Water for Parks

River Red Gum parks Magnificent legacy – still dying for a drink

River Red Gum parks provide multiple benefits‌

‌but only if they have an adequate and legally entitled allocation of environmental water delivered to them from 2012.

River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

Steamer Plain with Moira Grass, Barmah Forest, 2005

River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

Lindsay-Wallpolla

near Gunbower

River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

Lindsay Point area

Victoria’s rivers don’t have enough water:

In dry times all water users have had to compromise, but the environment has been hit the hardest.

River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

Thirsty and degraded Murray River banks, drying and dying floodplain in Gunbower, parched Parnee Milloo Creek in Niah Vinifera.

River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

But getting back to health will take years of above average Barmah wetlands,rain September 2010 River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

 The Brumby government created these magnificent new parks which can be an environmental and community asset for all Victorians  Their proper management – including the provision of adequate environmental water – is a state responsibility  Without adequate water, the values for which these parks were declared are at risk – afterall, who wants to go camping in a dead forest or fish in river strangled by salt and blue green algae?

Action: Secure an adequate and legally-entitled allocation of environmental water for delivery to the River Red Gum parks from 2012.

River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

Grounds for securing environmental water for River Red Gum parks 2008 SoE Report

Recommended that the Victorian government to “act with urgency to increase environmental water reserves … including buying back water. In particular, floodplains need floods to continue functioning as floodplain ecosystems.”

River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

Grounds for securing environmental water for River Red Gum parks 2008 SoE Report Recommends that the Victorian government to “act with urgency to increase environmental water reserves … including buying back water. In particular, floodplains need floods to continue functioning as floodplain ecosystems.”

VEAC Final Investigation States that the most important and serious environmental problem facing red gum country is the outstanding need to deliver sufficient water to halt the loss of flood-dependent riverine forests and wetlands.

River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

Grounds for securing environmental water for River Red Gum parks 2008 SoE Report Recommends that the Victorian government to “act with urgency to increase environmental water reserves … including buying back water. In particular, floodplains need floods to continue functioning as floodplain ecosystems.”

VEAC Final Investigation

States that the most important and serious environmental problem facing red gum country is the outstanding need to deliver sufficient water to halt the loss of flood-dependent riverine forests and wetlands.

ACF polling  77% of the public support putting more water back into the Murray River to make it healthy

 74% of the public support government creation of freshwater sanctuaries to protect what is left of the red gum forest and wetlands along the Murray River.

River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

Grounds for restoring River Red Gum parks to health 2008 SoE Report

Recommends that the Victorian government to “act with urgency to increase environmental water reserves … including buying back water. In particular, floodplains need floods to continue functioning as floodplain ecosystems.”

VEAC Final Investigation

States that the most important and serious environmental problem facing red gum country is the outstanding need to deliver sufficient water to halt the loss of flood-dependent riverine forests and wetlands.

ACF polling

 77% of Victorians support putting more water back into the Murray River to make it healthy  74% of Victorians support government creation of freshwater sanctuaries to protect what is left of the red gum forest and wetlands along the Murray Rivers

River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

Threatened wildlife

The Murray Flora and Fauna Entitlement saved the Murray Hardyhead fish from extinction because that water allocation is high-reliability.

Solution: Secure an adequate and legallyentitled allocation of environmental water for delivery to the River Red Gum parks from 2012.

Opportunities to restore River Red Gum parks to health:  Deliver the 700 GL earmarked to Victoria’s northern rivers through the Northern SWS process, water which will go some way to sustaining the River Red Gum parks and wetlands  Establish a state government fund to buy back water for the River Red Gum Parks, to be managed by the recently established Environmental Water Holder  In concert with the Federal Government, through the MDBA Plan, secure and deliver high-reliability water for the parks  Improve the Victorian Water Act to ensure our rivers have a fair share of total available inflows, allocated as high-reliability entitlements.

River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

Thank-you River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink