Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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Landholders bid for river management
Organic farmer Bradley Smith points to Jim Crow Creek which runs through his organic farm
Bradley abseils to weed blackberries along the creek
Jim Crow Creek
In a new approach to protecting rivers in North Central Victoria, local landholders have bid for funds to protect or restore native riverfront vegetation on their properties.
River Tender is an auction-style incentive program that helps landholders with river frontage to manage their land for the river's benefit. It provides support for tackling erosion, controlling weeds and improving the native vegetation along riverbanks and on floodplains.
Coordinated by the North Central Catchment Management Authority, River Tender also pays for fencing and off-stream watering for stock.
Funding
Assistance was provided by the Australian and State Governments. The project attracted considerable interest from landholders in the upper Loddon and lower Avoca river systems, who benefited from the financial support, sometimes enabling them to build on work already underway.
Activities
"About 80 per cent of the native vegetation has been cleared in the past because of the gold rush or agriculture, and much of what remains on private land is found along river banks and streams," said Jon Leevers from the North Central Catchment Management Authority.
This vegetation is important in helping stabilise banks, minimise erosion, protect water quality, and contribute to the overall health of the catchment and the River Murray.
The lower Avoca catchment contains 124 different wetlands, including the Ramsar-listed Avoca Marshes, while the upper Loddon catchment is a highly productive agricultural region providing water for the environment and for water users downstream.
The River Tender process involved seeking expressions of interest from property owners seeking to manage their land to improve river health, while benefiting their own property and the broader community. Properties were assessed for river frontage, wetland or flood plain potential and management options were discussed.
A Management Plan was written that formed the basis of the tender bid and described what the landowner would do to help the river and how much money they would need to complete the job over five years. Finally, bids were ranked and funds allocated.
Achievements
In the North Central region River Tender has resulted in 230 hectares of land under agreements, including more than 39 kilometres of river frontage.
"River Tender is unique because landholders decide how much they need to restore the riverfront, and protecting our rivers really depends on the efforts of both private landholders and land managers," Jon said.
More information
- Jon Leevers, Team Leader - River Health, North Central Catchment Management Authority: (03) 5448 7124 or jon.leevers@nccma.vic.gov.au
- North Central Catchment Management Authority website: www.nccma.vic.gov.au
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