About the region
The waterways in these systems provide drinking water to greater Melbourne, Ballarat and Geelong and support a range of activities including walking, cycling, fishing and camping, as well as areas of irrigated agriculture. Platypus and fish are two examples of animals that attract community interest in the health of the waterways.
Water for the environment is held in storage and delivered to support the plants and animals that live in and along the rivers. There are some links between systems in the region, and there are therefore opportunities to move water between systems through trade. Although moving water between systems is possible, most environmental water in these systems is prioritised to provide benefits in the river below where it is stored. While there is no dedicated environmental entitlement in the Maribyrnong system, water allocation has been purchased from licence holders in the system for environmental outcomes.
View the current seasonal watering plan for the rivers and wetlands that make up the Central region:
