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| North Central CMA | |
|---|---|
| Name | North Central Catchment Management Authority |
| Type | Statutory authority |
| Jurisdiction | North Central Victoria, Australia |
| Formed | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Bendigo |
| Region served | Loddon River, Campaspe River, Goulburn Broken Basin |
| Parent agency | Victorian Government |
North Central CMA
The North Central Catchment Management Authority is a statutory body responsible for integrated catchment management across north central Victoria, Australia, including river systems, wetlands, floodplains and water quality. It operates on issues spanning natural resource management, river health, biodiversity conservation, flood mitigation and sustainable land use, coordinating with federal, state and local institutions. The authority collaborates with partners across irrigation districts, Aboriginal corporations, agricultural associations and scientific agencies to implement strategic plans and on-ground works.
The agency was established under Victorian statute to manage catchment-scale outcomes across the Loddon, Campaspe, Avoca and lower Goulburn River corridors, working with entities such as the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Goulburn-Murray Water and local shires like the City of Greater Bendigo, Shire of Campaspe, Loddon Shire and Macedon Ranges Shire. It contributes to regional strategies aligned with national frameworks including the Water Act 2007 (Cth), the Basin Plan, and biodiversity initiatives like the National Landcare Program and the Australian Government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The authority liaises with research organisations such as CSIRO, University of Melbourne, La Trobe University, Charles Sturt University and the Arthur Rylah Institute.
The catchment spans headwaters and lowlands from the Great Dividing Range through the central Victorian plains, incorporating the Loddon River, Campaspe River, Avoca River, tributaries of the Goulburn River and floodplain complexes such as the Kerang Wetlands and the Gunbower Forest. Key towns and regional centres in the catchment include Bendigo, Echuca, Swan Hill, Maryborough, Castlemaine, Daylesford and Inglewood. Landscapes encompass native remnants such as the Box-Ironbark forests, agricultural zones dominated by dryland cropping and grazing near Mallee and irrigated horticulture in the Goulburn Irrigation District. The area interfaces with protected areas such as the Pennyroyal State Forest, Terrick Terrick National Park and the Mount Alexander Regional Park.
The authority’s functions include catchment planning, river restoration, floodplain management, salinity mitigation and environmental water delivery, coordinating with delivery agencies like North Central Waterwatch, WaterNSW, Southern Rural Water and Victorian Environmental Water Holder. It develops regional catchment strategies, condition monitoring with partners such as Bureau of Meteorology, implements water quality programs addressing nutrients and sediment with engagement from Murray-Darling Basin Authority science teams, and supports groundwater management linked to the Victorian Environmental Flows Monitoring and Assessment Program. The authority also works with Aboriginal corporations including the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation and Taungurung Land and Waters Council on cultural water management.
Major on-ground works and projects involve riparian fencing, revegetation, erosion control, wetland restoration, levee assessments and environmental flows in systems like Pyramid Lake, Lake Boga, Gunbower Creek and the Loddon Plains. Projects have included tributary rehabilitation funded by programs such as the National Landcare Program and collaborative delivery with agencies like Goulburn-Murray Water and Corangamite Catchment Management Authority where catchment boundaries abut. Infrastructure coordination touches on irrigation channels, weirs including historic structures on the Campaspe Weir system, levees for flood protection in Echuca-Moama and measures to manage cold-water pollution from reservoirs such as Lake Eppalock.
Governance is provided by a board appointed under Victorian legislation, reporting to ministers in the Victorian Parliament and liaising with federal portfolios including the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Australia). Funding streams combine Victorian state allocations, Australian Government grants under programs such as the National Landcare Program and targeted agreements under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and regional investment via local government partners including Bendigo Rural City Council and Campaspe Shire Council. The authority partners with industry groups such as the Victorian Farmers Federation and research funders like the Australian Research Council.
Key environmental concerns addressed include native vegetation decline affecting communities like Regent Parrot habitat, salinity and dryland salinity impacts linked to historic clearing, decline of native fish such as Murray Cod, proliferation of invasive species including European Carp and Willow (Salix) species, and wetland degradation affecting migratory birds under agreements like the Ramsar Convention for internationally significant wetlands nearby. Climate variability linked to observations from the Bureau of Meteorology and modelling by CSIRO influence adaptive management of environmental flows, groundwater recharge and biodiversity corridors associated with Murray-Darling Basin resilience.
The authority maintains partnerships with Indigenous organisations such as Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation and Taungurung Land and Waters Council, community groups including Landcare Australia networks, industry bodies like the Victorian Farmers Federation and recreational user groups for fishing and boating represented by organisations such as the Australian Trout Foundation and local angling clubs in Echuca and Bendigo. It runs community monitoring through programs linked to Waterwatch Australia and engages schools and tertiary partners including Swinburne University of Technology and La Trobe University for citizen science and extension activities.
Category:Organizations based in Victoria (Australia)