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Victorian River Health and Policies from 2002

By walkeralie

  • Victorian River Health Strategy released

    Victorian River Health Strategy outlining long term policies on river health and management

  • Victorian Government's white paper, Our Water Our Future, released in June 2004

    Our Water Our Future outlines 110 actions to improve water management and sustainability over the next 50 years, including a promise to "significantly improve" the health of Victoria's rivers by 2010.

  • 17 billion litres a year promised for the Yarra

    Ahead of the November 25 election, the State Government released the Central Region Sustainable Water Strategy in October 2006 promising 17 billion litres to be stored each year for the Yarra river. Environment Victoria says the government is yet to fulfill this promise, as well as commitments made to return water to other Victorian rivers.
    The Source: "How the River Runs"

  • Moorabool River receives 39% of natural flow in 2006 as plans to redirect water from the Moorabool Reserve to Ballarat are revealed in December.

    Geelong Advertiser: "Far too slow to fix Moorabool river's flow"

  • The State Government publishes their $5 billion water plan in June 2007.

    The water plan essentially overrode Our Water Our Future, with the alternative water source of the largest desalination plant in Australia to provide 150 billion litres of water a year from 2011; and the north-south pipeline to pump 75 billion litres of water each year from the Goulburn River to Melbourne.

  • The Sustainable Rivers Audit finds the Goulburn River is in the worst state of the all rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin.

    The Sustainable Rivers Audit report gives the Loddon, Avoca and Goulburn rivers the overall health rating of "very poor".

  • Water prices are predicted to double

    The annual Water Report Card announces in August 2009 that water prices are expected to double over the next 5 years.

  • Water begins to flow down the controversial north-south pipeline.

  • Flow increases to Yarra and Thomson rivers announced

    Victorian Water Minister Tim Holding announces the government will return 10 billion litres of water to the Yarra and 7 billion to the Thomson each year.
    Media Release

  • Governments announce plan to increase Snowy River flow

    The Federal, NSW and Victorian Governments announce they will pay off water debts so 56 billion litres can be returned to the Snowy River over next two years, out of promised 212 billion litres by the end of 2012.
    The Weekly Times: "Debt deal to revive Snowy River flows"

  • Victoria River Health Program Report Card 2002-2009 released in August 2010.

    The Victorian River Health Report Card claims river flow targets set in 2002 are well on track and in some cases have been exceeded.

  • Melbourne water restrictions eased from 3a to 2.

  • Victoria experiences its worst flooding in over a decade in early September, leading to debates this may be the end of 13 years of drought.

  • Murray-Darling Basin Plan

    Date set for the release of the Murray-Darling Basin plan, outlining the amount of water needed to be preserved from irrigation to sustain the river system.