Barwon River Environmental Entitlement – Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is an environmental entitlement for the Barwon River being allocated?

The environmental entitlement will permit the use of water from the lower Barwon River for environmental purposes within Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp.

Informal arrangements for watering Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp have been in place for many years. The low flow conditions experienced over recent years have highlighted the need to formalise these arrangements and ensure that appropriate regulatory approvals are in place. This will be achieved by the allocation of the environmental entitlement.

2. What is an environmental entitlement?

An environmental entitlement is the legal instrument held by the Minister for Environment and Climate Change that allocates water for the environment.

3. Where will the water be used in the river and why?

The water will be taken from the lower Barwon River via the existing channels to Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp. These channels divert water from upstream of the lower barrage on the Barwon River (between Geelong and Barwon Heads).

The water will be used to maintain and improve the environmental values and health of Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp. These wetlands are part of the Lake Connewarre Complex, which is part of the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar site.

4. How much water is available under the entitlement and how much will be used each year?

There is no specified volume associated with the entitlement. This reflects the nature of the entitlement, which is at the lower end of the Barwon River system, and where water can only be diverted when river levels are above the level of the outlets from the river to Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp.

The amount of water used each year will vary. It will depend on river levels in the lower Barwon River, and on the environmental objectives that are to be achieved in the wetlands each year.

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5. When will the water be used and why?

The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority will lead the development of a seasonal watering proposal in consultation with Parks Victoria, the Department of Sustainability and Environment, and community groups. This will then be submitted to the Victorian Environmental Water Holder for approval after the Victorian Environmental Water Holder commences on 1 July 2011.

The timing of each year’s watering will be consistent with the ecological objectives set out in the seasonal watering plan, but will be dependent on river levels in the lower Barwon River.
The watering program will be based on scientific studies that are currently underway to determine the water regime that will best maintain and improve the environmental values of the lower Barwon wetlands.

Each year’s seasonal watering plan will be based on considerations including the environmental objectives to be achieved, current condition of the wetlands, and water levels in previous years.

6. What will the watering achieve?

The aim of the watering is to maintain and improve the environmental values and health of Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp.

Environmental values of Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp include a wide variety of wetland habitats that supports large and diverse waterbird populations.

7. Will the watering help any endangered species?

Use of the environmental entitlement in Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp is expected to assist with the protection of species such as the critically endangered Australian Painted Snipe and the endangered Fairy Tern, Australasian Bittern, Little Australian Bittern, and Blue-billed duck. The endangered Growling Grass Frog is another species expected to benefit from environmental watering.

8. What other actions are being taken to improve the environmental conditions in the lower Barwon River?

In addition to securing flows into Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp, year round base flows in the Barwon River have been improved following completion of work to safely return water from the Batesford quarry to the Moorabool River and on into the Barwon River.

An improved fishway to allow better fish movement past the lower breakwater is planned for construction in early 2012. This is an important step towards reconnecting the freshwater section of the river with the estuary.

Land management for environmental benefit is also being enhanced in the area through the Coastal Tender grants project. Coastal Tender offers landholders payments to protect habitat and move toward lower environmental impact land use.

Parks Victoria, in partnership with community groups, has been undertaking actions to care for sites in the lower Barwon River, including marine pest plant removal, creation of walking and fishing platforms at the estuary, enhancing Orange Bellied Parrot habitat and monitoring seasonal water conditions. Pest animal works, such as fox, rabbit, hare, cat and deer removal occurs annually as well as removal of weeds.

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9. How will the environment’s water be managed?

As of 1 July 2011, the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) will hold the environmental entitlement. The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA) will be authorised to manage the entitlement on behalf of the VEWH.

The CMA will prepare watering plans each year outlining the proposed watering regime for the wetlands and will be responsible for managing the operation of regulating structures controlling the release of water to Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp. The plans will be developed in consultation with Parks Victoria in their role as land manager for the Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp sites.

10. When will the water become available to the environment?

The environmental entitlement came into operation on 23 June 2011 after being published in the Victorian Government Gazette.

11. Will the allocation of the environmental entitlement mean that there is less water for Geelong?

No. The water used under this entitlement can only be accessed from the Barwon River downstream of Geelong, and will not affect the volume of water in Geelong’s water supply systems.

12. Will this new environmental entitlement impact on the volume of water available for other users who extract water from the Barwon System?

No.  Access to water from the Barwon River for these other users will be the same as has occurred in the past. The new environmental entitlement will have no impact on the availability of water for Southern Rural Water customers who divert water from the Barwon system downstream of Geelong for irrigation or stock and domestic use.  There will be no impact for stock and domestic users taking water under a private right.

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13. Has there been consultation?

The request for allocation of the environmental entitlement was advertised in local newspapers, with a call for submissions. In addition, Corangamite CMA directly contacted key stakeholders to make them aware of the proposed environmental entitlement and the opportunity of making a submission.

A total of 6 submissions were received, 5 of which expressed strong support for the entitlement. The other submission sought clarification about operation of the Hospital Swamp inlet channel.

14. Now that the environmental entitlement is allocated, will duck hunting still be permitted on Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp?

Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp are part of the Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve. Duck hunting is permitted within certain areas of the reserve during the declared duck hunting season, and this remains the case following allocation of the environmental entitlement.

Duck hunting is a legal activity in Victoria. Whether a site is open for duck hunting is based on annual bird counts and criteria such as the need to protect significant numbers of rare or threatened species, evidence of bird breeding, or requirements for a refuge site.  The management of duck hunting areas is undertaken by the Wildlife Management section of the Department of Sustainability and Environment.

Depending on the bird count results, the entire site or parts of the site will be made available for the declared duck season.  There have been times in the recent drought years where a declared duck season has not eventuated for the entire Lake Connewarre system, or parts of the system, and in some cases this has lasted across several years.

15. Will the environmental entitlement affect sediment levels in Lake Connewarre?

The sedimentation of Lake Connewarre is driven by flood events and the operation of this entitlement will not change the size of flood events.

16. Will the environmental entitlement affect the use of Barwon River by recreational use such as rowing and boating?

No.  The use of the environmental entitlement will not lower river levels below that experienced in the past.

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