Community urged to join waterway campaign

Locals are being urged to show their support for Strathbogie Shire Council’s campaign for funding to deliver the waterway manager role which keeps the waterways safe and the region thriving.

At its May Meeting, Strathbogie Shire Council made the decision to consider exiting the role of waterway manager if funding to fully cover the cost of delivering the service is not provided.

Under the Marine Act 1988, Council is the appointed waterway manager for the Goulburn River from Hughes Creek to Goulburn Weir including Lake Nagambie.

Mayor, Cr Laura Binks, said Council employed contractors to undertake patrols and the waterway manager role was now costing up to $200,000 to deliver.

“We cannot put this essential service at risk, but it’s not fair Council, and in-turn ratepayers, are paying for a service that is not their responsibility to deliver.

“We’ve seen so much cost shifting to Local Government and as a small rural shire with a limited number of ratepayers, we’re saying enough.

“Our community is telling us – and we agree – that local management is important, but we need funding to do it.”

Cr Binks called on the Victorian Government to show its support by providing funding that will ensure the waterways continue to be a safe tourism drawcard to the region.

“This service helps keeps our popular waterways safe,” she said.

“It’s a key driver to the economic success of our region, which was hit hard by the October 2022 floods.

“Businesses in our region are experiencing significant downturns. This is further exacerbated as our largest accommodation provider remains closed.”

Cr Binks said Council had created a proforma letter people could use to send to the Minister for Outdoor Recreation Sonya Kilkenny, along with social media tiles to share so the community could show its support.

For more information visit our advocacy page or head to Council’s Facebook page.