Waterways

Information about East Gippsland's precious waterways.

East Gippsland boasts highly significant waterways, with the Gippsland Lakes being the largest estuarine lagoon system in Australia. The Gippsland Lakes are listed under the RAMSAR convention for their unique natural landforms, vegetation and for hosting thousands of water birds. They stretch over 400 square kilometres in a network of inland estuarine waterways fed by the Mitchell, Nicholson and Tambo Rivers.

While the Mitchell River is the largest unregulated river in Victoria, East Gippsland hosts many other stunning rivers and estuaries, such as the Snowy, Thurra and Bemm Rivers, as well as smaller streams and creeks.

Urban Waterway Guidelines and Management Strategy

Council adopted the Urban Waterway Guidelines and Management Strategy at the March 2013 Ordinary Council Meeting.

The Urban Waterway Guidelines provides advice on considerations to progress towards a best practice approach to the management of waterways in the urban environment and recommends policy principles. The companion Urban Waterway Management Strategy reviews the works undertaken by the East Gippsland Shire Council in a number of key reserves and provides guidance on future management opportunities.

Council was successful in obtaining $45,000 through the Victorian Local Sustainability Accord – Round 5, for the development of the Urban Waterway Documents.

The Urban Waterway Guidelines and Management Strategy will assist Council, the developer sector and the wider community to plan for and manage healthy urban waterways that influence the health of the Gippsland Lakes. These documents are also supporting social wellbeing and community connectedness to the environment.

Urban Waterway Guidelines (PDF 1MB)

Urban Waterway Management Strategy (PDF 2.5MB)