Crown Water Frontage Licences
Posted on 27 August, 2014 by Connecting Country
We have become aware that the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) are now renewing crown water frontage licences across Victoria. Licence holders should receive a letter and information package from DEPI soon. This letter is being sent to around 10,000 licence holders across Victoria.
The following information has been provided by DEPI regarding the licence renewal process – which makes for an interesting read about how these areas are managed, irrespective of whether you have property with water frontage or not. If this is relevant to you and you’d like further information, you can contact the DEPI Customer Service Centre 136 186 or visit the DEPI website .
Water frontage licences allow the licensed landholder to enter and use the frontage for a specified purpose, such as grazing.
The information package from DEPI provides licence holders with a copy of their licence conditions and explains the benefits of actively managing Crown water frontages for better farms and waterways.
Along with permission to use the Crown water frontage land, a water frontage licence holder may be eligible for funding to protect and improve the riparian environment – such as erecting fencing to manage stock access to the waterway and supporting native vegetation – through the local catchment management authority or Melbourne Water.
Landholders neighbouring unlicensed Crown water frontage also may take out a riparian management licence and, if they are in a priority area, funding may be available from the catchment management authority or Melbourne Water. Riparian management licences attract a reduced licence fee.
Riparian works are popular with landholders – around 8,400 kilometres of waterways have been fenced and protected over the past 10 years. A DEPI Water and Catchments spokesperson said the Victorian Government invests millions of dollars every year in riparian management. The benefits of effective riparian management include:
- better stock management
- enhanced productivity and capital value
- erosion control
- improved water quality
- environmental benefits.
The community also benefits from healthier waterways, providing better environments for fish and other aquatic life, better waterways for recreation, and drinking water that requires less treatment.
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