Rivers to Ranges (peri-urban weed management) project

Rivers to Ranges Weed Project sign

The Rivers to Ranges project builds on 10 years of collaboration between multiple government agencies to address the spread of environmental weeds, protect vulnerable natural ecosystems and improve ecological connectivity from middle-Yarra River to the Kinglake Ranges.

Thousands of hectares have been targeted for environmental weed control in reserves including Kinglake National Park, Plenty Gorge Park, Warrandyte Kinglake Nature Conservation Reserve and Warrandyte State Park. These works protect some of the most significant natural areas left in the Greater Melbourne region and provide habitat for rare and threatened flora and fauna including various endangered native orchid species, Brush-tailed phascogale, Slender-tailed dunnart, Powerful Owl and Swift Parrot. 

Project partners and collaborators include:

  • Nillumbik Shire Council (lead agency)
  • Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)
  • City of Whittlesea
  • Manningham City Council
  • Parks Victoria
  • Melbourne Water
  • Trust for Nature
  • Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation
  • Nillumbik Landcare Network

Rivers to Ranges is a multi-year project funded through the Victorian Government’s Peri-urban Weed Management Partnerships with co-contributions from Councils and other agencies. The current three year program, running from 2021-2025, covers a 39,081ha project area. This project will continue to deliver weed control across four interconnected habitat corridors that connect the middle-Yarra and Plenty Rivers to the Kinglake Ranges, but also broaden the focus and seek to support private landholders to carry out weed control and beneficial planting on properties linked to biodiversity assets.

What can you do?

Continue managing weeds on your property.

If you would like to do more to manage weeds or need support:

  • consider joining your local Landcare or a friends group for advice about weed control or help with other works in your local area
  • contact Council or Melbourne Water about access to financial support to help control weeds on your property
  • if you live adjacent to a public conservation reserve, contact the land manager to find out how to control priority weeds
  • document weed species in your local area using the iNaturalist app through the Nillumbik WeedWatch project.

Visit the weeds of Nillumbik page to find out more about what you can do to manage weeds.

For information see the Rivers to Ranges fact sheet (PDF)(PDF, 1MB) or contact us at environment@nillumbik.vic.gov.au.

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