Funding is available for landholders in the Goulburn Broken Catchment who want to carry out works to protect and improve the health and resilience of the King Parrot Creek and the Yea River.
Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (CMA) River Health Officer Kirsten Roszak said this was the fourth year the King Parrot Creek and Hooray for the Yea Projects had been funded.
“This is the final year of these four year projects, so we’re encouraging landholders to get involved now while grants are still available,” Ms Roszak said.
“Over the past 3 years we have worked closely with landholders with King Parrot Creek and Yea River frontages to erect more than 7 kilometres of fencing and protect around 26 hectares of riparian land, and we have planted more than 9,000 indigenous plants in these areas.”
Ms Roszak said the aim of the final year of the King Parrot Creek and Hooray for the Yea projects was to expand on these amazing results and continue to assist landholders who want to help protect the precious environment along these valuable waterways.
“The King parrot Creek and the Yea River are priority waterways in the Goulburn Broken Waterways Strategy, and they contain very important populations of nationally threatened Macquarie perch,” She said.
“We have had great involvement from local community groups who have assisted the CMA and landholders to make a real difference to the condition of these waterways.
“Landholders have been very co-operative and are thrilled with the improvement they are seeing in riparian health once grazing has been controlled.”
The King Parrot Creek and Hooray for the Yea Projects are run as part of the Goulburn Broken CMA’s On-ground Works Program with funding from the State Government. These projects aim to improve the condition of the riparian zone, increase instream habitat and improve water quality to protect Macquarie perch populations.
The Macquarie perch was once abundant and widespread across Victoria and New South Wales but has declined dramatically since the 1970’s, with remaining populations relatively small and isolated. The species is currently listed nationally as Endangered (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) and listed as a threatened species under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.
Anglers are reminded that taking Macquarie perch from waterways within the Goulburn Broken Catchment is prohibited, and it is important to remember to return the fish to the waterway as soon as possible if accidentally caught.
For more information on the King Parrot Creek and the Hooray for the Yea Projects contact Kirsten Roszak at the Yea office of the Goulburn Broken CMA on 5797 4400.