North East CMA consulted the Taungurung Land and Waters Council and the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation in planning for potential 2022-23 environmental flows in the Ovens system.
The Taungurung Land and Waters Council water knowledge group Baan Ganalina (Guardians of Water) supports increasing Taungurung influence in water management, building internal capacity and advancing Taungurung water rights.
The Taungurung Country Plan’s water chapter Baan Dhumba-Dji-Ngan Mundak Gunga (We must speak to protect water) lists several water objectives. These include increasing and strengthening Taungurung voices, increasing water literacy and capacity, and returning water to disconnected wetlands. The future delivery of water for the environment by the Taungurung Land and Waters Council on Taungurung Country would contribute to achieving some of these objectives.
The Taungurung Land and Waters Council has a 39 ML entitlement in Lake William Hovell and has transferred unused portions of its annual allocation to the VEWH each year (2019-22) to support environmental flows in the King River to help meet the council’s watering objectives and Taungurung cultural responsibilities to heal and care for Country.
The Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation has developed the Yorta Yorta Whole-Of-Country Plan 2021-2030, which outlines aspirations and directions for Yorta Yorta Country. The plan identifies the lower Ovens River as a very high priority for management actions. The plan will support more culturally informed planning for water in the lower Ovens River in the future.
North East CMA has started conversations with the Bangerang Aboriginal Corporation, which has expressed aspirations for Mullinmur Wetland. Bangerang Aboriginal Corporation is exploring a cultural burning trial at the site as well as mapping scar trees and traditional stories in partnership with the Rural City of Wangaratta.
Increasing the involvement of Traditional Owners in the planning and management of environmental flows and ultimately providing opportunities to progress towards self-determination within the environmental watering program is a core commitment of the VEWH and its agency partners. This is reinforced by a range of legislative and policy commitments, including the Water Act 1989, the Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework, the 2016 Water for Victoria and in some cases, agreements under the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010.
Where Traditional Owners are more deeply involved in the planning and/or delivery of environmental flows for a particular site, their contribution is acknowledged in Table 5.3.1 with an icon. The use of this icon is not intended to indicate that these activities are meeting all the needs of Traditional Owners but is incorporated in the spirit of valuing their contribution and indicating progress towards deeper involvement.
 | Watering planned and/or delivered in partnership with Traditional Owners to support cultural values and uses |
The Taungurung Land and Waters Council may consider using their water entitlement in the King River system to support environmental objectives as part of their goal of healing and caring for Country. The Taungurung Land and Waters Council’s allocation has been released from Lake William Hovell four times as an environmental flow in partnership with the North East CMA, Goulburn-Murray Water and the VEWH to provide additional water to the King River and assist in healing Country.