News items and media releases are stored on this page of our website for six months. Older media releases are available by emailing communications@wgcma.vic.gov.au. Our latest news stories are below.
If you are looking for our podcast series Gippslandscapes you will find them here.
We are holding a community update to find out what has been happening so far on the Protecting our Ponds project, on Wednesday 12 October from 10am - 2pm in the Munro Hall.
World Rivers Day, celebrated on the fourth Sunday of September each year, is a day to remember, acknowledge and remind ourselves of the value of the world’s rivers. In Gippsland it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA), a body established in 1997, to work with community, landholders, and others to protect, improve and enhance the rivers of West Gippsland.
Search citizen science project to detect platypus through environmental DNA (eDNA) has revealed that the threatened species is widespread across West Gippsland being found in over ten water waterways across the catchment.
Irrigators in or near the Macalister Irrigation Area (MIA), can now apply to secure funding for farm plans or irrigation system upgrades.
Endangered and significant native fish species will soon be able to travel upstream along the Macalister River, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government’s investment in a new fishway at the Maffra Weir.
It's National Tree Day, this Sunday 31 July, and it is also planting season for the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.
Partnerships in action is what West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) is all about and the Powlett River/Kugerungmome Partnerships Project is the latest example of how many hands can make light work for the environment.
Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) is proud to play a part in meeting the future challenges for water in the region by delivering its fourth Regional Catchment Strategy – essentially a ‘blueprint’ for catchment health and care for the next five years.
Over the past week, West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) has coordinated artificial openings of Bourne Creek and Powlett River estuaries that naturally closed in February this year.
Landcare grants are now open to groups across West Gippsland with project grants and funds on offer to support Landcare and environmental volunteering groups and networks across West Gippsland.
The Powlett River estuary is a significant and ever-changing wetland that provides essential habitat for wildlife. The river mouth closed to Bass Strait in February 2022 and West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) is monitoring the natural event.
Happy World Fish Migration Day everyone from West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA). The global celebration on 21 May only happens every two years - but connecting rivers to allow migratory species to break free is what WGCMA does every day.
On International Migratory Bird Day this Saturday 14 May, West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) celebrates the thousands of migratory birds set for take off on their annual migration and asks people to consider switching off their lights to assist these globetrotting birds’ travels.
Community representatives from across West Gippsland recently met to kick off the next three-year term of West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s (WGCMA) Community Engagement Network.
World Water Day formed the perfect backdrop for four Commissioners from the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) to visit West Gippsland and see firsthand the challenges and opportunities for water for the environment in the region.
The Gippsland experience of landholders, communities and government agencies working together to protect the Gippsland Lakes was recently shared with land managers from the Lake Limboto area of Indonesia.
Landcare groups will now be able to spend more time helping the environment and less time managing members thanks to the newly released Landcare in West Gippsland Membership Portal.
Irrigators with a bright idea are being asked to put their hands up for funds to put it to the test. The Irrigation Demonstration Project is open to all irrigators in central Gippsland working in all fields of agriculture.
Do you live in and love West Gippsland’s catchments? Would you like to get involved in their management and care? Then this opportunity is for you! West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) is currently seeking new members for their Community Engagement Network.
This World Wetlands Day, the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority is inviting people to recognise the amazing role wetlands play in the environment and to heed the call to take action to save the world’s wetlands from disappearing and to restore those we have degraded.
The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority , alongside landholders, other agencies and contractors are set to commence major flood recovery works across the region to to repair damage to waterways caused by the June 2021 flooding which heavily impacted several Gippsland catchments.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed things for everyone. For Landcare in West Gippsland it has meant the last year has looked a bit different to other years.
On International Volunteer Day, Sunday December 2021, as communities around the globe celebrate the important role volunteers play in responding to challenges facing the world, West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) honours the local heroes who make a difference in our corner of the globe and asks others to think about contributing a few hours in 2022.
Recent State Government funding has allowed Landcare Networks in West Gippsland to welcome a new crew of exciting and innovative facilitators who will be working in their communities around recruitment of volunteers and welcoming existing members back to on-ground works.
Landcare groups in the West Gippsland Catchment Management region have shone brightly in the latest round of grant funding with 15 Landcare groups receiving an injection of funds that will enable projects to connect people and restore the natural environment.
Flood recovery works at the Thomson River Fishway have been completed allowing fish to migrate over the Spring.
With humans travelling less right now, it's great to know that the international flight schedules of migratory shorebirds, known as waders, are right on time.
Work to restore impacts incurred at the Thomson River Fishway, during the June floods is set to commence this week.
Farmers wishing to upgrade irrigation infrastructure in the central Gippsland area are encouraged to apply for funding under the Central Gippsland Irrigation Efficiency Incentives Program.
Despite a pandemic, lockdowns and uncertainty, Landcare in West Gippsland is thriving and looking optimistically towards the future. A ‘Health Survey’ of the five Landcare Networks: Maffra and District Landcare Network, Latrobe Landcare Network, Yarram Yarram Landcare Network, South Gippsland Landcare Network and Bass Coast Landcare Network, shows continued interest and passion for protecting and improving the environment.
The future management direction of the region’s land, water and biodiversity as well as our magnificent coastal areas is up for discussion that will set a course for the next six years.
A soon to be constructed irrigation pipeline around Newry has seen a number of local landholders get to work on planting native trees along the Newry Creek. The renewing Newry Creek Project funded by the State Government’s Victorian Landcare Grants is a ‘happy accidental outcome’ of the work being done around the pipeline construction where landholders have put their hands up to be part of an initiative to do revegetation work along their sections of the Newry Creek.
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) will continue to work with Trust for Nature on the Protecting our Ponds project around Stockdale. Trust for Nature has recently purchased a 50-hectare property at Stockdale through its Revolving Fund program. This program buys properties that have significant conservation value and on-sells them to buyers who agree to place a legally binding conservation covenant on them, protecting them for life. This property features several ponds which in partnership with the WGCMA and other bodies will be rehabilitated over coming years.
The NAIDOC 2021 theme – Heal Country! – calls on all of us to continue to seek greater protection for land, water, sacred sites and cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction.
This week, more than 60 Landcarers and natural resource management specialists have attended cultural heritage training at the Knob Reserve with staff from the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC).
When buying a property in the country, it can be hard to work out where to start, but for Chris Miller and his family, the first part of the job was working out which Landcare area he was in.
The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) is acknowledging the role volunteers play in our community this National Volunteers Week.
Stories from across generations and backgrounds have been collected in Stories of Wirn wirndook Yerung – The Macalister River, a book produced by the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA).
Corner Inlet will be home to an additional 12 hectares of seagrass meadows, thanks to a partnership between Yarram Yarram Landcare Network and West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA).
Many Landcare projects are sites within a landholder’s property and work to repair the landscape, provide shelter to stock and a refuge for wildlife. They can sit, like steppingstones in a waterway. Islands, isolated and separate.
Snappers have been busy taking snaps. Judges have been busy judging. And the winners have most definitely won in the West Gippsland Catchment Management Water for the Environment photo competition.
Recent fish surveys in the Thomson River have seen the highest catch rates of the Tupong since targeted surveys began in 2004. “This is another good result and continues the steady increase we’ve seen in fish populations over a number of years,” said Dr. Stephanie Suter, Environmental Water Resource Officer with the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA).
Farm businesses in the Macalister Irrigation District are more efficient, productive, resilient and less polluting following the conclusion of a state government program. The sustainable irrigation program (SIP) managed by the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) saw $2 million of funding allocated to a range of irrigation initiatives leading to a further $7 million in investment by individual farm businesses.
There is currently a range of funding options available for Landcare projects in Victoria. West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s (WGCMA) Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator, Sam Shannon, said the Community Volunteer Action Grants close soon on Thursday, 1 April.
It’s time to grab the phone or the camera and head out to one of your favourite watery spots and enter the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s Water for the Environment Photo Competition.
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority is working with Parks Victoria to control Spartina with targeted spraying in Corner, Anderson and Shallow inlets in March.
Recent fish surveys in the Thomson River have seen the highest catch rates of Tupong since targeted surveys began in 2004. “This is another good result and continues the increase we’ve seen in fish populations over a number of years,” said Dr. Stephanie Suter, Environmental Water Resource Officer with the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA).
The search is on for members of the irrigation community to join a local Irrigation Reference Group.
Even before you drive in the front gate, it is a striking property. The imposing, majestic gums that remind the visitor that European farming methods have been practiced on this land for only a short period of time greet you as you make the turn and drive towards the Dean family home.
Bushwalkers, kayakers, and fishers are being asked to keep an eye out for one of Victoria’s most elusive and loved animals, the platypus.
Wetlands in Australia have, to a large extent, had a troubled time since European settlement. As graziers started to work the land before them, wetlands were an impediment to production and would frequently be drained to allow pasture to grow and stock to graze.
More than 200 people have provided valuable input into how land, water and biodiversity in the Gippsland region will be managed over the next five years. The first stage of a review into the West Gippsland Regional Catchment Strategy (RCS) has concluded with an initial community survey together with a series of focus groups and interviews with community members looking at local issues.
Corner Inlet is one of the most unique natural wonderlands in Victoria, if not Australia, supporting a huge number of migratory and wader bird populations and is home to many rare species of plants and marine life.
The Ainsworth family farm nestles between State Park and commercial plantations in Stradbroke West, with Merriman Creek running through its western and northern edge.
Do you have an interest in the future of land, water and biodiversity in the West Gippsland region?
The rains of spring have certainly been welcomed by farmers, but local waterways are enjoying the experience too.
For the last 13 years a Boolarra citizen scientist has carefully monitored the water quality at two sites along the Morwell River, contributing hours of in-kind work and data.
Gippslanders are encouraged to download the Aussie Bird Count app and record their backyard bird sightings between 19 and 25 October.
Gippsland will be receiving hundreds of international travellers in coming weeks as they escape the harsh northern winter.
Mid-August saw the very wet start of the Southern Rural Water (SRW) irrigation season in Gippsland.
This World Rivers Day, on Sunday, 27 September is an opportunity to reflect on the importance rivers play to all aspects of our lives and think more broadly than the pathway the river forges through the landscape.
Cowwarr walkers and cyclists have a new opportunity to take a snap and help monitor what's happening in Rainbow Creek.
Landholders in the Wellington Shire are being urged to wage war on weeds this spring through a new program being overseen by the Wellington Shire Council through funding by the Federal Government.
A new era for farm businesses in Newry is about to begin with the start of major upgrade works and opportunities to improve farm efficiency.
Recent rainfall across Gippsland is giving wetlands and rivers a much-needed drink after several dry winters.
After nearly ten successful years working to protect and enhance Corner Inlet, the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s Costal Saltmarsh Protection Program is expanding to work with new landholders and more closely with partner agencies.
Nothing says a waterway is in a healthier state than the sight of native animals doing their thing.
While most of our work with the farming community is based around projects focussed on protecting waterways there is another part of our work which aims to assist farmers to be more productive on the land.
Water will be released from water storages in the Macalister and Thomson rivers to help support the spawning of migratory fish and flush the estuaries in our river systems.
Farmers in the Macalister Irrigation District have an extra month to apply for funding for irrigation upgrades under the Irrigation Efficiency Incentives Program.
One of the jewels in Victoria’s environment is having ‘a moment’ following the recent rains.
In line with directions taken across the water and catchment sector, we will be closing our Traralgon, Leongatha and Maffra offices and our depots to the public as of Wednesday, 25 March.
With so much of their work based around after-hours meetings and working with landholders on their properties, the prospect of getting 18 Landcare facilitators from across the Gippsland region in one room for two days to discuss their work is a pretty exciting one.
Additional water flows into the Heyfield Wetlands have had the desired effect seeing increased bird visitation, native vegetation growth and a thriving native animal population evident.
On the eve of National Close the Gap Day, Landcarers from across Gippsland are preparing to get together with Traditional Owner groups to learn more about protecting cultural heritage.
Farmers from across the central Gippsland region are showing their commitment to a better environment by signing up to a new round of funding of the Fert$mart program.
Local waterways were targeted as part of a Clean Up Australia day blitz by West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA).
Plans to manage the Rainbow Creek and Thomson River near Cowwarr have been received positively by members of the community at a recent public meeting.
Here are the plans to make the Thomson River and Rainbow Creek even better waterways.
An information night being held in Traralgon in coming days will show farmers how they can make money from growing trees.
Through this year’s fires and floods, rivers and bushland in the West Gippsland region have remained largely unaffected. The focus of much media and public attention has rightly been on areas devastated by fire. Supporting colleagues and friends in fire-affected areas has been a top priority for West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) staff. But as the crisis continues, we’re left wondering, just how important are unaffected rivers systems and habitat right now.
The work to re-connect the upper and lower sections of the Thomson River through the construction of a fishway at Horseshoe Bend is starting to see positive results.
Are you an irrigator in or near the Macalister Irrigation District (MID)? If you’ve been thinking about making irrigation upgrades this year, make sure you get your application to the MID Irrigation Efficiency Incentives Program before Monday, 16 March 2020.
After more than 12 month’s work, community members are invited to view proposed works on the Thomson River and Rainbow Creek near Cowwarr.
Landholders, with an ambition to build their own 'Grand Design' in flood plain areas, are encouraged to consult new 'Guidelines for development in flood prone areas' before getting the earth movers into lay out the foundations.
Maybe, like us, you watched the news this year. Let’s be honest, it didn’t look great. Our headlines have been dominated by drought, conflict, fires, crime and other calamities. But do you remember the good news from the year? Do you remember the amazing things that have happened environmentally in Gippsland this year? Do you remember the quiet achievers? The people who have got it done? Probably not. Here are a few headlines you might have missed.
Farmers aren’t the only people to change the way they are working during this drought.
South Gippsland’s Belinda Brennan has returned from her inspiring trip to Uganda as a delegate to the Ugandan Landcare Network Conference.
As part of the partnership between WGCMA and the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC), the GLaWAC Cultural Water team recently visited Corner Inlet. The purpose of the visit was to learn more about the CMA projects in the area and the renowned Corner Inlet Connections project.
Champions of the environment are the focus of next year’s calendar from the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.
Rivers in central Gippsland will receive something of a ‘top up’ this week with the release of waters as part of the ‘Water for the Environment’ program.
The message of Landcare will travel from the rolling hills of South Gippsland to the plateaus of Uganda in coming weeks as Australian Landcare International (ALI) volunteer Belinda Brennan prepares to address the Uganda National Landcare Conference.
People who might feel a little helpless in terms of climate change are being reminded that Landcare provides an opportunity for them to make a meaningful difference.
Landcare groups from across Gippsland will share more than $200,000 in grants in the latest round of the Victorian Landcare Grants.
The Gippsland region was well represented at the recent Victorian Landcare Awards with several locals winning at the bi-annual event.
Gary Howard’s first recollection of the area known as The Heart Morass, near Sale was back in the mid-70s when the property was still managed as a farm, the water in the Latrobe River was fresh and the whole area looked, in Gary’s words, “phenomenal”.
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA) Chair, Peter Jennings OAM, recently welcomed three new members to its independent, skills-based board.
Work to construct a fishway on the Thomson River near the Horseshoe Bend Tunnel, to allow seasonal migration of native fish has been completed by the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA). The new fishway will allow access to the upper Thomson and Aberfeldy rivers to native fish for the first time in a century. The Thomson River is one of the region’s most significant and ecologically important rivers, and the creation of a fishway to allow passage between the Gippsland Lakes to the Victorian alpine region is a state priority.
School students from across the Latrobe City, Wellington and Baw Baw Shires have made this year’s National Tree Day an absolute blockbuster.
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) has a key role in assessing the flood risk of developments and new homes in the western half of Gippsland. This includes Warragul, Leongatha, Wonthaggi, Foster, Sale, Yarram, Traralgon, Moe, Morwell and all the communities in between.
An ancient fish species is benefiting from water released for the environment into Gippsland river systems.
The Heyfield Wetlands will receive its biggest inflow of water this August as part of a Water for the Environment initiative.
Over the next four weeks, 10,000 trees will be planted in the Latrobe Valley as part of a National Tree Day initiative coordinated by the Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network.
Fifteen hectares of denuded coastal country near Toora in South Gippsland might not be a good starting point. But the journey that Diana Droog and her husband Hugh have taken over the last 10 years is one marked by vision, openness and a sense of wanting to leave the world a slightly better place.
Work to create a fishway at Horseshoe Bend has been completed.
A partnership between WGCMA, Trust for Nature and HVP Plantations is helping protect and preserve the unique chain of ponds system in the Providence Ponds and Perry River catchment.
What do you get when you put climate change researchers, meteorologists, lawyers and farmers in a room together? An incredible conference.
Spartina, also known as Rice Grass or Cordgrass, was introduced to Australian farms in the 1920s and has since become aggressively invasive, competing with indigenous plants, degrading waterbird and fish habitats and restricting waterways.
Landholders, locals and those with an interest in the environment are encouraged to attend an upcoming meeting to discuss the future of the Thomson and Rainbow Creek near Cowwarr.
Trees are vital for healthy waterways and local fishing groups turned out last weekend to give the Macalister River a health boost.
Work on the Thomson River Fishway at Horseshoe Bend is on schedule, despite the project start date being delayed by bushfire.
The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) and the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (BLCAC) formally cemented their partnership, signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday, 20th May 2019.
In the current drought conditions, releases of water for the environment help keep our rivers flowing and play a vital role in the lives of local eels.
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority is working with Parks Victoria to control Spartina with targeted spraying in Corner Inlet, Shallow Inlet and Anderson Inlet in May.
Award-winning ABC Landline reporter, Tim Lee will be at the West Gippsland Arts Centre in Warragul on Thursday, 20th June, as part of the Climate Risk in Agriculture Conference.
The Victorian Landcare Grants are now open for volunteers to help protect and restore West Gippsland’s land and environment.
Rare and threatened plant species have been found as part of a field-based assessment of the Chain of Ponds waterways near Munro.
The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) and Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) re-signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Tuesday, 16th April.
Finding the right partner isn’t just the realm of dating shows. Productive and fruitful partnerships involve trust, commitment and a shared vision for the future.
Permaculture was in the spotlight at a training day organised by the Yarram Yarram and South Gippsland Landcare Networks.
Low rainfall and the impact of drought has required a different approach to water releases this year.
Local knowledge and links to the community will play a key role in the transition to a new rural drainage management system in West Gippsland.
Wilsons Prom provided a magnificent backdrop for two days of Landcare staff training last month.
Current drought conditions mean that many wetlands in Gippsland are drying up.
Local waterways were targeted as part of a Clean Up Australia day blitz by West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA).
Climate change and what it means for farmers will be explored at a conference at the West Gippsland Arts Centre in Warragul on Thursday, 20th June.
A Gippsland farm is the first in the world to be eligible for soil credits under the Paris Agreement.
A new fox and rabbit control program is being introduced along the Bunurong Coast.
A program to mentor farmers and help them manage and develop their properties is being trialled through the South Gippsland and Yarram Yarram Landcare Networks.
Local youngster got their hands on a huntsman as part of a Bug Blitz in Traralgon last month.
The newly formed Glengarry Landcare group got off to a flying start, hosting a Clean Up Australia Day in Glengarry last week.
On the eve of this year's Close the Gap day, staff from West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) and Gippsland Water spent a day learning about Gunaikurnai culture and history, as part of a Cultural Heritage training program.
The Lake Wellington Land and Water Management Plan aims to improve farm productivity and profitability, while protecting the waterways and lakes in Gippsland’s premier irrigation region.
Twenty students taking part in a summer intensive project at Federation University got some on-ground experience with our Environmental Water team in February.
A group of irrigation farmers in the Lake Wellington catchment is helping to shape the future of the industry in the area.
If you’re passionate about how our natural resources are managed, the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) needs you for the new Community Engagement Network (CEN).
From the start of February until mid-2019 there will be no public access to Horseshoe Bend, while work is underway to create the Thomson River Fishway.
A unique approach to working with Traditional Owners has transformed the way the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority protects and manages the natural environment.
If you’re looking for the perfect holiday activity that is also kid-friendly, come and explore the estuary at Screw Creek in Inverloch on Friday, 11th January from 10am.
Landholders and community groups can now apply for up to $200,000 under round 2 of Smart Farms Small Grants.
On Saturday, 8 December a community information session will be held at the Cowwarr Public Hall to talk about the long-term vision for Rainbow Creek.
Members of the Albert River Landcare Group got together last week to celebrate their work revitalising the Albert River Road Reserve in partnership VicRoads, Yarram Yarram Landcare Network and West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA).
Are you an irrigator in the Lake Wellington catchment? This includes irrigators in the Macalister Irrigation District as well as those around the Latrobe, Thomson, Macalister and Avon rivers.
A quick photo on an iPhone could help capture valuable information on the local environment and contribute to a decade-long database of visual monitoring.
Woods Environmental Services has been awarded the contract to re-connect the Thomson River by creating a fishway at Horseshoe Bend.
We have been announced as the successful service provider to deliver the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program Regional Land Partnerships.
Victoria’s catchment management authorities (CMAs) have had another strong year, delivering healthier waterways and catchments, jobs and more liveable communities right across the state.
When it’s dry, the environment needs water too. That’s why environmental flows will be released in the Macalister, Thomson and Latrobe rivers at the start of November.
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority is working with Parks Victoria to control Spartina with targeted spraying in Anderson Inlet, Shallow Inlet and Corner Inlet during October and November.
Two international Landcare delegates have visited Gippsland as part of a program to share ideas and extend the Landcare movement worldwide.
Inverloch’s Kathleen Brack has been named at the National Landcare Awards in Brisbane as the Austcover Young Landcare Leader of the year.
Keeping a close eye on noxious weeds is a key part of managing the health of our waterways.
Six local schools have received $25,110 as part of the Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grants announced this week. Primary schools at Airly, Boisdale, Fish Creek, Traralgon and Woodside, as well as an early learning centre in Sale were among the 109 successful applicants announced by the Minister for the Environment, The Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio earlier this month.
The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) is calling for public tenders to create a fishway on the Thomson River at Horseshoe Bend.
More than 25,000 trees planted at a Toora North property, to help stop erosion in its steep gullies, is having a flow on effect to improving seagrass and fish habitat in Ramsar listed Corner Inlet.
Minister for the Environment, Lily D’Ambrosio, announced $165,698 funding for Victorian Landcare Grants in West Gippsland.
A large wetland on the lower Latrobe River has filled and dried for the first time since restoration works were completed in June 2017.
NAIDOC Week is held each July to acknowledge and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Heritage Victoria has granted the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) a permit to proceed with the Thomson River Fishway subject to conditions.
Willows and waterways may be a perfect combination in childhood stories, but in real life willows pose a serious threat to the health of our waterways.
Perry Bridge farmers Jen Ribolli and David and Ruth Read are leading the way with their regenerative approach to pasture management. Over the last sixteen years, the family’s beef and sheep farm has pioneered innovative techniques in soil health and perennial pastures with impressive results.
When fishing groups and catchment management authorities work together, it’s a win-win situation for the rivers, fish and the anglers.
The far upper reaches of the Franklin and Agnes rivers in South Gippsland are inaccessible to most, but these pristine waterways have been the focus of a new program aimed at tackling willow infestations.
The pressures of running a farm make it hard to take time out to learn about new methods and ideas, but for Foster farmer David Hall, it’s an essential part of his business.
With twenty-five years’ experience and an agriculture degree, Ron Paynter knows a thing or two about farming. Even so, he says the day-to-day pressures of running a farm stop him from implementing all the systems and procedures he’d like to.
New water control gates at the south eastern end of Heart Morass will allow water into and out of the wetland helping to improve the health of the wetland and provide improved habitat for the animals that call it home.
An enthusiastic group of local residents came together this month at the Munro Hall to learn more about the Protecting Our Ponds project.
The 2018 round of the Victorian Landcare Grants are now open!
Low rainfall in 2018 has resulted in low river flows and natural river closures at estuary mouths across Victoria. The Powlett River is one of those that has recently closed its connection to the ocean.
More efficient and effective use of fertilisers by farmers in the Macalister Irrigation Area should see a reduction in the amount of nutrients entering the Gippsland Lakes.
A two-day bus trip across Gippsland in April highlighted the successes and challenges facing agriculture in the region.
On the last weekend in April, Gippsland Intrepid Landcare held their first ever Landcare retreat down at Sandy Point. Gippsland Intrepid Landcare are a volunteer based organisation and believe that we are all lucky to live within such a precious and beautiful region.
Healthy rivers supply water for towns, farms and businesses and contribute to local economies through industries such as agriculture, fishing and tourism.
For the past decade, Richard Allen has quietly gone to war with an invasive species that threatens some of our most beloved waterways. As a keen fisherman, Richard knows unhealthy waterways have an enormous impact on the fish population. Luckily, his passion for fishing intersects neatly with his role as a Project Coordinator for West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA). Part of his job involves overseeing a weed control program aimed at eradicating Spartina, an invasive weed that can destroy inter-tidal zones and habitat.
Recent works at Stockyard Creek will help protect the iconic trestle bridge at a popular access point just downstream from Foster.
On Thursday 12th April 2018, Mr Terry Hubbard, the chair of Landcare Victoria Inc., and Dr Peter Veenker, the chair of Vic Catchments, signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations to strengthen natural resource management in Victoria.
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) has applied to Heritage Victoria for a heritage permit which will allow it to proceed the Thomson River Fishway to tender.
This year for Close the Gap Day we have put together a colouring in competition featuring artwork by Bunurong artist Adam Magennis.
Mardan - Mirboo North Landcarers, Ian and Helen Hasty are restoring an eroded gully on their farm in Mardan, thanks to a grant from the South Gippsland Landcare Network and help from their local landcare group.
With 1,400 dairy farms spread across the Gippsland region it makes sense for the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority to partner with the organisation that works with the region’s dairy farmers – GippsDairy/Dairy Australia.
The 5th episode of "Talk to the Hands", is now live and it tells the story of the restoration of The Heart Morass.
Water is an essential ingredient for producing food, to sustain local economies and for our rivers and streams to maintain the ecosystems that we value.
The five Landcare Networks in our region, have successfully delivered 26 individual Landcare projects between them as part of the 2016/17 Victorian Landcare grants.
Farmers and irrigators can have their say on the Lake Wellington Land and Water Management Plan which aims to make sure the catchment continues to be an attractive irrigation region and its valuable environmental and cultural features are protected. WGCMA Chief Executive Officer, Martin Fuller, said the aim of the plan is to involve irrigators in programs that save water, increase productivity and retains nutrients and soil on farms.
Victoria’s CMAs have showcased the role they play in protecting and enhancing the state’s land, water and biodiversity through the release of their 2016-17 Actions and Achievements Report. The Victorian Catchment Management Authorities’ Actions and Achievement Report 2016-17 was released by the Hon Lisa Neville MP and outlines contributions the 10 CMAs have made to Victoria’s environment, economy and liveability.
Sale’s Gary Howard, Inverloch’s Angus Hume and Bass Coast Shire Council’s Strategic Planning Team have been named this year’s winners of the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s (WGCMA) Lyrebird Awards.
Winners of the West Gippsland Lyrebird Awards, which honour and promote outstanding achievements in natural resource management, will be announced in Inverloch on Friday, 8 December.
Dairy farmers in the Stratford, Sale, Heyfield and Maffra areas could receive up to $15,000 of funding per project to help keep nutrient and sediments on their farms.
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) has provided $100,000 in funding split between 24 Landcare groups.
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority is working with Parks Victoria to control Spartina with targeted spraying in Anderson Inlet, Shallow Inlet and Corner Inlet in November.
Over the last 20 years thousands of tonnes of nutrients and sediments have been saved from entering the Macalister River and ultimately the Gippsland Lakes thanks to a partnership between farmers, landowners, Landcare, the community and the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.
Using renewable energy to power a new grazing enterprise will be one of the main topics for discussion at a Healthy Soils Sustainable Farms field day at Cape Liptrap on Tuesday, 14 November.
A project to tackle willow control in the headwaters of the Avon and Macalister rivers is creating big benefits downstream.
Corner Inlet and Nooramunga consist of shallow marine waters, intertidal mudflats and around forty islands. The inlet is home to the only extensive seagrass (Posidonia australis) meadow in southern Australia and the waterbody is vital for fish breeding and migratory birds, the area is listed as a Ramsar site* and a marine and coastal park.
Corner Inlet and Norramunga includes a complex network of intertidal mangroves, saltmarsh, mud banks, seagrass beds, islands and deeper channels. Multiple rivers flow through a highly productive catchment to converge at the inlet which is home to many rare species of plants and animals and supports healthy economies.
Traditional owners are playing a vital role in preserving cultural heritage, providing direction and getting work done in the Corner Inlet catchment area.
Macalister Irrigation District (MID) irrigators now have the flexibility to apply for funding for on-farm irrigation upgrades when they are ready and prepared to do the works.
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority's 2016/17 Annual Report was recently tabled in Parliament outlining a range of achievements and challenges faced over the year.
A project to plant more than 20,000 native trees at Silcocks Hill, outside Toora, has seen an improvement in the health of seagrass beds and fish populations in the Corner Inlet Marine and Coastal Park. Since the planting of the trees, which began in 2012, run off from the degraded agricultural land has decreased, contributing to a reduction in sediment and nutrient loads into the Ramsar-listed Corner Inlet, and revitalising seagrass and fish populations.
This year, West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA), celebrates its 20th Anniversary and is looking forward to working with the community and partners to make a difference for many years to come.
Parks Victoria, West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority, Birdlife Australia and Victorian Fisheries Authority joined forces this week to deliver the Broadening Horizons project for Year 8 students at Foster Secondary College.
The 2nd episode of 'Talk to the Hands' tells the story of how a beautiful wetland was created by a local community for the benefit of the sporting oval.
This first episode of 'Talk to the Hands' tells a wonderful story of the Black Spur Wetlands, situated between Koonwarra and Meeniyan.
Gippsland Intrepid Landcare is aiming to bring a new generation of young people to Landcare by creating fun, innovative and adventurous Landcare events.
The Korumburra Landcare group formed in 1994 and covers the upper Powlett catchment, which starts in Main Street, Korumburra.
GrazFert is a new program run by Agriculture Victoria, that helps beef and sheep producers understand their soil and nutrient requirements and make better decisions about fertiliser inputs on farm.
Anthony Lalor and his wife Cathy are dairyfarmers in Willow Grove. Anthony started in Landcare when the Tanjil Valley Landcare Group formed 20 years ago.
Leon and Cathy Trembath were recognised for their wonderful contribution to Landcare at our recent green carpet awards.
After a three month closure, the Powlett River Mouth was artificially opened on Friday 7 July. This was in response to conditions which enabled a safe and sustained opening.
When Katie and Ben found their property at Toora North, they knew it was exactly what they wanted for their family - 35 acres of lush, green forest featuring a picture-perfect 1920s wood cabin.
Dream Island, off the coast of McLoughlins Beach in South Gippsland, is a dream for local nesting shorebirds and migratory waders.
More than 40 people packed the Munro Hall in May to discuss issues facing the Perry River and Providence Ponds as part of the Perry River Our Catchments Our Communities Project.
Plants and wildlife that rely on the Thomson River for food and shelter will receive a boost thanks to an additional eight gigalitres (GL) (on average) being granted for the benefit of the Thomson River ecosystem.
On the 29th of May, farmers in the Jack and Albert rivers have the opportunity to hear from an agricultural expert and a local farmer on how improving fertiliser programs has saved one farm around $30,000 this year.
Environmentally-minded young people from across Gippsland congregated at Wilsons Prom last weekend as part of Victoria’s first Intrepid Landcare Retreat.
Low river flows have allowed a sandbar to build up at the mouth of the Powlett River closing the river to the ocean. West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority CEO, Martin Fuller, said the closure provides important habitat for plants and animals
Martin Slate, an organic beef producer at Fumina South has been involved with Landcare for about 27 years, starting when he became one of the founding members of the Tanjil Valley Landcare Group.
Some people just know what they are meant to do, right from the word go. Ian Cornthwaite started his first plant nursery when he was nine years old and by the age of 14, he was selling plants to passers-by and had a nursery sign on the roadside shed.
The Thomson and Latrobe rivers are generally well known in central Gippsland. However, the 50-kilometre channel network, made up of the ‘Central Gippsland Drain Numbers Two and Three, which connects the two waterways, are less known.
Twenty-five local Landcare individuals and groups were recognised on Sunday, 30 April for their outstanding contribution to the environment as part of West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s (WGCMA) Green Carpet Awards.
Every summer, Corner Inlet in South Gippsland is a hive of activity - and it’s not just tourists that flock to the area to visit the adjacent Wilsons Promontory. Thousands of migratory waterbirds, including snipe, sandpipers, and tern, travel to the Ramsar listed inlet and its barrier sand islands as part of their annual nesting, feeding, and breeding lifecycle.
Twenty Scouts from the East Gippsland and Wellington districts attended a weekend camp at the Clive Disher Scouts Park, about 15 minutes south east of Stratford on 22 and 23 April.
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) is looking for local knowledge about the Perry River and surrounding area to help inform a four year natural resource management project.
Evaluation of cultural heritage training with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (BLCAC) has shown an increase in both awareness of and confidence working with the BLCAC.
Eleven years ago successful restaurateurs Jean-Paul Prunetti and Johanna Bails bought a property in Fish Creek to grow, harvest and serve the highest quality produce at their Melbourne restaurant France-Soir
On 30 April, the Flooding Creek Landcare Group will be recognised as part of the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s Green Carpet Landcare Awards.
On 30 April, the Three Creeks Landcare Group will be recognised as part of the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s Green Carpet Landcare Awards.
Looking after the mental health of staff is just as important as looking after their physical health at West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA).
Are you under 35 and passionate about the local environment? Intrepid Landcare, in partnership with West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA), is bringing one of their signature Intrepid Landcare Leadership Retreats to Victoria.
On Wednesday, 16 March more than 35 people involved with natural resource management met with members of the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (BLCAC) at Powlett River to better understand traditional land use.
Fert$mart, offered in partnership by GippsDairy and West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority, upskills farmers to make better decisions about fertiliser use on their properties.
Time is running out for dairy farmers in the Macalister Irrigation District to register their interest in the Fert$mart program – an opportunity that could see them slash their fertiliser bill.
Landholders between Cape Paterson and Cape Liptrap are creating an environmental corridor for wildlife by improving and increasing native vegetation on their properties.
A new report showing the overall progress of Catchment Management Authorities (CMA) has recently been released.
World Wetlands Day, celebrated every year on February 2, promotes awareness globally about the importance of wetlands for humanity and the planet, and marks the date of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971.
Farmers who want to cut their fertiliser budgets are being urged to sign up for Fert$mart courses being offered in the Macalister Irrigation District (MID) and Jack and Albert rivers catchment areas.
Nothing beats local knowledge – that’s why community input is being sought for development of a new floodplain management strategy. West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) is keen to hear from people with knowledge of the history of flooding across the region – from Tamboritha in the north, to Wilson’s Promontory in the south; and from San Remo in the west, to Lake Wellington in the east.
A fascinating trial conducted to find out if translocated river blackfish will stay in rehabilitated sections of river – effectively making a new ‘home range’ has been conducted in the Tarwin River.
More than 120 Gippslanders are better informed about Indigenous agriculture thanks to a WGCMA Healthy Soils Sustainable Farms event.
During winter and spring the Latrobe Catchment has experienced above average rainfall. This has meant the Latrobe, Thomson and Macalister rivers have all received a series of natural high flow freshes and bankfull events.
Next year we will be celebrating 20 years of CMAs across Victoria. This is the first in a series of flashbacks - this one is from 2003 when we ran a 'Catch a Carp' event
Wreck Creek in Inverloch has opened naturally to the ocean after high rainfall and freshwater flows increased the height of the water in the creek and broke through the build-up of sand at its mouth.
The Growling Grass Frog, Powerful Owl, Lace Monitor, Swift Parrot and Tiger Quoll are among many Gippsland species set to benefit from works aimed at protecting habitat.
Expressions of interest are now being sought for Landcare projects within the West Gippsland Region. All individuals, landholders and groups in West Gippsland interested in undertaking and receiving support for a Landcare project are encouraged to submit an expression of interest (EOI), as part of the 2016 Regional EOI Program before 30 September 2016.
In 2012, heavy rain caused widespread flooding across Gippsland. Waterways were damaged, productive farmland washed away and vegetation was ripped from its banks.
Environmental water from the Thomson Reservoir is timed this spring to provide conditions for the migration of important native and threatened fish species including Australian grayling. The spring fresh (environmental flow) will contribute to a controlled increase in streamflow in the Thomson River, with the peak spanning a four day period beginning Friday 30 October to Monday 2 November 2015.