MWWG Achievements/Awards

Winner of the National Thiess RiverPrize 2007:

The NSW Murray Wetlands Working Group has been awarded the prestigious 2007 National Thiess Riverprize for its management of adaptive environmental water throughout the NSW Murray Valley.

Announced during the 9th International Riversymposium and Environmental Flows Conference, held in Brisbane in September, the Riverprize is the largest award in its field valued at AUD$100,000. The award recognises the excellent work conducted by community and/or government groups in the management and restoration of rivers and waterways throughout Australia.

Since 2000 the MWWG has managed two adaptive environmental water allocations on behalf of the NSW Government. By the end of 2006 the MWWG has delivered 75,000 megalitres of environmental water to more than 200 wetlands covering 71,000 hectares throughout the Murray and Lower Murray-Darling catchments.

The MWWG was chosen from an outstanding field of finalists including Lake Macquarie in NSW, the Maroochy River in Queensland and Greening Australia’s national River Recovery Programme.

The Group was extremely thrilled to be the winner of the nation’s premium award. It is the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication by MWWG staff and members (past and present) and a testament to the Group’s emphasis on, and the value of, community involvement.

The Group would like to thank all the landholders, individuals and agencies that have been involved in the projects over the years for their contributions and support. The Group acknowledges the NSW Government, in particular the Water Administration Ministerial Corporation, for its initiative and vision in allowing an independent community-based group to manage environmental water. The Group also thanks Thiess, the International Riversymposium, the International Riverfoundation and judges for awarding the Group with this honour.

The MWWG's Programmes Manager Deb Nias (left) Chairman Howard Jones Project Officer Paula D’Santos Executive Member Ian Davidson attended the ceremony on behalf of the Group and received the handsome trophy appropriately depicting a coolamon.   (Photo: Atmosphere Photography)

See www.riverfoundation.org.au for more information on the National Thiess Riverprize.

Thiess National RiverPrize 2002:

The NSW Murray Wetlands Working Group Inc. were proud to be nominated as one of just four national finalists for the prestigious Thiess National Riverprize 2002.

This national award recognises excellent work by community groups in the management and restoration of rivers and waterways. The RiverPrize also provides a healthy $25,000 to the winner, who this year was the Merri Creek Management Committee in Victoria.

The Group was very honoured to have been short-listed for this award. It is testimony to all the hard work that current and previous project officers have done, and recognises the hard work and dedication of the voluntary members of the Working Group.

It also confirms that the Group's strategy of combining well-researched, technically feasible projects with community participation is the right way to go.

The RiverPrize award ceremony was held during the 2002 RiverSymposium in Brisbane. The award luncheon was attend by several hundred guests, including local dignitaries, Indigenous representatives, Thiess, scientists, managers and community members. The MWWG's Chairman Howard Jones, and Vice-Chair Judy Frankenberg attended the ceremony on behalf of the Group, and received a handsome trophy appropriately depicting a coolamon.

MWWG Chairman, Mr. Howard Jones and Vice-Chair, Ms. Judy Frankenberg - proudly accepted the Thiess National Riverprize trophy for finalists in 2002.

RiverCare 2000:

• 1996 - awarded a Certificate of Accreditation for the 'Hydrological Rehabilitation of Croppers Lagoon, Corowa, NSW' project.
• 1995 - recipient of the RiverCare 2000 Silver Award for the 'Rehabilitation of Moira Lake, Moira State Forest, NSW' project.
• 1994 - recipient of the Highly Commended Award for the 'Rehabilitation of Moira Lake, Moira State Forest, NSW' project.
• 1994 - awarded a Certificate of Accreditation for the 'Rehabilitation of Moira Lake, Moira State Forest, NSW' project.

MWWG Australian Society for Limnology Student Prize:

The MWWG Australian Society for Limnology (ASL) Student Prize, valued at $100, was first awarded in 2001. The prize is awarded to a student (Honours/Masters/PhD) for the presentation of either a poster or paper that has direct relevance to wetland management, preferably with community involvement. It is aimed at recognising the valuable contribution that such research studies can make to natural resource management and to provide encouragement for students to continue their excellent work.

2006 —

Awarded to Bea Sommer, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia, for her PhD paper presentation entitled "Drying and re-wetting of organic wetland sediments: geochemistry and implications for wetland management.”

Bea’s study focussed on the increasing instances of eutrophication and acidification of wetlands on the Swan Coastal Plain (SCP) and particularly on the Gnangara groundwater mound (GGM), located near Perth, Western Australia. Over the past decade these instances have coincided with gradually decreasing ground- and surface water levels. The study investigated processes associated with drought-induced acidification and eutrophication of organic-rich sediments.

One of the interesting outcomes of Bea’s project was that drying the organic-rich sediments (when compared to sediments kept continuously wet) ‘dampened’ the oxidative effects caused by aeration, whilst exacerbating eutrophication. These responses to drying and rewetting appeared to be governed by the physical nature and the bulk chemical characteristics of the sediments.

The results of Bea’s project has implications for the management of these and similar wetlands and underscores the importance of incorporating sediment characterisation into wetland management plans.

2003 —

Awarded to Christina Mykytiuk, Murdoch University, Western Australia, for her Honours paper presentation entitled "Factors Affecting the Occurrence of Submerged Macrophytes on Urban Wetlands in the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia."

The Swan Coastal Plain (SCP), located near Perth, Western Australia, is an area that once supported a multitude of wetlands but has now lost many of its wetlands due to the expansion of urban development. Estimated as having only 30% of its original wetlands, the SCP's remaining wetlands are under increasing pressure from disturbance and degradation.

Christina's research found that the occurrence of the submerged aquatic plants was mostly related to seasonality and nutrient concentrations in the wetland. The results also indicated that grazing impacts from waterbirds and the invasion of dominant species such as cumbungi (Typha orientalis) play a role on the impact on the plants.

Christina's project's results has implications for the restoration of submerged plant communities in urban wetlands. Information from the project can be used to help managers understand the system better and improve the management of our urban wetlands.

2002 —

Awarded to Stephen Beatty, Murdoch University, Western Australia, for his PhD poster presentation (co-author Dr Brett Molony from the Dept of Fisheries W.A.) entitled "Mitigation of negative impacts on fish and freshwater crayfish during remedial works at Waroona Dam".

Waroona Dam covers approximately 144 ha when full, and is the first major public access dam south of Perth. It is an important area for the recreational marron (Cherax cainii) fishery and also supports populations of another native crayfish Cherax quinquecarinatus commonly known as gilgies, and native fish species such as western pygmy perch (Edelia vittata) and western minnow (Galaxias occidentalis). The dam is also stocked with recreational fish such as the introduced rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

The mitigation project is designed to focus on the impact of the draining of the dam on the two recreational fisheries, as well as the impact on other native fish and crayfish species. It aims to mitigate the negative effects of the draining through captive breeding, eliminating exotic redfin (but not rainbow trout) and construct artificial habitats to enhance crayfish and native fish populations once the dam is refilled.

Stephen's project represents a response and management action to dam drainage that has not been attempted before in Australia on a dam of such considerable size. The results of this project can be used as a basis for mitigation of negative impacts of biodiversity values in dam works planned by the Water Corporation and other water management agencies in other States.

2001 —

The inaugural MWWG ASL Student Prize was awarded to Hugh Robertson, Deakin University, Victoria for his PhD paper presentation entitled "The Distribution of Vegetation Communities in Kanyapella Basin: Patterns Reflect the Hydrological History and the Past Mismanagement of the Wetland".

Kanyapella Basin is a shallow, ephemeral wetland located on the Murray and Goulburn Rivers floodplain in Victoria. Since river regulation the extent and frequency of flooding of the wetland has decreased, and as a result, the wetland has become dry and degraded.

Hugh's research aims to develop a 'spatial model', using a Geographical Information System (GIS). Through integrating information relating to the current ecology of the wetland (i.e. extant vegetation, water quality, water flow patterns, seed bank and soil), and using spatial analysis techniques to predict the change in vegetation composition and distribution following the reintroduction of various water regimes, the model will be a useful management tool.

Information resulting from Hugh's research will be in a format accessible to managers and the community and will be utilised by the Kanyapella Basin Steering Committee to develop a rehabilitation and management plan.