I got into NRM and the environment space because I’m passionate about improving waterways and getting people on board to be involved. There are times when you get to work on a project and you can’t believe how lucky you are. The Providence Ponds and Perry River project is one of these for me.
In partnership with Natural Decsions we’re working with West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) on their Our Catchments Our Community Perry River Project.
The Perry River and Providence Ponds are in Gippsland. The chain of ponds system rises near Fernbank and flows from alpine areas and the forested slopes of the Great Dividing Range, joining with the Avon River south-east of Stratford, shortly before flowing into Lake Wellington, part of the Gippsland Lakes.
The catchment is significant as it is one of only a few in Victoria with a chain of ponds formation across large sections of the waterway. In the Providence Ponds and Perry Catchment, the chain of ponds formation supports a diversity of plants and animals including the endangered Sandy Flood Scrub Ecological Vegetation Class.
Not only are the waterways remarkable in their own right, but the catchment is a hotspot for biodiversity including being an important area for Gippsland Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Seasonal Herbaceous Wetlands , it also has a direct impact on the Ramsar Listed Gippsland Lakes.
We’re working collaboratively with WGCMA to develop a strategic direction for the Providence Ponds and Perry River Catchment, identifying key values, threats, issues and priority projects.