Central region

The systems in the central region that can receive water from the VEWH’s environmental entitlements are Birrarung (Yarra River) and Tarago River in the east and Werribee River, Moorabool River, upper Barwon River and lower Barwon wetlands in the west. The VEWH does not hold an environmental entitlement in the Maribyrnong system, but in some years the VEWH purchases allocation and delivers water for the environment in selected reaches of the Maribyrnong system.

The Yarra River flows west from the Yarra Ranges upstream of Warburton, through the Yarra Valley and into a wider plain as it meanders through the suburbs and the city of Melbourne before entering Port Phillip Bay.

The Tarago River has its headwaters in the Tarago State Forest, then flows south-west to join the Bunyip River near Longwarry North and enters Western Port Bay near Koo Wee Rup.

The Werribee River flows south-east from the Wombat State Forest near Ballan before dropping through the Werribee Gorge to Bacchus Marsh and then flowing into Port Phillip Bay at Werribee.

The Maribyrnong River is fed by Jacksons Creek and Deep Creek, which join at Keilor North. It then flows south to join with the Yarra River just before discharging to Port Phillip Bay.

The Barwon River flows east from the Otway Ranges towards Geelong and discharges into Bass Strait at Barwon Heads. The Moorabool River is a tributary of the Barwon River and meets it just north of Geelong. The Barwon estuary contains a system of wetlands and lakes collectively called the lower Barwon wetlands.

Species of fish found in the central region include Australian grayling, river blackfish, Australian smelt, flat-headed gudgeon, black bream, Macquarie perch, Murray cod, southern pygmy perch, short-finned eel, dwarf galaxias, mountain galaxias, spotted galaxias and tupong. Platypus can be found in all the river systems and rakali (water rats) and a variety of waterbugs are also present.

Wetlands in the region support some of Victoria’s rarest species (such as the brolga, orange-bellied parrot, Australasian bittern and growling grass frog) and have subtropical and temperate coastal saltmarsh communities. The lower Barwon wetlands also form part of the internationally significant Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site.