water for parks

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River Red Gum parks Magnificent legacy – still dying for a drink

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River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink River Red Gum parks provide multiple benefits… …but only if they have an adequate and legally entitled allocation of environmental water delivered to them from 2012.

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River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink Steamer Plain with Moira Grass, Barmah Forest, 2005

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River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink Lindsay-Wallpolla

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Victoria’s rivers don’t have enough water: River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink In dry times all water users have had to compromise, but the environment has been hit the hardest.

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River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink Thirsty and degraded Murray River banks, drying and dying floodplain in Gunbower, parched Parnee Milloo Creek in Niah Vinifera.

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River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink Barmah wetlands, September 2010 But getting back to health will take years of above average rain

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River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink Action: Secure an adequate and legally-entitled allocation of environmental water for delivery to the River Red Gum parks from 2012. The Brumby government created these magnificent new parks which can be an environmental and community asset for all Victorians Their proper management – including the provision of adequate environmental water – is a state responsibility Without adequate water, the values for which these parks were declared are at risk – afterall, who wants to go camping in a dead forest or fish in river strangled by salt and blue green algae?

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2008 SoE Report Recommended that the Victorian government to “act with urgency to increase environmental water reserves … including buying back water. In particular, floodplains need floods to continue functioning as floodplain ecosystems.” River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink Grounds for securing environmental water for River Red Gum parks

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2008 SoE Report VEAC Final Investigation Recommends that the Victorian government to “act with urgency to increase environmental water reserves … including buying back water. In particular, floodplains need floods to continue functioning as floodplain ecosystems.” States that the most important and serious environmental problem facing red gum country is the outstanding need to deliver sufficient water to halt the loss of flood-dependent riverine forests and wetlands. River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink Grounds for securing environmental water for River Red Gum parks

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2008 SoE Report VEAC Final Investigation ACF polling 77% of the public support putting more water back into the Murray River to make it healthy 74% of the public support government creation of freshwater sanctuaries to protect what is left of the red gum forest and wetlands along the Murray River. Recommends that the Victorian government to “act with urgency to increase environmental water reserves … including buying back water. In particular, floodplains need floods to continue functioning as floodplain ecosystems.” Grounds for securing environmental water for River Red Gum parks States that the most important and serious environmental problem facing red gum country is the outstanding need to deliver sufficient water to halt the loss of flood-dependent riverine forests and wetlands. River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink

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Grounds for restoring River Red Gum parks to health 2008 SoE Report VEAC Final Investigation ACF polling Threatened wildlife 77% of Victorians support putting more water back into the Murray River to make it healthy 74% of Victorians support government creation of freshwater sanctuaries to protect what is left of the red gum forest and wetlands along the Murray Rivers Recommends that the Victorian government to “act with urgency to increase environmental water reserves … including buying back water. In particular, floodplains need floods to continue functioning as floodplain ecosystems.” States that the most important and serious environmental problem facing red gum country is the outstanding need to deliver sufficient water to halt the loss of flood-dependent riverine forests and wetlands. River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink The Murray Flora and Fauna Entitlement saved the Murray Hardyhead fish from extinction because that water allocation is high-reliability.

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Opportunities to restore River Red Gum parks to health: Solution: Secure an adequate and legally-entitled allocation of environmental water for delivery to the River Red Gum parks from 2012. River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink Improve the Victorian Water Act to ensure our rivers have a fair share of total available inflows, allocated as high-reliability entitlements. In concert with the Federal Government, through the MDBA Plan, secure and deliver high-reliability water for the parks Establish a state government fund to buy back water for the River Red Gum Parks, to be managed by the recently established Environmental Water Holder Deliver the 700 GL earmarked to Victoria’s northern rivers through the Northern SWS process, water which will go some way to sustaining the River Red Gum parks and wetlands

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River Red Gum parks: magnificent legacy - still dying for a drink Thank-you