Help for stressed river
$2m funding flows to improve health of our Moorabool waterway
MORE than $2 million will be spent on trying to improve the health of the stressed Moorabool River.
The State Government initiative aims to improve water flows and remove barriers to allow fish to move freely up the crucial waterway.
More than $670,000 will be spent targeting the upper catchment to reconnect land for conservation through new fencing, pest control and improved on-farm practices.
An access map has also been created that provides information on fishing tips, picnic and barbecue spots and how to get involved in citizen science and spot local wildlife.
Water Minister Lisa Neville yesterday said this was the first of 10 waterway projects to be launched across Victoria.
“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,” she said.
The funding comes amid ongoing concerns about the sustainability of the river, which is vital for growing cities and farmers in the region.
Drinking water for Ballarat and Geelong is supplied from reservoirs on the river, which is home to some of the country’s most endangered plant species and an array of wildlife.
Advocacy group People for A Living Moorabool told Parliament in August the river had the highest and worst ratio in Victoria for the amount of water diverted for other uses.
“In a number of regards, the Moorabool River is just barely functioning as a river,” their submission read. “Cease to flow events have markedly increased, while a greater frequency of low flows has amplified the disruptive impact of in-stream barriers such as weirs on the movement of fish species during breeding cycles. (It) has been progressively mined of its environmental values to serve both urban water consumers and farming businesses, but modern society has taken it far beyond reasonable limits.”