Rotary Club rallies community to save historic water race

THE Highton Rotary Club remains steadfast in its commitment to see the Fyansford Paper Mill restored to its former glory, more than three years after a 10-metre breach occurred in the heritage site’s water race wall.

The race, which once concentrated water from the Barwon River into a smaller channel, driving the waterwheel that used to power the paper mill, has almost run dry.

After learning in November that the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action did not have the funds required to undertake the repairs, the Rotary Club decided to take on the task themselves.

Rotary member Stephen Bath said the club was now seeking permission from the state government to move forward and organise the repairs.

A petition, launched in March in support of this goal, has since garnered more than 1,200 signatures.

But before the petition closes on November 24, the Highton Rotary Club are hoping to see this number rise to 2,500 to both lend weight to the cause and ensure the issue will be debated in parliament.

“It is a heritage-listed, quite significant part of Geelong…and we want to make sure that that’s preserved and passed on to future generations,” Mr Bath said.

“If we don’t do anything, we’re not sure who will.”

The Rotary Club’s goals are also environmentally motivated.

Mr Bath said an independent ecological assessment, commissioned by the club in 2022, had determined that the race provides a complementary aquatic and riparian habitat to the faster flowing, adjacent Barwon River.

“There’s platypus hotspots on the Barwon River and eel and native fish species,” Mr Bath said.

“The water race channel was noted as enhancing platypus feeding opportunities and partial restoration of the water levels would increase habitat values for native fauna, including increasing the amount of habitat for platypus.”

He noted that there were differing community opinions about the water race, with some feeling that it should not be there because it’s unnatural.

However, the site’s heritage listing means the water race cannot be removed.

“Over 150 years, the ecosystems and the environment have developed and are now relying on that [water race],” Mr Bath said.

“The race doesn’t actually take water away from the river itself, it redirects it, and then the waterfall at the end of the race, that actually has an aeration effect that helps deal with blue-green algae and improves the water health.

“One of the prime aims is to improve the environmental area and get it back to something that is suitable for platypus and native fish.

“If the wall was knocked down completely, I don’t think those breeding areas would be restored.

“If it’s left as it is, then we’re going to end up with a big, messy quagmire of mud and degraded habitat, and I think the benefits of repairing it outweigh the benefits of leaving it.”

To view the petition, head to parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/petitions/restore-the-fyansford-paper-mill-water-race-wall