Caring for our Country

What is NRM?

North Central - Natural Resource Management region

Regional summary

Map of the region

The North Central region of Victoria comprises nearly 3 million hectares and is home to a population of 200,000 people, located predominantly in Bendigo and several provincial centres. The lower catchment is characterised by patches of woodland and forest, interspersed with a rural landscape. Irrigation areas cover much of the lower Loddon and Campaspe riverine plains. Horticultural land uses and dairying are the main enterprises.

Improved irrigation technology and tradable water entitlements have encouraged the rapid expansion of horticulture outside traditional irrigation areas. Dryland agricultural areas are characterised by broad-acre land uses, such as cropping and grazing.

Around 100 species of native animals and 300 species of native plants are threatened by extinction, the result of habitat loss in extent and quality due to agricultural and urban development, weed invasion, impacts from pest animals, mining and changing water regimes.

Priority issues

Key natural resource management issues in the region include:

Regional plan

The North Central Catchment Management Authority was responsible for developing the North Central regional plan, in consultation with the local community. This plan was based on a whole-og-region approach and addresses significant natural resource management (NRM) issues incorporating social, environmental and economic aspects.

Once the regional plan was accredited, the North Central Catchment Management Authority was responsible for developing the regional investment strategy. This is essentially the business plan that has been developed to attract investment from the Australian and state governments and details the specific actions, costs and timeframes required to implement the regional plan.

In 2003-04, the North Central region allocated some of its funds to implementation of the Loddon Murray Land and Water Management Plan and the Dryland Salinity Management Plan implementation, waterways management and other region-wide projects.

Recent successful projects include the construction of a litter and silt trap in the Bendigo Creek at White Hills to stop litter, silt and nutrients being carried into waterways, and ultimately the Murray River.

Current activities

NRM priority Activities addressing the priority
Biodiversity
  • reducing the impact of pest and domestic plants and animals on native biodiversity
  • educate and inform communities on the impact of pest and domestic plants and animals
Dryland
  • managing the impacts of dry land salinity within Loddon, Avoca and Avon-Richardson catchments.Managing the impacts of weeds and feral animals
  • responding to rural residential development impacts on natural resource management
  • ensuring safe and environmentally sustainable fire regimes
Irrigated land
  • manage salinity through strategies such as salt interception infrastructure and reduction of groundwater recharge and tailwater discharge
  • improving irrigation practices to reduce damage caused by recharge to groundwater and surface runoff
  • addressing potential impacts of farm business viability on water resources and the environment
Water resources
  • improving water quality through nutrient management.
  • address water allocation shares and trade for urban, irrigation, commercial and the environment
  • lowering water salinity by reducing the amount of salt carried by streams through salt interception schemes
Waterways and wetlands
  • protecting and improving riparian and wetland habitat through on-ground works
  • protecting and restoring riparian habitat by maintaining and improving channel and gully stability
  • maintaining and restoring appropriate flow and flooding regimes

Contacts

Further information can be obtained by contacting the Regional Facilitators for Victoria.

Region summaries

You can also use your town name to find your NRM Region.

Key

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