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West Gippsland

Our Legacy

25 Year highlights

  • Planted over 3.25 million trees to enhance waterways and create wildlife habitat.
  • Removed 3/4 million hectares of weeds and installed 1,500 kilometres of fencing installed along riverbanks.
  • Held more than 1,200 community events with over 26,000 participants, who have all contributed to improving the outcomes for waterways and the environment in West Gippsland.

Lasting legacy for the Thomson

Thomson River fishway, West Gippsland CMA.

“This 25-year milestone allows us to measure our impact and most importantly acknowledge our partners and the many hundreds of landholders and thousands of community members who’ve made it possible”

Mikaela Power, West Gippsland CMA Board Chair

Across 25 years, West Gippsland CMA has worked with Traditional Owners, partners and community to transform waterways from the mountains to the sea, connecting rivers and people.

The spectacular catchment extends from Warragul and San Remo in the west to the Gippsland Lakes in the east, and from the Great Dividing Range in the north to Wilsons Promontory in the south. It is home to the Latrobe, Thomson and South Gippsland river basins.

Along our 25-year journey, more than three and a quarter million trees have been planted, almost three quarters of a million hectares of weeds have been removed and 1,500 kilometres of fencing installed along riverbanks.

There have also been 1,200 community events with over 26,000 participants, who have all contributed to improving the outcomes for waterways and the environment in West Gippsland.

One key legacy has been delivering a state priority to allow native fish passage between the Gippsland Lakes to the Victorian alpine region with the construction of the Thomson River Fishway in 2019.

The initiative is already showing results with surveys revealing good numbers and distribution of the endangered tupong, eels, Australian smelt and young blackfish above the fishway.

Outputs 2021-2022

Accessible version: Outputs 2021-2022

Output

1.0 Structural works

1.1 Channel (Km)

  • Target = 2
  • Actual: State = 0, Federal = 0, Other = 0, Total = 0

1.2 Waterway storage (No.)

  • Target = 3
  • Actual: State = 0, Federal = 0, Other = 0, Total = 0

1.3 Irrigation structure (Ha)

  • Target = 6
  • Actual: State =27, Federal = 0, Other = 0, Total = 27

1.4 Waterway structure (No.)

  • Target = 1
  • Actual: State = 5, Federal = 0, Other = 0, Total = 5

1.5 Terrestrial structure (No.)

  • Target = 1
  • Actual: State = 0, Federal = 0, Other = 0, Total = 0

1.6 Monitoring structure (No.)

  • Target = 3
  • Actual: State = 41, Federal = 0, Other = 2, Total = 43

1.7 Fence (Km)

  • Target = 12
  • Actual: State = 20, Federal = 8, Other = 0, Total = 27

1.8 Road (Km)

  • Target = 0
  • Actual: State = 0, Federal = 2, Other = 0, Total = 2

2.0 Environmental works

2.1 Vegetation (Ha) 

  • Target = 8
  • Actual: State = 15, Federal = 4, Other = 0, Total = 19

2.2 Weed control (Ha) 

  • Target = 67758
  • Actual: State = 72, Federal = 68379, Other = 13, Total = 68,464

2.3 Pest animal control (Ha) 

  • Target = 170
  • Actual: State = 15032, Federal = 1050, Other = 7138, Total = 23,221

2.4 Earth works (No.)

  • Target = 1
  • Actual: State = 47, Federal = 0, Other = 0, Total = 47

3.0 Management services 

3.1 Agricultural practice change (No.) 

  • Target = 51
  • Actual: State = 0, Federal = 51, Other = 0, Total = 51

3.2 Water (No.)

  • Target = 1
  • Actual: State = 8, Federal = 0, Other = 0, Total = 8

4.0 Planning and regulation 

4.1 Approval and advice (No.) 

  • Target = 19
  • Actual: State = 1584, Federal = 1, Other = 0, Total = 1,585

4.2 Management agreement (No.) 

  • Target = 41
  • Actual: State = 69, Federal = 39, Other = 0, Total = 108

4.3 Assessment (No.) 

  • Target = 64
  • Actual: State = 713, Federal = 37, Other = 2, Total = 752

4.4 Engagement event (No. of participants) 

  • Target = 0
  • Actual: State = 655, Federal = 71, Other = 72, Total = 798

4.5 Partnership (No.) 

  • Target = 21
  • Actual: State = 43, Federal = 0, Other = 0, Total = 43

4.6 Plan (No.) 

  • Target = 52
  • Actual: State = 44, Federal = 32, Other = 1, Total = 76

4.7 Publication (No.) 

  • Target = 15
  • Actual: State = 123, Federal = 48, Other = 0, Total = 171

4.8 Information management system (No.) 

  • Target = 2
  • Actual: State = 2, Federal = 0, Other = 0, Total = 2

2021 – 22 Achievements

  • Embed climate-adapted decision making into the planning and delivery of land, water and biodiversity programs.
  • Maintain the ecological character of Corner Inlet and the Gippsland Lakes.
  • Recognise and establish formal provisions that protect Traditional Owners rights, interests, obligations and access to water.

Our Future Vision

Catchment Health – Gippsland’s Wealth.

Future aspirations

  • The people of Gippsland recognise the importance of our ecosystems, natural resource base, unique natural features and landscapes found within the region.
  • Our inspired, knowledgeable, capable and resilient communities will ensure these continue to underpin the environmental, social cultural and economic wealth of the region.

Case Study

After the floods