2008/09 Environmental Watering Booklet now available

The 2008/2009 Environmental Watering in Victoria booklet has been released, just in time for the start of the autumn watering program.

The Booklet highlights the results from watering across the state in 2008 – 2009. Now an annual publication, it was developed by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) in conjunction with catchment management authorities and other stakeholders who are part of the program.

While inspecting the results of environmental watering at Wallpolla Island, a key Living Murray Icon Site, Minister for Environment Gavin Jennings launched the 2008/2009 Environmental Watering Booklet, which details the outcomes of watering carried out around the state last year.

To continue the watering program, approximately 33 gigalitres of water has been allocated for the environment this autumn for key sites including Lindsay-Wallpolla Islands.

Minister Jennings said that Wallpolla Island is one of the many sites that benefited as a result of last year’s program, as detailed in the 2008/2009 Environmental Watering Booklet.

“Environmental watering in this area provided significant refuge habitat for plants and animals, watering stressed River Red Gums, attracting waterbirds, Peron’s tree frogs, spotted marsh frogs and yabbies among other wildlife.

“The Victorian government is committed to continuing its environmental watering program in 2010 to ensure the survival of wildlife and River Red Gums,” Mr Jennings said.

The water being used comes from a number of sources including:

• Victorian environmental entitlements, which are legally set aside to protect rivers and wetlands
• water recovered through The Living Murray’s water recovery program 
• the Commonwealth Government’s Restoring the Balance program.

Download the 2008/09 Environmental Watering Booklet.