NEW: ESTUARYWATCH AND WATERWATCH VICTORIA ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENTS REPORT 2022-2023

EstuaryWatch and WaterWatch Victoria has released the EstuaryWatch and WaterWatch Annual Achievements Report 2022-23.

The report highlights how thousands of dedicated WaterWatch and EstuaryWatch volunteers across Victoria give their time to visit local waterways to monitor water quality and collect valuable environmental information that directly informs how Catchment Management Authorities make decisions to improve waterway health.

In the Corangamite region WaterWatch and EstuaryWatch volunteers have undertaken short and long-term monitoring of the Curdies River since 2001 for WaterWatch sites and 2013 for EstuaryWatch sites.

Citizen Scientists are represented on the Curdies River Consultative Committee providing important water quality data and observations to the committee. This committee was established in 2022 to provide a transparent and effective platform for knowledge sharing, consultation, and collaboration to improve the health of the Curdies River.

The Curdies River Consultative Committee members are working together to deliver habitat restoration and nutrient management programs to continue to improve the health of the Curdies River.

Victoria has been at the forefront of community-driven environmental stewardship for three decades, with its remarkable WaterWatch and EstuaryWatch programs. 

Citizen scientists involved in the 2022-2023 state-wide programs contributed a total of 92,030 hours to care for our waterways, equivalent to 12,720 volunteer days. This contribution provides an economic value of the 2022-2023 volunteer effort of $3.8m.

The EstuaryWatch and WaterWatch programs are funded through the Victorian Government’s $248 million investment over four years (2020-24) to improve catchment and waterway health across regional Victoria.

State-wide WaterWatch and EstuaryWatch Facilitator Justine Holmes said, “The Victorian Government’s investment and shared vision for delivering these important programs has tremendously improved waterway health across regional Victoria”.

"This year’s Annual Report highlights how important the collaboration between Catchment Management Authorities and communities is. This collaboration is what creates meaningful impact for Victoria’s waterways and the people and diverse biodiversity that depend on them," Ms Holmes continued.

Use the following link: 23556_CCMA_AAR_2023_Web_HR.pdf to download a copy of the EstuaryWatch and WaterWatch Annual Achievements Report 2022-23.