Friends of the Barwon

Latest Article
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 Recycle
Have your say on Murrk Ngubitj Yarram Yaluk (former Bellarine Basin)
Floods inquiry probes readiness and response
Lake Connewarre Wetlands Restoration Events
Pesticide Watch – call for Volunteers
Ramsar Wetlands Survey
Bellarine Environment Centre: Request for Assistance
Grants/Opportunities
Opportunities to get more involved with Friends of the Barwon
FOTB Contacts
News & Announcements
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...
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...
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
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...
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’.
Joint statement regarding the Gippsland and Central Region Sustainable Water Strategy
Friends of the Barwon was formed by concerned citizens in response to cease to flow events in the Barwon river. in 2016, there was no flow for four months at Winchelsea and in 2018, for three months. These “cease to flow events “critically affect survival of aquatic...
Platypus eDNA study results
The recent Environmental DNA (eDNA) assessment of platypus distribution in the Middle Barwon River, incorporating grass-roots citizen science, contributed to the largest continuous survey for this iconic species in Victoria. The findings are summarised in the report:...
Friends of the Barwon Digital Brochure 2021
https://youtu.be/9zrzhy3x2K0 The Friends of the Barwon team has been busy during “lockdown” and we are excited to share this digital brochure with you as one example of how we have used our time expeditiously! Whilst we are all enjoying excellent flows across the...
Juliet Le Feuvre presentation for Friends Of The Barwon AGM on 22 Nov 2019
Notes from the Annual General Meeting Rivers are living entities, like plants and animals, that need water to stay healthy. Otherwise, they are just drains. If more than 30 per cent of flows are extracted for consumptive uses, river health will suffer. So said Juliet...
About FOTB
‘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 – 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’.
FOTB Newsletter September 2022
Newsletter FOTB September 2022Download
FOTB Newsletter May 2022
FOTB Newsletter June 2021
FOTB Newsletter March 2021
FOTB Newsletter December 2020
FOTB Newsletter July 2020

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.
Watch our Video
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….
DONATION
DONATION
DONATION
Our Sponsors and Partners






