Fresh push for community-led solutions on Anglesea River

THE Anglesea community is being invited to join a new group that will have input into the future management of the Anglesea River.

On Tuesday this week, the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA) opened expressions of interest to be part of the Reimagining the Anglesea River and Estuary (RARE) Project Working Group.

The Anglesea River and estuary continues to experience ongoing water quality challenges, including periods of low pH and acid sulfate soils issues.

The Corangamite CMA stated these conditions, combined with fluctuating water levels and recent fish death events, highlighted the need for a coordinated decision-making process that brings together regional agencies, communities, Traditional Owners and local businesses.

The authority and other agencies have been monitoring estuary conditions, investigating management options and trialling measures such as artificial estuary openings and pumping to maintain water levels, and the RARE Project Working Group is intended to build on this work in both the short-term and long-term.

Individuals and representatives from Anglesea community, environmental, recreational and local business groups, including tourism operators, have been invited to nominate to join.

The group is designed to:

Provide input into the assessment of management options

Bring local knowledge and community perspectives into decision-making

Support transparent communication between agencies and the wider community, and

Contribute to shaping long-term approaches to address acidity, estuary health and climate driven pressures.

It will be delivered in partnership with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, Surf Coast Shire, the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

Members will meet once a month between April and September.

“The Anglesea River is a complex, dynamic system, and there is no single quick fix,” Reimagining the Anglesea River project officer Ryan Bath said.

“Solutions require sustained commitment, collaboration and informed decision-making.Corangamite CMA knows that community involvement is essential to ensuring local values and priorities help shape the path forward.

“Corangamite CMA is encouraging Anglesea residents, community group members, recreational users, business owners and anyone with an interest in the long-term health of the Anglesea River and estuary to consider applying.”

For more details on the project and to submit an expression of interest, head to ccma.vic.gov.au

Applications close at 5pm on 31 March.