Recognising recreational values

Victoria’s waterways – including rivers, wetlands, lakes and water storages – provide many recreational opportunities and benefits for the community. Water-based recreational activities include fishing, water skiing, rowing, camping, walking, bird watching, outdoor sporting events and social gatherings. These social and recreational uses and values of waterways provide many benefits, such as improved health and wellbeing, increased social cohesion, as well as boosting tourism across regional Victoria.

The Recreational Values Program was created to implement the Victorian Government’s commitment to enhance the recreational values of water. This commitment is articulated in the Government’s long-term government plan for managing Victoria’s water resources, Water for Victoria (2016). Specifically, Chapter 7 articulates three actions to help the Victorian community achieve tangible recreational benefits:

• Action 7.1 – Include recreational values in water and waterway planning
• Action 7.2 – Help communities understand how to achieve their recreational objectives
• Action 7.3 – Support recreation at water storages through infrastructure and better information

View Water for Victoria (PDF, 27.0MB)

View Water for Victoria (accessible version) (DOCX 15,1MB)

Recognising Recreational Values Progress Report 2016-2020

The Recognising Recreational Values Progress Report 2016-2020 highlights the achievements and progress of this program over this period. This progress includes a range of projects to improve and increase recreational access to waterways across the State, such as the construction of a floating pontoon for launching and fishing on the Maribyrnong River, and the rejuvenation of Green Lake at Sea Lake.

View the Recognising Recreational Values Progress Report 2016-2020 (PDF, 8.5 MB)

View the Recognising Recreational Values Progress Report 2016-2020 (accessible version) (DOCX, 49.5 KB)

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