Reforming the Water Act
We’re working hard to secure effective legislation that protects our rivers and gives us water security for the future.
Over the last few years, Environment Victoria has earned a reputation as a credible, respected and important stakeholder in Victorian water management and river health. As the state’s peak environment group, we bring a Victorian community river health perspective to policy reform and management practices. In 2010 – a state election year - we did some work with the Environment Defenders Office, looking at just how exactly the Victorian Water Act can be improved to ensure a fair share of total available water for our rivers. Next state election we’ll be keen to see how many of these amendments and principles are adopted by parties contesting the election – a litmus test of their commitment to rescuing our rivers.
Read more about how to bring the Victorian Water Act into the 21st Century
We also tap into the wealth of expertise and passion that is alive and well in local river champions across the state.
Learn more about our participation in a series of initiatives...
- We’re helping to shape the Victorian Government’s Sustainable Water Strategies for the western and Gippsland regions, with a focus on improving the health of rivers and wetlands by increasing water available to the environment. We’re also lobbying for greater efficiency and accountability in consumptive water use and for previously unaccounted water uses, such as farm dams and land use interceptions, to be included in the licensing framework.
- We’re participating in several national processes, such as the implementation of the National Water Initiative and the development of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. We’re working to bring state and federal governments closer together on water management issues. And we’re focused on establishing and meeting water recovery targets for northern Victorian rivers that will ensure their long-term health in a drying climate.
- We’re working with Commonwealth and Victorian environmental water holders to ensure that Victoria’s rivers and wetlands benefit fully from investment in water recovery. This includes timely and transparent reports on the delivery of environmental flows.
- We’re coordinating local volunteers to participate in the development and implementation of state water reform processes on Environment Victoria’s behalf.
- We’re contributing to the development of a Victorian Strategy for Healthy Rivers, Estuaries and Wetlands, with a focus on its key objective of ‘healthy rivers, streams and floodplains, which meet the environmental, economic, recreational and cultural needs of current and future generations’.
- We’re offering amendments to the Victorian Water Act and working to enhance the protection of the Environmental Water Reserve and establish an independent Environmental Water Holder.
- We work closely with other groups to coordinate our efforts, including the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Environment Defender’s Office, the Victorian National Parks Association, state and federal government departments and agencies, and Catchment Management Authorities. We also work with our affiliate groups and river champions, and regional groups from farmers, to environment groups and business.
Want more information?
Learn about the Engineering a Crisis in a Ramsar Wetland
You’ll want to stay up to date with this stuff. Check out the latest buzz below.
Scientists reject plan to save Murray-Darling
Thursday, 19 January 2011
Tom Arup, The Age
A group of Australia's leading scientists have rejected the proposed plan to save the Murray-Darling, saying basic information needed to have confidence it will...
moreSandridge beach given thumbs down today
Friday, 30 December 2011
Tom Arup, The Age
Sandridge beach at Port Melbourne will be declared off limits for swimming today after the Environment Protection Authority forecast its water quality to be ''unacceptable...
moreRiver health
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Shepparton News
The Goulburn River provides more water for use in Victoria than any other river except the mighty Murray itself.
Victorian Water Accounts figures from 2009/10 show 974 billion litres...
moreWater restrictions eased to stage one
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Alison Savage, 774 ABC Melbourne
Melbourne's water restrictions will be eased to stage one from today.
It is the first time since 2006 that restrictions have been eased to the lowest...
moreBasin Plan fails rivers and the environment again
Monday, 28 November 2011
Time for Gillard Government to get Plan back on track.
The draft Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a flawed proposal that will fail to deliver on its legislative requirement to provide a...
moreBaillieu Government gets 'fail' on environment
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Alison Savage, ABC News
The Victorian Government's green credentials have been criticised in an a href="http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/content/envirowatch-2011-one-...
morePipeline decision breaks promise to return water to environment
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Today the state’s leading environment group, Environment Victoria, condemned the Baillieu Government for its decision to make water from the north-south pipeline...
moreBackwards March calls on Premier Baillieu to change direction on environment
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Over 1000 Victorians are expected to march backwards from Parliament House today at 1 pm to highlight the direction the Baillieu Government is taking Victoria on...
moreVictoria state agenda to be centred on ETS costs
Saturday, 22 October 2011
John Ferguson, The Australian
The cost impact of the national emissions trading scheme will form the centrepiece of the Baillieu government's review of Victoria's climate change...
moreVictorian Government can't pick and choose on Basin Plan
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Environment Victoria has welcomed the announcement today that the Federal Government is investing $1.2 billion in northern Victorian irrigation districts to return water to the...
more
2011
a year in the life of the Healthy Rivers campaign
And what a year it’s been! I came back to work in January in the midst of some of the biggest floods Victoria has ever seen. My first appointment was a trip to Bendigo to present to the a target="_blank" href="http...
more
Here's to a Christmas
without dead fish
A little over a year ago, the beach town of Anglesea had dead fish floating down its river.
While some people pointed the finger at the Alcoa's coal...
more
What will the Basin Plan deliver
for the Goulburn River?
The Goulburn River provides more water for use in Victoria than any other river except the mighty Murray itself. In 2009/10 a whopping 974 billion litres was...
more
All about yabbies
Environment Victoria volunteer Kaye Cleary takes a look below the surface
Where are our yabbies going and are they getting smaller? Do you have childhood memories of sitting in the shade by the waters edge, pulling out yabbies; big monsters, fat-tailed mums-to-be, and...
more
The Fight for the Murray-Darling Basin
Greenies vs ?
The debate on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is often presented as the ‘greenies’ versus the ‘struggling Aussie farmer’. But how accurate is this?
Recently there's been a lot of media coverage about large corporations and...
more- Victoria: green and growing |
- Water Security, Healthy Rivers: Our Vision for Melbourne |
- An Audit of Seven Environmental Bulk Entitlements – Recommended, Planned, and Actual Release of Environmental Water to Victoria’s Stressed Rivers |
- Submission to 2009 Biennial Assessment of progress in Implementation of the National Water Initiative |
- Environment Victoria’s submission to the draft Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy |
- Inquiry into Melbourne's Future Water Supply |
- Environment Victoria submission to Environment Effects Statement for the Victorian Desalination Project |
- Submission to the EPBC investigation of the Sugarloaf Pipeline |
- Environment Victoria submission to Project Impact Assessment of the Sugarloaf Pipeline Proposal |
- Submission to Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy Discussion Paper |
