Landholders in the Avoca area are currently being encouraged by the North Central Catchment Management Authority to consider fencing their waterway frontage. Funds are available now for materials and fencing contractors, meaning in many cases fences can be completed at no cost to the landholder.

North Central CMA Project Manager Greg Barber said that the project was seeking new sites and was not restricted to previous work sites or for replacing flood damaged fences.

“This project is about protecting the Avoca River. Fencing the river, smaller creeks and even erosion gullies allows landholders to manage stock access to these areas, in turn improving the condition of the river by restoring ground cover, which holds the soil together and reduces erosion.

“Works over the last 15 months have already fenced around 30 km of Avoca river frontage and 40 km of smaller creeks and gullies.

“Our modelling suggests that this fencing work will reduce sediment to this section of the river by around 300 tonnes each year. It’s amazing something so simple can make such a big difference,” Mr Barber said. 

“That’s a great outcome for the river and we’ve found the fencing has been a real benefit for the participating landholders by reducing their workload and improving stock management too,” he added. 

Responding to queries about the risk of flood damage to the new fences, Mr Barber said a range of different approaches have been used.

“There are considerations such as fence style and alignment which can reduce the chance the fence will be damaged in a flood, but we’ve also seen landholders use different approaches, often based on the flood risk of the site. If a site is particularly flood prone, some landholders have chosen to fence much further out from the river and will selectively graze the site. This will allow them to maintain good ground cover in the fenced area to protect the river while having a minimal impact on production, with a reduced chance the fence will be damaged in a flood as it is located on higher ground. It’s a real win-win.”  

Mr Barber emphasised that time is running out for the project, with the funding expiring at the end of June.

“We’d really like to talk to more landholders who might be interested in having their waterway fenced.

“Even if it’s something they might consider, but they aren’t sure if it’s right for them, we can come and have a look and talk about the different options to consider before making a final decision. It is important to act now though, as funding won’t be available beyond 30 June 2013,” he said.

Landholders interested in discussing the project can contact Greg Barber at North Central CMA on 5440 1860.

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