Rivers of Warrnambool Flagship Project
Key project outputs
- This Flagship Water project will be delivered over four years and is funded by the Victorian State Government through the Waterway Health Funding program
- The project will be delivered collaboratively by Glenelg Hopkins CMA alongside Eastern Maar Traditional Owners, like-minded groups, organisations, and the community.
- The project will benefit social and recreational users of the rivers, which are important to tourists and residents for a diverse range of recreational activities including fishing, boating and walking and are dominant amenity features of the Warrnambool landscape, with the city nestled between the two estuaries. Recreational Angling is an important activity associated with both the Merri and Hopkins rivers, and members of both Ozfish and VRfish participate as members of the Merri Alliance. The project includes a specific focus on working with anglers to restore fish habitat via the Angler Partnership Program.
- This project supports landholders and the community by providing technical and financial support to rural and semi-rural landholders to improve the condition of riparian zones and water quality through revegetation, fencing and weed control.
Launch of the project: February 2022
Parliamentary Secretary for Water Harriet Shing was in Warrnambool launching two projects – the Rivers of Warrnambool Flagship Project and the Merri Connections Project – which are a significant investment by the Victorian Government in the waterways of south-west Victoria being delivered by Glenelg Hopkins CMA in February, 2022.
Parliamentary Secretary for Water Harriet Shing was in Warrnambool launching two projects – the Rivers of Warrnambool Flagship Project and the Merri Connections Project – which are a significant investment by the Victorian Government in the waterways of south-west Victoria being delivered by Glenelg Hopkins CMA in February, 2022.
Pictured at the launch are (from left) Glenelg Hopkins CMA CEO Adam Bester; Parliamentary Secretary for Water, Harriet Shing; Warrnambool City Council CEO Peter Schneider; and Wannon Water Managing Director, Andrew Jeffers.
The launch was held at Platypus Park in Warrnambool on the bank of the Merri River on Tuesday, February 15, 2022.
The launch had a casual attendance of community group representatives. Eastern Maar Elder, Uncle Rob Lowe began the event with welcome to country and smoking ceremony. Joined by the public with local dog walkers, fishermen and kids paddling in their kayaks on the Merri river, it was a great day to be launching these exciting projects.
Project background
The Rivers of Warrnambool Flagship Waterway project will protect and rehabilitate instream, riparian, wetland and estuarine values of the lower reaches of the Hopkins and Merri Rivers and the Brucknell and Deep Creeks.
The project will address the Water for Victoria long term goal of improving waterway health by targeting the lower reaches of the Hopkins River (one of 36 large scale priority projects in the Water for Victoria) and the Merri River (a priority under the GHCMA RWS). These reaches support complex and diverse in-stream aquatic ecosystems, two EPBC listed ecological communities and extensive social and recreational values.
The Rivers of Warrnambool Flagship Waterway project will protect and rehabilitate instream, riparian, wetland and estuarine values of the lower reaches of the Hopkins and Merri Rivers. The project will address the Water for Victoria long term goal of improving waterway health by targeting the lower reaches of the Hopkins River (one of 36 large scale priority projects in the Water for Victoria) and the Merri River (a priority under the GHCMA RWS). These reaches support complex and diverse in-stream aquatic ecosystems, two EPBC listed ecological communities and extensive social and recreational values.
It will commence a long term (30+ yr) approach to Flagship Waterway restoration for the Rivers of Warrnambool – the Merri and Hopkins rivers. The rivers, their estuaries and associated wetlands support diverse native fish assemblages, platypus, waterbirds, good quality instream vegetation and nationally listed species and ecological communities.
The two rivers also feature a range of values that are important to the Traditional owners, including ancient fish traps, the Hopkins Falls and the Moyjil archaeological site. They are traditional sources of resources, meeting places and natural boundaries. The rivers are important recreational and amenity assets of the city of Warrnambool and are popular with recreational anglers and boaters.
The project includes works on waterways within urban, rural and semi-rural landscapes. Works will include priority riparian, wetland and estuarine waterways supporting a wide range of ecological, cultural and social values and uses. The project will build on works started in the EC4 Merri Restoration Project, a key activity is continuing to work with developers and the Warrnambool City Council to identify riparian buffer zones to be put aside as greenspace, allowing for the control of access and reestablishment of native vegetation.
Wetland restoration activities will focus on improving the condition and function of important connected remnant wetland habitats (supporting the EPBC listed Coastal Saltmarsh community) of the South Merri Wetland complex (Kelly Swamp, Saltwater Swamp) and other wetlands of the floodplains. In the long term the Flagship Waterway approach will focus on continuous and connected riparian habitats buffering healthy waterways which are valued by the local community.
PROJECT NEWS
What’s in the river? eDNA sampling results
Across 38 sites in 2023 eDNA sampling was undertaken. The results of that showed a total of 61 vertebrate and 4 decapod taxa were detected, including threatened species Platypus, Little Galaxias, Glenelg Spiny Crayfish and Pygmy Perch species. Common Carp were also detected at two sites, upstream of the Hopkins Falls and at the junction of Mount Emu Creek.
We’re now in the process of following up next steps, comparing to other datasets, and identifying gaps/differences in species found and overall quality of species detected. Thank you again to all involved in this project and who assisted with sampling. Particularly staff from Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, Deakin University and members from the following groups: Hopkins and Merri Estuary Watch, Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network, MAD for the Merri, Friends of Wollaston Bridge and Hopkins Falls Landcare Group.
Project update: Spring 2024
Spring saw the completion of 16 revegetation sites across the Merri, Hopkins Rivers and Brucknell Creek catchments. A total 152 ha of works have been completed over the past three years, including 87 ha of weed control including widespread Willow and Blackberry control, 6.3 km of stock exclusion fencing and 33 ha of revegetation including 40,200 native tube stock planted. 60 fish habitat structures have been installed with pre and post habitat fish surveys clearly indicating fish abundances are orders of magnitude greater at habitat improvement sites.
Community has been central to the delivery of the project. 8 school groups have participated in education and planting sessions, and 2 primary schools learned about water bugs. Anglers have been heavily involved, helping to build fish hotels to bring habitat back and benefitting from sponsorship of the Warrnambool Round of the Vic Bream Classic, Koroit Carp Competition. The project also assisted the Warrnambool Society for Growing Australian plants in launching and publishing their highly regarded “Plants of the Great South West” book.
What else are we doing on the waterways?
Want to know more about what we are doing in and around the waterways of Warrnambool?
Click on the links below to see what other projects we have happening:
