Actions and Achievements
Victoria’s CMAs work closely with local communities and Traditional Owners to create meaningful and lasting integrated catchment management outcomes.
2019-20 presented challenges for all Victorians. Throughout these challenges, Victoria’s CMAs have continued to show their reliability, leadership and innovation - they’ve provided immediate support to communities and individuals, worked with partners to develop creative solutions to difficult problems and supported the Victorian Government to keep the state moving and keep people working.
The Victorian CMAs’ Action and Achievements Report 2019-20 highlights the impact that the work of CMAs is having in local communities and within local ecosystems.
This report also showcases the CMAs’ commitment to improving transparency and accountability in the sector, increasing diversity and achieving on-ground results for communities.
In 2019-20, the CMAs’ achievements included:
- Successfully completed 19 on-ground projects as part of the $22 million Our Catchments, Our Communities initiative, part of the $222 million Water for Victoria plan. These projects increase community
interest and involvement in integrated catchment management, improved access to regional areas and protected sites of cultural significance
- Partnering with the Australian Government through the Regional Land Partnerships program to deliver the second year for the 26 projects funded by the National Landcare Program. In 2019-20, these projects achieved
they achieved a combined 425 hectares of revegetation, 378,091 hectares of pest plant and animal control and 27,084
- Supporting communities to recover from natural disasters, such as bushfires and floods, by providing landscape rehabilitation services.
- Continuing to on integrate community values into the planning and coordination of land, water and biodiversity management by employing 394 people - with 54% identifying as women, 3% having Aboriginal heritage, triple
the percentage employed in the Victorian public sector, and 96% working in regional Victoria.
- Helping Victoria’s Traditional Owners to play a stronger and more active role in waterway planning and programs by actively engaging Aboriginal organisations in projects, supporting Aboriginal businesses and
providing training to local Aboriginal people.
- Supporting approximately 600 Landcare groups and networks, plus many other community environmental groups, to undertake environmental protection and sustainable land management activities. In 2019-20 Victoria’s
Landcare group and networks and their 29,663 volunteers provided 159,863 hours of their time to help improve Victoria’s environment, a contribution equal to $6.6 million. Their work was supported by the Victorian Landcare Grants, which directly
supported 208 on-ground projects and provide 313 support grants to the value of $2.88 million in 2019-20.
In 2019-20, CMAs:
- Undertook 969,652 hectares of pest plant and animal control
- Planted native vegetation across 3,508 hectares
- Worked with landholders to improve environmental outcomes covering 27,084 hectares of agricultural land
- Built and maintained 568 kilometres of fencing
- Established 298 waterway structures to stabilise banks and improve habitat
- Attracted 67,281 people to events and workshops that focused on environmental education, sustainable agriculture and community action
- Maintained and established 1,464 partnerships with organisations, businesses and landholders
- Provided advice and approvals in response to 9,695 requests for permits, licences, leases and planning referrals.