Friends of the Barwon

Friends of the Barwon (FOTB) is a catchment wide network of groups and individuals working to protect and restore the long-term health of the Barwon River and its tributaries through building partnerships, empowering communities, and engaging with government. 

Latest Article

FOTB Newsletter – August 2023

FOTB Newsletter – August 2023

Content: Chair’s Message Essential Services Commission Pricing Review Background to Recent Pollution Events on the Yarrowee River Water Releases Through the Lough Calvert Drainage Scheme Update on the Anglesea Borefield Concerning Findings about...

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News & Announcements

Water Releases Through the Lough Calvert Drainage Scheme

Water Releases Through the Lough Calvert Drainage Scheme

Readers of the Colac Herald will have seen a recent front-page article with calls from a local farmer to start the release of water from Lake Colac into the Lough Calvert Drainage Channel at the northern end of the lake, near Irrewarra. His concerns related to...

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Update on the Anglesea Borefield

Update on the Anglesea Borefield

Friends of the Barwon Committee members were recently briefed, by both Barwon Water and the Friends of the Anglesea River, about issues affecting the Anglesea River and its estuary. In recent times the Anglesea River has experienced prolonged periods with low pH...

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Essential Services Commission (ESC) Pricing Review

Essential Services Commission (ESC) Pricing Review

The Concerned Waterways Alliance attended two meetings in May with Lach Gordon representing Friends of the Barwon Barwon Water (BW) ESC draft decision Barwon Water received only very minor reductions of funding for some programs. There was a reduction of $2 million...

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Workshop Summary NWGGA Strategic Assessment – CoGG

Workshop Summary NWGGA Strategic Assessment – CoGG

The City of Greater Geelong (the City) held two workshops with environment and community group members in February2023 to assist the City in preparing the Northern and Western Geelong Growth Areas (NWGGA) Strategic Assessment.The purpose of engagement with environment...

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FOTB Newsletter – April 2023

FOTB Newsletter – April 2023

The FOTB April 2023 Newsletter has recently been circulated to our members and can now be accessed here.  The newsletter covers: Chair’s Message Summary and Minutes of our AGM – 22nd February New Friends of the Barwon Website Clean Ocean Foundation Webinar: Pollute or...

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Minutes of the AGM 22nd February 2023

Minutes of the AGM 22nd February 2023

Location: Jeff Sykes Rowing Centre, South Geelong. Friends of the Barwon Chair, Trevor Hodson, welcomed everyone and expressed his Acknowledgement of Country – "I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land where we meet, the Wadawurrung here in...

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Summary of our recent Annual General Meeting

Summary of our recent Annual General Meeting

Over 30 members and other friends of the Rivers of the Barwon came along to our AGM last week which was held at the Jeff Sykes Rowing Centre on the mighty Barwon River. Meet our new and old Committee members from L to R….Ewan McMillan, Trent Griffiths, Mary Dracup, Hugh Stewart, Trevor Hodson, Lach Gordon, Sarah Brien and Andrea Montgomery. If you’d like to get involved with FOTB please email: friendsofthebarwon@gmail.com

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At Last!  – Some Protection for our Local Rivers

At Last!  – Some Protection for our Local Rivers

By Lach Gordon Friends of the Barwon welcomes the Victorian Government announcement of new interim planning controls for our rivers. The Announcement In late December 2022 DELWP advised the gazetting of Planning Scheme Amendment VC201. The amendment delivers stronger...

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About FOTB

Our group’s purpose is:

‘To be an independent knowledge-based community leader and educator for the protection and improvement of the ecosystem of the Barwon catchment’.

A healthy, flowing and life sustaining Barwon River system is both our goal and our obligation to the generations to come.

Newsletters

FOTB Newsletter – August 2023

Content: Chair’s Message Essential Services Commission Pricing Review Background to Recent Pollution Events on the Yarrowee River Water Releases Through the Lough Calvert Drainage Scheme Update on the Anglesea Borefield Concerning Findings about Suspected Unlicensed...

FOTB Newsletter – April 2023

The FOTB April 2023 Newsletter has recently been circulated to our members and can now be accessed here.  The newsletter covers: Chair’s Message Summary and Minutes of our AGM – 22nd February New Friends of the Barwon Website Clean Ocean Foundation Webinar: Pollute or...

FOTB Newsletter – January 2023

Our latest newsletter with updates on issues, activities and events relevant to the waterways of Victoria’s Barwon River for those who love our river system – ‘Friends of the Barwon’.

Our River System

The Barwon system comprises two basins or catchments and includes the Yarrowee /Leigh and Moorabool rivers, and several hundred kilometres of minor tributaries. It closely approximates the G21 region boundary.

State government estimates predict a population increase for this region of 35% by 2031. Roughly 3/4 of this population live in the greater Geelong area so the majority of the catchment population are urban dwellers.

The surface and ground water within the Barwon System provide the bulk of the water used by the population within its catchment. This has placed enormous strain on its rivers resulting in frequent cease to flow events, acid releases causing large fish die-offs and a myriad of other impacts.

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Make a Donation

Friends of the Barwon is a registered charity and we are currently in the process of applying for endorsement as a deductible gift recipient (DGR). As such, donations will be tax deductible and donors will be able to deduct the amount of their donation from their taxable income when they lodge their tax return – once our DGR status is confirmed..

 

Fortunately, as we await the decision on our DGR application, we are able to offer donors the opportunity to make a donation indirectly to FOTB via Landcare Victoria Inc. (LVI). To do this, visit the link to the LVI donations page and specify Friends of the Barwon Inc. as the group that you wish to donate to. All donations over $2.00 will be tax deductible.

If your not seeking a tax deduction, please donate to FOTB using the buttons below….

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