Landholders with frontages on the Seven Creeks are being encouraged to get involved in a Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (CMA) project to improve the health of the waterway.
River Health Officer Sue Kosch said the Goulburn Broken CMA would be working with landholders and the community to improve the riparian and instream health of the creek, with the aim of improving habitat for nationally threatened Macquarie perch and trout cod.
“The Seven Creeks is a very important part of the landscape, so it’s important that we protect and improve the condition of the creek to help ensure the ongoing survival of these two nationally threatened fish species and the other native species that depend on it for food and shelter.”
Financial incentives are available for a range of on-ground works including fencing, alternative watering sites and revegetation. The Goulburn Broken CMA will also under take in-stream habitat works in strategic areas to increase habitat for fish and other aquatic species.
“We are aiming to fill in some of the ‘gaps’ in the native vegetation along the creek to reconnect the riparian zone, and carry out in-stream habitat enhancement works to create more refuge pools, which provide vital shelter, particularly during low-flow events as were exprienced last summer,” Ms Kosch said.
“Increasing the cover of native vegetation in the riparian zone and the quality of instream habitat will help improve the overall condition of the creek and the Macquarie perch and trout cod populations within it.”
The Seven Creeks Towards 2040 Project is funded through the Victorian Government’s Regional Riparian Action Plan. To find out more about the project, including grants available for landholders, visit www.gbcma.vic.gov.au or contact Sue Kosch on 5797 4400.