool river is a significant place for visitors and locals, and we want to ensure it remains a site that the local community are connected to and can visit and enjoy.” said Minister Neville.
Speaking at the launch Cameron Steele, coordinator for People for A Living Moorabool a group that has long championed a better deal for the Moorabool River, welcomed the news.
“Given a chance this river has the capacity to really capture the imagination as it did for those of us in PALM. It vitally needs more people experiencing what it has to offer and caring about its future. For us this day is about people along with agencies and government working together for a living Moorabool.” He also reinforced the fact that the Moorabool River is arguably the most over-allocated and flow stressed in the state.
The Living Moorabool project directly responds to a community call to action for a healthier Moorabool River. Drinking water for rapidly growing cities of Ballarat and Geelong is supplied from reservoirs on the Moorabool River. The river also sustains life for some of the most endangered plant species in Australia and is a vital habitat corridor for birds, fish and platypus.
The Moorabool River is identified as a priority waterway in both the Corangamite Waterway Strategy and Water for Victoria, the Victorian Government’s water plan.
Through The Living Moorabool project Corangamite CMA will work with Barwon Water, local communities, the Traditional Owners, landholders and local government to achieve a healthier, more vibrant Moorabool River that can sustain a range of values.
Activities to be delivered through the project include river bank and instream protection, removal of fish barriers, ecological research and improved monitoring and reporting.
The Discover the Moorabool mobile-friendly website can be found here: http://www.ccmaknowledgebase.vic.gov.au/moorabool/index.php
Footage of the recent environmental release.
It was taken downstream of She Oaks Weir along the westerly run above Sharpes Crossing.
There is some weed infestation along the Eastern bank which will need attention but it is still a very pretty part of the river. The flows were certainly driving some instream activity with a platypus sighting to finish the trip.
The Corangaminte Catchment Management Authority has approached the community for input into the naming of an upcoming project for the Moorabool River a description of which can be found below
It is our opinion that anything catering for community involvement in decisions within our water authorities at any level should be both encouraged and supported. If you know of others who may be interested in participating then please send them a link to either this page or directly to the polling link. We have included a description of the project which at this time had not been included in the doodle.com link.
The Corangamite CMA is coordinating a strategic river management framework for planning, communicating and implementing long-term waterway work programs for the Moorabool River. The project aims to bring together community, industry and government partners to achieve a shared vision of a healthy and sustainable Moorabool River through a coordinated approach to on ground works, water for the environment, and other restoration projects. The project will likely be launched in September, and we would like your help in naming the project. We have short listed some options, to vote just click on the following link and tick your favourite.
For the record there has been some discussion within PALM that the Living Moorabool option was a little too close to People for A Living Moorabool and that borrowed legitimacy may have resulted. Ultimately though whatever advances the cause of this river should be embraced and there is no denying the strength of the term Living Moorabool.
Edit: This process is now finished and the project will be available for public viewing soon.
In late June 2017 it was announced in a press release from the Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Development Committee of the Victorian Parliament that there was to be an inquiry held into “The management, governance and use of environmental water”.
The committee's terms of reference are;
That the Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Development Committee inquire into the Victorian Environmental Water Holder annual report 2015-16 and report, no later than June 2018, into the management, governance and use of environmental water in Victoria including, but not limited to —
the assessment of the role of environmental water management in preventing or causing ‘blackwater’ events;
how environmental water and environmental water managers interact with, and utilise, management tools such as carryover and whether the carryover of environmental water impacts on the availability of water for irrigators;
consideration of what barriers exist to the more efficient use of environmental water and how these may be addressed; and
assessment of fees and charges applied to environmental water and whether these differ from those imposed on other water users.
On the face of it this did seem innocuous enough even given the notion of environmental flows potentially causing 'blackwater' events.
A reading of Hansard has revealed that the impetus for the inquiry has come from a National Party member in the north of the state where there has historically been some questions raised over the use and extent of environmental flows. We have put together summary of the exchange in Hansard on the 10th of May 2017 which can be found here. It is long but worth the read.
As a group which fought hard for environmental flows the Moorabool River PALM members are very keen to ascertain if the small gains that were acheived for the most flow-stressed river in the State are at risk.
Update August 2017
PALM has made a submission to the inquiry which can be found at the following links;
On a recent Sunday members of PALM interviewed Alison Pouliot and Tim Fletcher for our upcoming film on the Moorabool River. Alison is a freshwater ecologist and environmental photographer; Tim is a Professor of Urban Ecohydrology at the University of Melbourne. Both have research experience with the Moorabool River, and Tim also has been involved in the design and monitoring of several large-scale pilot green infrastructure projects in both Australia and France. We met at the Mollongghip Hall for a picnic lunch under a shady tree and an fascinating in-depth chat about water issues and the Moorabool River. Then we drove into the nearby Wombat Forest to film the interviews. Many thanks to Tim and Alison for making the day a great success by giving up their valuable time and contributing their views and experience to the film.
Production of the film is progressing well and we will soon travel again through the Moorabool catchment to do more filming of important sites. The film is being made by She Oaks Films, who produced the earlier film on the Moorabool, "Lost Waters", released in 2008. We will notify supporters when the film is to be released.
