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Putting out the call to get you on board

23 Dec 2016

The North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) is seeking Expressions of Interest from community members to join the Loddon River and/or Wetlands Environmental Water Advisory Groups (EWAGs).   

The North Central CMA convenes a number of EWAGs to provide input to environmental watering decisions across the region.  

“EWAGs are a component of annual water planning for our waterways and wetlands that receive environmental water and are critical for the CMA to gain valuable local knowledge and experience about the sites we make management decisions for,”  North Central CMA Environmental Water Manager Louissa Rogers said.  

“They comprise community members, interest groups, agency stakeholders and North Central CMA project staff and provide a great opportunity to have input and learn more about the CMA’s scientific understanding of these systems, how they operate and how they are managed.”  

In previous years there were two EWAGs for the Loddon River and the wetlands on the Loddon floodplain. One focussed on the Loddon River system including the Boort District Wetland Complex (in the Loddon Valley Irrigation Area) and the other focussed on the wetlands lower in the floodplain, known as the Central Murray Wetland Complex (in the Torrumbarry Irrigation Area).  

“We have learned a lot in the past 10 or so years of managing environmental water in the river and wetlands and are expanding the way we manage the environmental water,” Ms Rogers said.   

“The Loddon River is one of the most complicated river systems in Victoria with multiple streams associated with the main stem. We will be focusing on improving the health of the whole river from Cairn Curran to the Little Murray River, including some of the streams such as Tullaroop, Serpentine, Twelve Mile and Pyramid creeks.   

“We are also developing a wetland strategy that will consider the role of each managed wetland at a landscape scale, and management decisions for these two wetland complexes will happen at a landscape scale, which is particularly important in years with low water allocations.   

“The number of EWAGs will stay the same but we are combining the wetlands to form a larger Wetlands EWAG and creating a Loddon River system EWAG.”   

The new EWAGs will be established in January with the first meetings to occur in February and March 2017 focusing on planning for the 2017-18 water year. The EWAGs will meet at least twice a year with members expected to provide knowledge and local perspectives and convey rationale for decisions on environmental watering to their respective communities.  

“Interested people will be passionate and committed to achieving good environmental outcomes and have knowledge of the river or wetlands in the Loddon River basin,” Ms Rogers said.                  

“Our environmental watering programs are aimed at managing the health of our rivers and wetlands and providing a diversity of habitat across the region to help our native plants and animals thrive and survive in regulated systems. We want you to help us do that.”   

For more information including the terms of reference and how to register your interest visit click here or call the North Central CMA on (03) 5448 7124.


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

 

 

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