Gunbower Creek near the Murray River is one of the catchment’s most important waterways, but the quality of its water is one of the worst in the region.   

Gunbower Creek borders the internationally-significant Gunbower Forest and provides water for irrigators during the warmer months and for nearby residential, farming and industrial properties.   

It is home to 13 species of native fish, including seven that are threatened, the most of any waterway in our region. It is also an important breeding ground for several species of turtles and platypuses.   

However, years of cattle access to the creek, high summer flows and nutrient runoff from paddocks has impacted on water quality and provided ideal conditions for a range of aquatic weed infestations, including pale yellow water lily.   

With funding from the Federal Government’s National Landcare Programme, the North Central Catchment Management Authority has been working alongside Goulburn Murray Water, Coliban Water and the Victorian Government’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning for decades on programs to improve the quality of the water in Gunbower Creek.  

“Restricting cattle access to the creek is an important focus of our efforts,” North Central CMA Program Delivery Executive Manager Tim Shanahan said.   

“A recent study showed cattle defecate five times more frequently when they are standing in waterways than they do the rest of the time.  

“Those nutrients, along with fertiliser runoff from paddocks, are combining with the summer water levels and providing perfect conditions for weeds like the pale yellow water lily to thrive.   

“Nutrient-rich water impacts on the native animals and plants in and along the creek but is great for opportunistic weeds such as pale yellow water lily.”   

The North Central CMA will work with Goulburn Murray Water to begin the summer spraying of the pale yellow water lily in the coming weeks.   

“This South American weed, which was introduced locally on a private property for aesthetic reasons about 20 years ago, has invaded the creek and is choking it,” Mr Shanahan said.  

“It smothers the habitat of fish, platypus and turtles and also impedes boats and kayaks. It can clog small pumps and causes havoc with irrigation infrastructure.”  

Along with continuing to work with Goulburn Murray Water to treat pale yellow water lily, the North Central CMA recently opened a grants program aimed at helping farmers fence off the creek. Weed treatment is the short-term solution, excluding live stock is one of the key long term solutions.   

“The grants are for landholders who have Crown frontage licences on the creek or lagoons, and will pay for fencing and off-stream watering infrastructure,” Mr Shanahan said.  

“Farmers can give us a call on 03 5448 7124 to find out more.”           

The Gunbower Creek summer spraying program will also include targeting a hybrid species of willow, which is spreading rapidly along the creek’s foreshore.  

“We have worked closely with the community over the past few years to spray a number of areas of the creek infested with willows,” Mr Shanahan said.  

“Willow trees are not native to Australia and they have a negative impact on our waterways, using high volumes of water compared to native trees and they also choke waterways to reduce irrigation and environmental water volumes down the creek.   

“A hybrid species has sprung up along Gunbower Creek, a cross between Salix babylonica (weeping willow) and a female New Zealand species. It is flowering and releasing seeds which are blowing around the landscape.  

“This spraying program also aims to prevent the introduced species from invading Gunbower Forest’s internationally-recognised and widely loved wetlands.“  

The spraying project is supported through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.  

“The Australian Government has invested $1 billion through the National Landcare Programme over the past four years and communities, like those that rely on Gunbower Creek, clearly benefit,” Mr Shanahan said.  

“A healthy Gunbower Creek is important for all sectors of the local community, providing jobs, sustaining local agriculture and benefitting the environment.”


 

For further information please contact: 

Communications Officer, North Central CMA
PO Box 18, Huntly VIC 3551

t: 03 5448 7124
e: info@nccma.vic.gov.au