Friends of the Barwon
Latest Article
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...
News & Announcements
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...
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...
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...
Concerning findings about suspected unlicensed dams in the Moorabool catchment
A recent study of private dams in the Moorabool Catchment, undertaken by People for A Living Moorabool (PALM), has been followed up by the ABC in their report ‘Suspected unlicensed dams multiplying across stressed river system reveal holes in Victoria's water...
Background to Recent Pollution Events on the Yarrowee River
Just over two decades the Yarrowee River that rises in Ballarat was little more than an urban drain, receiving stormwater from the town and treated effluent from the Southern Ballarat Water Treatment Plant. Thanks to funding from the State government and many hours of...
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...
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...
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 – 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’.
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.
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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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