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New information signs along the Wimmera River will give the community a better understanding and enhance people’s appreciation of the whole river system, Horsham’s Gary Aitken says.
Gary, Wimmera River Improvement Committee chairman, says the signs are another step towards a long-term vision to create a walking trail that takes locals and visitors on a journey of the river.
Wimmera Catchment Management Authority launched the new signs as part of National Water Week which has the theme water, life growth. The CMA will also install signs at river sites in Dimboola and Jeparit.
Where the river system starts and ends, environmental watering, how organisations monitor river health, how communities rely on a healthy river and river events such as fishing competitions all feature on the signs. A strong focus is on how important flows are for a healthy river which in turn helps the angling community. The three signs are at Yanga Track, the new Anzac Centenary Bridge which is under construction and Horsham Riverside Caravan Park.
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“People get more and more interested in things once they get a bit more knowledge about it; these signs will go a long way towards enhancing people’s appreciation of the river,” Gary says.
“Along with the new pedestrian bridge that’s being built, new overhead lighting over our walking track these signs are another thing that highlight to people the importance and delight of our river.”
Gary says Keep Victoria Beautiful representatives were among the first to view the new signs during their visit on the weekend for the Tidy Towns Sustainable Communities Awards.
“People see the river and think it’s great, but there’s so much more to it and these signs go a long way towards getting that information out there,” he said. “When people visit they can learn all about the river and realise just how important it is, that it’s the heartbeat of our region.”
Wimmera CMA developed the signs with support from Wimmera Anglers Association and local government using funding from the Victorian Environmental Water Holder.
Wimmera CMA chief executive David Brennan said the signs highlighted the partnerships between anglers, local groups and water managers in keeping the river system in good shape during wet and dry times.
“Environmental watering is a big part of this, and these signs help build a better understanding of what these environmental releases are designed to achieve in the long-term,” he said.
Mr Brennan said the signs also encouraged people to share their river images via social media.