Latest News
Progress for Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Project
The Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Project (VMFRP) is pleased to share progress in the project’s planning and approval efforts as the team work to get much-needed water back onto high-value floodplains along the Murray River.
Project Update – Spring 2024
The project’s efforts to restore and protect key Northern Victorian floodplains have been boosted with the recently renewed funding agreement between the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments.
Project update – March 2024
Work is progressing on the Victorian Murray Floodplain Project (VMFRP) as Victoria and the Australian Government continue talks on future funding for the project.
Minister’s Assessment delivered – Burra Creek ER
The Minister for Planning issued her assessment of the environmental effects of the Burra Creek Floodplain Restoration Project under the Environment Effects Act 1978.
Minister’s Assessment delivered – Nyah-Vinifera ER
The release of the Minister for Planning’s assessment concludes the Environment Report (ER) process for the Nyah-Vinifera Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Projects.
Project update – September 2023
Work is progressing on the Victorian Murray Floodplain Project (VMFRP) as Victoria and the Australian Government continue talks on future funding for the project.
Minister’s Assessment delivered – Belsar-Yungera and Hattah Lakes North EES
The release of the Minister for Planning’s assessment concludes the Environment Effects Statement (EES) process for the Hattah Lakes North and Belsar-Yungera Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Projects.
Public Hearing into the EES Central package concluded on 8 February 2023
The VMFRP Standing Inquiry and Advisory Committee completed its Hearing on the EES Central assessment package on 8 February 2023.
Have your say on the Vinifera, Nyah and Burra Creek Environment Report
Public comment is now invited on the Environment Report for Vinifera, Nyah and Burra Creek Floodplain Restoration Projects
Vinifera, Nyah and Burra Creek Floodplain Restoration Projects Environment Report Update
A detailed Environment Report for the Vinifera, Nyah and Burra Creek Floodplain Restoration Projects is expected to be placed on public display in late January/early February 2023. Find out more.
Read all about it in the December Floodplain Babbler!
The latest edition of the Floodplain Babbler is now online. Named after the noisy and gregarious Babbler bird, this quarterly newsletter will keep you updated on our planned work to restore nine much-loved Murray River floodplains.
Join the Hearing in January 2023 for the Environment Effects Statement: Hattah Lakes North and Belsar-Yungera
The Hearing for the Environment Effects Statement: Hattah Lakes North and Belsar-Yungera will begin on Tuesday 17 January 2023 by videoconference using Zoom and will run for 10 days to Friday 10 February 2023.
Listen to the Directions Hearing for the Environment Effects Statement: Hattah Lakes North and Belsar-Yungera Copy
The Standing Inquiry and Advisory Committee (SIAC) held a Direction Hearings by Zoom video conference on 28 November 2022 to prepare for the Hearing for the Environment Effects Statement: Hattah Lakes North and Belsar-Yungera.
Belsar-Yungera and Hattah Lakes North Environment Effects Statement Online Information Session
Join the VMFRP project team for an online information session on the Environment Effects Statement for the Belsar-Yungera and Hattah Lakes North Floodplain Restoration Projects.
Have your say on the Belsar-Yungera and Hattah Lakes North EES
Public comment is now invited on the Environment Effects Statement (EES): Belsar-Yungera and Hattah Lakes North Floodplain Restoration Projects.
Read all about it in the Floodplain Babbler!
The latest edition of the Floodplain Babbler is now online. Named after the noisy and gregarious Babbler bird, this quarterly newsletter will keep you updated on our planned work to restore nine much-loved Murray River floodplains.
Floodplain heroes – Bringing biodiversity back to a Gunbower farm
Our floodplain heroes series features local people doing amazing work to restore floodplain spaces along the Murray River. Meet John Toll, a fourth-generation farmer bringing biodiversity back to a Gunbower farm by planting native trees and vegetation and creating a fully functional wetland.
Belsar-Yungera and Hattah Lakes North Floodplain Restoration Projects EES Update
The Victorian Minister for Planning has determined that a single EES is required for the Belsar-Yungera and Hattah Lakes North Floodplain Restoration Projects under the Environment Effects Act 1978 (Victoria).
Tangled Lignum – the unsung zombie hero of the floodplains
In dry periods, Tangled Lignum may appear lifeless, but like a floodplain feature special of ‘Return of the lignum dead’, it springs back to life after flooding from high river flows, providing homes and food for a diverse range of plants and animals found nowhere else.
Talking VMFRP on Goulburn-Murray Water’s monthly water podcast
Listen to VMFRP General Manager Jane Ryan talk projects with GMW on their Talking Water podcast.
Catch up on our project news with the Floodplain Babbler!
The fifth edition of the Floodplain Babbler is now online. Stay up to date with our project news!
Floodplain heroes – Meet Shannon O’Brien, the owner of Murray River Adventures in Cohuna
Meet Shannon O’Brien, as he shares his love of Gunbower Forest, kayaking and bringing more people on board to protect our floodplains.
VMFRP fact sheet now available in 8 languages!
The VMFRP fact sheet has been translated into 8 languages so that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities can access project information.
Read all about it in the Floodplain Babbler!
The fourth edition of the Floodplain Babbler is now online. Named after the noisy and gregarious Babbler bird, this quarterly newsletter will keep you updated on our planned work to restore nine much-loved Murray River floodplains.
Floodplain heroes – Bringing back the bittern at Murrabit West
Our floodplain heroes series features local people doing amazing work to restore floodplain spaces along the Murray River. Meet Ken and Jill Hooper who are returning their property at Murrabit West to a series of wetlands surrounded by bushland and open grasses.
Meet the team – Susan Saris
Say hello to Susan Saris, the Environment Team Leader at VMFRP project partner, Lower Murray Water! Susan’s two passions are walking and canoeing and she loves getting out onto the floodplains.
Birds flock to Murray River floodplain wetlands across northern Victoria
Birds are flocking to Murray River floodplain wetlands across northern Victoria following recent deliveries of environmental water. Hattah Lakes, Gunbower Forest and Lake Wallawalla are just some of the wetlands benefitting from environmental water ‘top ups’ , helping them spring back to life.
Meet the team – Tim Nitschke
Tim is responsible for making sure that water gets delivered efficiently to all his customers. When he’s not working with water, he can be found relaxing on the water – Tim is a keen fisher and can often be seen around the Kerang Lakes on a weekend.
Floodplain heroes – Meet Braeden Lampard from OzFish
Read our floodplain heroes series about local residents doing amazing things to restore and maintain floodplain health along the Murray River. Meet Braeden Lampard, OzFish Program Manager for the Murray–Darling Basin.
Field in Focus presentation series now online
Our Field in Focus series is designed to give the community some early insights into the work and observations of some of our specialists. Watch the first of our technical presentations.
Monitoring Black Box at Hattah Lakes
Ever wondered how to tell if Black Box trees are doing well? Join David Wood, ecologist and program manager for The Living Murray at Mallee CMA, as he walks through the Black Box trees at Hattah Lakes.
Victorian Murray Floodplains webinar now online!
If you missed out on our recent webinar, you can watch it online at www.vmfrp.com.au/webinars. Find out how the VMFRP will enable Victoria to meet its commitments to the Murray–Darling Basin Plan objectives while balancing the needs of all Victorian water users.
Floodplain rescue mission sparks local interest
SWAN Hill and Nyah residents have shown keen interest in Victoria’s plan to save priority Murray River floodplains, with more than 100 people taking time to learn about projects planned for the Nyah and Vinifera Park.
VMFRP colouring collaboration winners announced!
The prize winners for our colouring collaboration have now been announced. We loved seeing all the creative ways that you coloured our amazing floodplains!
EES/ER technical studies under way across all VMFRP sites
Our technical specialists are currently busy assessing the benefits and potential impacts associated with construction and operation of the planned VMFRP works. These technical studies give us critical information to ensure we maximise all benefits and appropriately manage any risks.
Meet the regent parrot
The distinctive yellow and green regent parrot can be found across the Murray River floodplains in north-western Victoria. We spoke to Alex Holmes, terrestrial zoologist and fauna lead for VMFRP, to find out more about this popular bird.
Mallee CMA starts ecological monitoring program at seven VMFRP sites
Mallee CMA will soon be starting an ecological monitoring program to support the Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Project (VMFRP).
Enter our colouring collaboration and you could win a $50 hamper from the Mildura Chocolate Company!
Keep the kids busy these school holidays with our colouring sheets and enter our competition for a chance to win a yummy $50 Mildura Chocolate Company hamper and colouring pencils.
DELWP releases scoping requirements for the EES process
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has released the final scoping requirements setting out the matters to be investigated under the environmental assessment process for the nine VMFRP sites.
Gunbower floodplain community group off to a flying start
The first of two local VMFRP community advisory groups has hit the ground running. The Gunbower National Park VMFRP Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) includes community members and forest users from across the local area.
Have your say on the EES process
Have your say on the draft Scoping Requirements for the Lindsay and Wallpolla Islands EES and the Hattah Lakes North and Belsar-Yungera EES. Both are open for public comment from 23 April until midnight on 14 May 2021.
Submissions open 23 April on the EES scoping requirements
The draft scoping requirements for four of the proposed Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Project (VMFRP) sites will be released this Friday 23 April on the Engage Victoria website.
EES scoping requirements to be released in April 2021
The Minister for Planning is currently developing ‘scoping requirements’ for the environmental assessment process for the nine VMFRP sites.
Putting the call out for community input into floodplain projects
Expressions of Interest are being sought from community members, forest user groups, Traditional Owners, and industry representatives keen to provide advice and input into two proposed VMFRP sites in north central Victoria.
Expressions of interest for Stakeholder Advisory Groups for Guttrum-Benwell and Gunbower projects
Expressions of interest are sought from interested community members, forest user groups, Traditional Owners, and industry representatives to participate in two separate VMFRP Stakeholder Advisory Groups.
Community central to next step – environmental assessment process
Victoria’s effort to restore and protect nine areas of high-value Murray River floodplain will prioritise community engagement and consultation, as it moves into the formal environmental assessment process.
VMFRP East projects environmental pathway released
Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne has advised the two east Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Projects – at Gunbower National Park and Guttrum and Benwell state forests – to submit comprehensive environmental reports as part of their next stage. Read more here.
Environment assessment process decided
The VMFRP has been formally advised of the outcomes of the environmental referrals process for each of the nine projects.
Nyah-Vinifera online community information session
We held an online community information session on 29 October 2020 to discuss the projects planned for Nyah-Vinifera Park under the Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Project. Nine community members attended and generously shared their time to learn more about the projects and ask questions about a range of topics. The presentation given at the meeting […]
Community questions for Guttrum-Benwell
A response to common community questions for the Guttrum-Benwell site has been released.
Nyah-Vinifera project update released
Find out what’s been happening at Nyah-Vinifera Park in the latest project update.
All environmental referrals submitted
Referrals for all nine projects have now been submitted to the Victorian Government and the Commonwealth Government. The referrals outline key details of the projects, as well as how any environmental impacts will be managed while achieving significant ecological benefits.
Victorian and Commonwealth referrals made
This month, we have submitted some more Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) and Environmental Effect Act (EE Act) submissions to the Victorian state and Australian commonwealth governments. See their websites (below) for more information.
May 2020
We have been working on our submissions for the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) submissions to the Commonwealth government and also our Environmental Effects Act (EE) submissions to the Victorian State government. These proposals will be made public on the Commonwealth and State websites for everyone to see and so further engagement and comment on the project can occur
April 2020
We are continuing with our works on all the planning and design aspects for our nine projects. We are also continuing to have engagement sessions with Traditional Owner groups in the regions where the projects are planned for.
February 2020
Key activities that are currently underway are:
- Community engagement with Stakeholder Advisory Groups has occurred during the month
- Meetings with industry groups
- Review of project area designs
- Cultural Heritage Management Planning underway
- Ecology assessments underway
- Engagement with adjoining landholders continuing
December 2019
Project Fact Sheet
See our latest project fact sheet which provides a summary update on the Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Project
November 2019
Key activities that are currently underway are:
- Survey and design for the required works in each of the 9 sites,
- Landholder consultation about the projects’ proposed outcomes is being undertaken in localised areas,
- Flora and fauna surveys across the proposed areas to be rehabilitated have commenced,
- General community and stakeholder engagement underway,
- Cultural heritage management plans are being established,
- Social Media channels being utilised to distribute current information about the overall project.
