News

Winton Wetlands one of six local groups receiving funding to improve environment

By Benalla Ensign

Sep 5, 2022

Making a comeback: Winton Wetlands will receive $19,000 to assist its program to breed and reintroduce the growling grass frog to the Goulburn Broken Catchment.

Winton Wetlands is just one local organisation to receive funding as part of the Victorian Government’s Our Catchment, Our Communities program.

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Its committee of management will receive $19,000 to enhance captive breeding for the reintroduction of Growling Grass Frogs to the Goulburn Broken Catchment.

Victorian Water Minister Harriet Shing announced that this, and five other, innovative pilot projects would share in $160,100.

The Strathbogie Ranges Conservation Management Network will receive $30,000 to reduce the impacts of climate change in the ranges by collecting and sharing environmental information online.

And Water Stewardship Australia will receive $26,700 to develop a network of local businesses in partnership with Strathbogie Shire Council to improve water outcomes by undertaking an audit of water use and needs, identify areas for improvement and marketing opportunities for water stewards.

“The Goulburn Broken Catchment is an important place, and we want to ensure it continues to benefit regional economies by offering recreational activities and supporting native flora and fauna,” Ms Shing said.

“We’re proud to be supporting these local projects which will tackle some high-priority issues and provide real onthe-ground benefits.”

Other funding as part of the program includes:

$30,000 for Taungurung Land and Waters Council to build relationships with the Molesworth community and adjoining landholders to heal Country and undertake invasive weeding works;
$30,000 for BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University to conduct research and survey farmers and industry about climate change awareness and better land management practices; and
$24,400 for Threatened Species Conservancy to test a new monitoring method that uses DNA to assess fish populations. If successful, the new tool could enable managers and community groups to regularly evaluate fish stocks by collecting a cup of water and sending the sample to the lab for testing.

The grants are also part of the implementation of the Goulburn Broken Regional Catchment Strategy and the Hume Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, which identify ways to improve and enhance the catchment and address the impacts of climate change.