Breathing Life Back Into Barre Warre Yulluk

The Andrews Labor Government is protecting and managing the Barwon River and other iconic waterways in the region through the launch of the Barre Warre Yulluk Action Plan.  

Minister for Water Lisa Neville today released the new plan identifying seven directions and 30 actions to protect the region’s waterways.

The plan was developed as a result of the Barwon River Ministerial

Advisory Committee that the Minister for Water established in early 2019. This was followed by two years of extensive consultation including with Traditional Owners, community groups and water stakeholders.

Over the next five years the action plan will guide protection and improvement of community access, amenity and environmental health of the Barwon, Moorabool and other waterways. Actions to achieve this will include improving and connecting parkland trails, revegetation, riparian fencing and weed management, along with environmental water delivery to strengthen the resilience of these systems.

The Geelong and Ballarat regions are rapidly transforming, and with this comes opportunity to protect and enhance our waterways and surrounding land to give communities better access to the recreational, environmental and social values these waterways provide. Regional planning policy and new planning controls will be implemented to protect these waterways from inappropriate development.

Barre Warre Yulluk – the Rivers of Barwon – includes the whole network of creeks and rivers from the Barwon (Parwan), Moorabool (Murrabul), Yarrowee (Yarowee) and Leigh (Waywatcurtan) rivers and their tributaries.

The action plan recognises that Barre Warre Yulluk is an interconnected and living entity and that the Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung Traditional Owners are its voice. These new approaches to waterways management will embed Traditional Owners voices in decision-making.

The Labor Government has delivered $4.3 million to fund actions and projects in the Rivers of the Barwon Action Plan.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Water Lisa Neville

“Barre Warre Yulluk– the Rivers of Barwon Action Plan delivers concrete results for our rivers, caring for them as a unique, interconnected living system, protecting them from pollution and overdevelopment.”

“I know how important rivers and creeks are to local communities and I’d like to thank the Ministerial Advisory Council for their work in ensuring community views are included in our Government’s plans for these waterways.”

Quote attributable toMember for South Barwon Darren Cheeseman

“Our communities told us that they want to walk with Traditional Owners to manage the lands and waters as the voice of the living rivers – and that’s what we’re doing.”

Quote attributable Member for Geelong Christine Couzens

“This new action plan will work to safeguard the natural landscape and amenity values of Barre Warre Yulluk from inappropriate development.”