Rivers and streams within the Catchment are highly valued for irrigation, industry, urban water supply, stock and domestic water supply, recreation, habitat and aesthetic beauty.
From the irrigated Goulburn and Murray Valleys to the dryland grazing and cropping regions and high country valued for its tourism and recreational uses, the Goulburn Broken catchment is the foundation of the Victorian and Murray Darling Basin water resources and economic wealth. Although only 2% of the Murray Darling Basin's land area, the catchment generates 11% of the basin's water resources. In addition the catchment generates 26% of the rural export earning s for the State of Victoria.
Water underpins the viability of our irrigation area that, in turn, is the foundation of the region's economy and community. Streams within the region are highly valued for a range of reasons: irrigation, industry, potable water supply, stock and domestic water supply, recreation (both passive and active), the presence of threatened and vulnerable fish species aesthetic beauty and biodiversity.
Stream health in the region is of vital importance, not only for the local region but also for communities over 500 km downstream.
The need to protect and enhance the condition of our river environments is widely recognised. The aim of this program is to identify rivers of high value for protection and enhancement and to identify opportunities for restoration or improving the environmental condition of other rivers throughout the catchment.
All this work is guided by the Goulburn Broken Waterway Strategy 2014 - 2022.
Goulburn Broken Regional Waterway Strategy Renewal
The Regional Waterway Strategy (RWS) is a regional plan that Goulburn Broken CMA is required to prepare, under the Water Act 1989, which describes how we will manage, protect and invest to improve the health of waterways across the Goulburn Broken catchment.
The current Goulburn Broken Waterway Strategy 2014 - 2022 has seen many important outcomes achieved, including greater protection and improved health of many of the region’s rivers, creeks and wetlands.
The Goulburn Broken CMA is now working closely with Traditional Owners and other key partner and community organisations to renew its RWS and, in doing so, will set directions for waterway health, actions and outcomes for the next decade (2027-2037).
Shaping the future of our waterways together
The Goulburn Broken Regional Waterway Strategy belongs to everyone who cares about the health of waterways in our catchment. We're committed to developing this strategy in partnership with the community, and there are several ways you can contribute your knowledge, experience, and ideas.
By working with our partners and local communities we’ll be determining:
- What actions we need to take to keep our waterways healthy
- Where and how to focus our efforts to invest in improving the condition our rivers, creeks and wetlands for the benefit of local communities.
Over the past nine months, the Goulburn Broken CMA has been listening to community perspectives through surveys, workshops and presentations, learning from local knowledge, and exploring what’s important to people in the way waterways should be managed into the future.
Based on this feedback, the strategy will focus on building strong relationships, recognising connections between waterways and land, and ensuring reciprocity — in other words, caring for our waterways to benefit both the environment and our communities.
The Goulburn Broken Regional Waterway Strategy Discussion Paper.pdf brings together the many perspectives we heard from the community and our partners into one summary that will help inform the vision, values, principles, and key themes of the strategy. We want your feedback on the proposed values, issues, and themes that are likely to shape the renewed Regional Waterway Strategy
We want your feedback on the proposed values, issues, and themes, to check that we've correctly understood your ideas and captured what you have told us.
Provide feedback via this form or scan the QR code below. Feedback is open until 20th March 2026.
Check back here for updates on the strategy development process and upcoming engagement opportunities.
In this section
In the same way land animals breathe oxygen from the air, aquatic animals such as fish and bugs use dissolved oxygen in the water to “breathe”. When the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water is low it can harm these animals.
The Waterways program is one of the two operational Roles of the Authority (the other being in Floodplain Management). The Implementation or Waterway Program oversees river health and water quality research, monitoring and implementation activities in the catchment.
Water for the environment is water legally set aside to protect or improve the environmental values of wetlands and streams. Environmental water entitlements are held by the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH), the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA).
Across the Murray-Darling Basin, there are physical and operational barriers, known as constraints, that limit the environmental flows that can be delivered and the outcomes that can be achieved.
The Goulburn Broken CMA in partnership with other government agencies and the community undertake a range of activities to protect and enhance the value of our streams for recreational activity.
Information Sheets