“The rivers are the veins of the Country”
Taungurung Traditional Owners and the North East CMA have worked with the VEWH and Goulburn Murray Water to release water for the environment. In June 2019, 39 megalitres of water owned by Taungurung Land and Waters Council was delivered as an environmental flow to the King River.
This water release contributed to healing Country by providing a boost to the health and productivity of the waterway. This flow provided a small variation in the water level of the King River downstream of Lake William Hovell, which inundated new habitat for waterbugs and fish, allowing them to move more freely and find new sources of food.
The release coincided with the Taungurung Water Group visiting the King Valley to scope out sites for a future Aboriginal Waterway Assessment of the King River.
Shane Monk, Taungurung man, said “The rivers are the veins of the Country, if you take too much water from them Country would get sick. Taungurung has a responsibility and we are only doing the right thing for Country by bringing water back to the river. We are working with the North East CMA, VEWH and GMW to achieve this. We feel confident we can do more if we continue working together.”
Catherine McInerney, Environmental Water Officer at the North East CMA, explains “The King River catchment has recently been incorporated into the Taungurung Clans Aboriginal Party area. It has been great to start our working relationship with them by providing some positive environmental and cultural outcomes on the ground, or waterway as the case may be!”
“This project shows a great collaboration between Traditional Owners and water agencies, with a positive impact on the environment,” said Catherine.
Taungurung and North East CMA at King River, by North East CMA