Agriculture
30 October, 2025
Region water strategy will guide investment
A NEW strategy will be developed to set priorities and guide investment in waterway management across north central Victoria for the next decade.
North Central Catchment Management Authority is leading the creation of the strategy across its region stretching from Daylesford and Woodend to Boort and St Arnaud.
It will be delivered by the North Central CMA and DJAARA (Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation).
The strategy aims to maintain or improve the health of the waterways and the environmental, social, cultural and economic values they support and North Central CMA says it will play a significant role embedding Traditional Owners cultural and ancestral rights and responsibilities in the management and protection of waterways.
Chief executive efficer Brad Drust said the CMA was proud to pioneer the collaborative co-design approach with DJAARA, ensuring it was shaped by Dja Dja Wurrung values, knowledge, and aspirations.
“A lot of work has been done over the past 30 years to improve the health of our waterways impacted by historic land and water use, extreme events, and climate change and protect them from population growth,” he said.
“This strategy builds on that good work.”
Dja Dja Wurrung Group interim chief executive officer Cassandra Lewis said the co-design approach was about listening and learning together and listening and learning from Country.
“Looking after waterways is fundamental to Dja Dja Wurrung Culture,” she said.
“Collaborating with the CMA on the North Central Waterway Strategy enables us to bring the knowledge and Lore Dja Dja Wurrung People have built over millennia together with the CMA’s Western water management expertise to heal our damaged waterways.”
Consultation to develop the new North Central Waterway Strategy has begun and the community can have its say as part of CMA and DJAARA developing the plan.
“By working together, we can care for what we love and help leave our waterways in better shape for future generations,” Mr Drust said.
“Before we get really stuck into writing the North Central Waterway Strategy, we want to know what you value about our region’s waterways.
“We want to hear from you, the people who live near, visit, care for and value these waterways.
“We want your stories and perspectives to help build a shared understanding of how waterways are experienced, appreciated and imagined.”