CORANGAMITE CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY INVITES COMMUNITY VOICES INTO REGIONAL NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA) is seeking new expressions of interest from community members across the region to join its Community Engagement Network (CEN), a forum designed to strengthen understanding, share local perspectives and support better natural resource management outcomes.

The CEN is for community members interested in natural resource management, environmental issues impacting our diverse catchment, and contributing to regional decision-making.

Corangamite CMA is encouraging applications from people of diverse backgrounds, locations and associations across the region, which stretches from Ballarat to Geelong and along the coast from Peterborough in the west past Corio Bay in the east. We currently have 13 passionate CEN members and are recruiting to bring even more perspectives and experiences into the group and broaden the opportunity for learning, information sharing and collaboration.

CEN members get to experience rarely seen parts of the region through twice-yearly field trips, learn from NRM experts (and each other), and contribute a community perspective to the management of natural resources across our catchment.

Time commitments are approximately two half days per year, plus reading time and travel time. Expressions of Interest can be lodged with the Corangamite CMA via their website Community Engagement Network - Corangamite Catchment Management Authority

Community Engagement Network members visit the Curdies Estuary and catchment

A recent highlight of the CEN  was a tour of the Curdies River catchment. The catchment is rich in natural values, supports one of Australia’s largest dairy areas, along with beef, sheep, and plantation forestry industries, and is home to threatened species and unique ecological communities, as well as a thriving tourism economy.

Starting the day at Timboon Railway Shed Distillery, network members travelled through a series of sites on private and public land that showcased key environmental and agricultural initiatives across the Curdies catchment.

The morning began with a trip to the confluence of Scotts Creek and the Curdies River, where Senior Project Officer Gene Gardiner and local landholder Dean Drayton discussed riparian works, catchment priorities and local challenges.

CEN members then visited a grazing property at Brucknell, to hear about balancing farm productivity with nature, including farm dam management, Landcare partnerships, and an impromptu masterclass on using dung beetles to improve soil health. The day continued with a tour of the Schulz Organic Creamery to see sustainable dairy farming in action, followed by lunch at the farm café. The day finished with a visit to Peterborough Coastal Reserve and estuary in the afternoon to hear about citizen science water quality observations from dedicated EstuaryWatch volunteers.

Community participation is essential to achieving Corangamite CMA’s vision of healthy and productive lands and waters cared for by thriving communities. The Community Engagement Network complements existing engagement approaches and supports meaningful, transparent and respectful collaboration with the community. Expressions of Interest to join the Community Engagement Network are now open and can be found on the Corangamite CMA website Community Engagement Network - Corangamite Catchment Management Authority