Coliban Water has developed a Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan to increase awareness throughout the business of the need to protect flora and fauna.  We have paid particular attention to significant species that may potentially be threatened or endangered by the impacts of our works.

The Strategy is consistent with the outcomes sought through Victoria’s Biodiversity Strategy and was developed in accordance with the Water Services Agreement requirements.

Our Vision

Coliban Water’s Biodiversity Strategy will provide the mechanism to facilitate an increased awareness throughout the business of the need to protect and enhance biodiversity values in our region and in particular, the need to protect threatened flora and fauna species known to inhabit the land we manage.

In achieving this vision,

Coliban Water will recognise and consider the impact of providing water and wastewater services on biodiversity and will undertake the necessary planning to minimise this impact and where possible, effect a net increase in these values.

A three part action plan is contained within the Biodiversity Strategy to:

• Maintain the Strategic Direction;
• Ensure effective process management ; and
• Proactively manage biodiversity values on land we are responsible for managing.

Threatened ecological communities

A number of ecological communities are listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (As Amended). The key threatened communities (relevant to the north central region) that are found within the Goldfields Bioregion and the Riverina Bioregion.

Significant ecological vegetation class (EVC) mapping is the tool by which we can identify the status of different communities in areas in which we work.  The Department of Sustainability and Environment is the custodian of the EVC mapping.  EVCs can have a different conservation status in different bioregions. 

In planning works, Coliban Water identifies which vegetation communities exist in the area and then using the North Central Native Vegetation Plan or the relevant Biodiversity Action Plan, identify what conservation status it has.

Where possible, if any communities are identified as having an endangered conservation status in an area where we plan on working, Coliban Water aims to explore all possible options to avoid adverse impacts.  These threatened communities are of higher priority than other native vegetation.

Where Coliban Water is unable to avoid adverse impact on the vegetation, the Native Vegetation Framework (NVF) will determine the subsequent offsets.  The NVF relates the significance of the communities being impacted to the bioregion it sits within. 

Significant wetlands

There are a number of significant wetlands that need to be protected either within the Coliban Water region or are adjacent to the region but are directly influenced by waterways and land management occurring within our region.  ‘Significant’ wetlands include freshwater meadows, shallow freshwater marshes, permanent open freshwater storages (can be man-made) and semi-permanent saline wetlands. 

Some internationally significant wetlands are referred to as Ramsar listed (ie. adopted by the international Ramsar convention) and these along with nationally significant wetlands, are considered to be ‘important’ for protecting. 

Ramsar wetlands that are either in or adjacent to this region include Gunbower Island and the Kerang Wetlands.  Gunbower Island contains the second largest Red Gum forest in Victoria and is primarily influenced by the Murray River during times of periodic flooding.  As such, it is unlikely to be directly impacted upon by water authority activities and the consideration warranted by Coliban Water is simply recognition of an internationally significant wetland close to our region.  The Kerang Wetlands are a system of 22 lakes and swamps that provide important waterbird habitats (for many migratory bird species listed under the JAMBA and CAMBA international protection agreements).  Johnson Swamp and Hird Swamp are two that are within Coliban Water’s region and along with a portion of the remaining 20, are directly influenced by Loddon River flows and water quality (including Campbells Creek and the Bendigo Creek tributary). 

Other nationally significant wetlands include:

• Kow Swamp, a permanent open freshwater wetland used as a water storage for the irrigation system, located 20km south-east of Cohuna.
• Tang Tang Swamp, a shallow freshwater meadow in the Loddon River catchment, locally recognised as being a high value wetland due to its habitat value for breeding Brolgas and for thousands of nomadic waterbirds.  The Eastern Quoll was recorded at Tang Tang Swamp as recently as the 1950’s.   Tang Tang is also connected to Winghee Swamp by an extensive open lignum swamp.  Located 6km east of Dingee.
• Tragowel Swamp, a deep freshwater marsh considered to be high value due to it’s flora and fauna species diversity as well as having very high habitat diversity.  Located 10km south of Kerang.
• Woolshed Swamp, a deep freshwater marsh that is ephemeral, filling roughly every 20years.  Located 4km south of Boort.

Water Channels and races

In managing channels and race assets, Coliban Water needs to manage un-authorised clearing of native vegetation along channel by adjoining landowners, the buffer strip running alongside the channels, effective and strategic fire hazard control and in general, maintenance and operations activities that consider and protect flora and fauna values.

Lake Eppalock, Coliban River System Storages & other Coliban Water supply storages

Despite being artificial, the Coliban storages offer drought refuge for many fauna species although in general, they are too deep for wading and non-diving birds.  The Grey-crowned Babbler and Striped Legless Lizard are both recorded in the area. 

The numerous arms of Lake Eppalock offer wind protection and often shallow water for waterbirds.  As a storage, it also offers drought refuge for many fauna species.  Stock grazing has caused the banks to become boggy and little food is available for stock or bird life. 

The management of storages can also impact on in-storage biodiversity.  The drawdown of water storages during times of severe drought can impact on biota within the storage and biota downstream, in particular fish and any protocol used for fish kills, monitoring of water quality, stratification and possible blackwater events. 

River Flows

Water impoundments can impact on river flows downstream of the storages.  Alteration of flows can impact on the riparian vegetation and fauna species, affecting their ability to survive and the condition of their required habitat. 

The Environmental Flow reports prepared as part of the Bulk Entitlement process are useful in better understanding the role and impact of natural flow regimes and the subsequent impacts of water impoundments and environmental flow releases.  Coliban Water participates in the Bulk Entitlement (BE) development process for rivers in our region, led by Department of Sustainability and Environment (Melbourne) as a member of the BE Consultative Committees.  These Committees are actively involved in reviewing Environmental Flow reports provided by expert scientific panels and in discussing the implications for ongoing allocations being made from each river system.  The requirements for environmental flows and passing flow regimes are written into the BE Orders for Water Corporations under which they are held accountable.

The Victorian Government’s White Paper (2004), introduces the notion that industry should consider the benefits of reclaimed water re-use projects in providing environmental flows to streams.  There may be opportunities in the future for Coliban Water to strategically provide environmental flows to remove previous Water Reclamation Plant river/creek discharges and in effect, no longer contribute to the provision of unseasonal stream flows.

A good example of this occurring currently, is in the Bendigo Creek where current WRP discharge provides an ‘unseasonal’ flow that impacts on the riparian biodiversity.  Conversely, the strategic use of reclaimed water in rivers and streams with an identified environmental flow requirement can enhance the receiving environment’s biodiversity.

Potentially Threatening Processes

There are a number of processes that have been identified under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (As Amended), that can potentially threaten the health and viability of biodiversity values in this region.  Coliban Water needs to be aware of these processes and take action to minimise any impact that may contribute to them.  Examples of these potentially threatening processes include:

• Alteration to the natural temperature and flow regimes of rivers and streams
• Collection of native orchids
• Removal of woody debris from Victorian streams
• Degradation of native riparian vegetation along Victorian rivers and streams
• Habitat fragmentation for fauna in Victoria
• Increase in sediment input into Victorian rivers and streams due to human activities.
• Input of toxic substances into Victorian rivers and streams
• Introduction of live fish into waters outside their natural range within a Victorian river catchment after 1770
• Loss of hollow-bearing trees in Victorian native forests
• Loss of terrestrial climatic habitat caused by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases
• Reduction in biomass and biodiversity of native vegetation through grazing by Rabbits
• Woodland birds