Is the Murray–Darling Basin the best place to live?

The City of Greater Bendigo is located in the centre of Victoria, covering almost 3,000 square kilometres. It is a major service centre for residents of both the Loddon-Avoca and Campaspe catchments. The city provides health, education and financial services to the region as well as employment through many and varied industries. Most of the Loddon-Avoca catchment is the traditional land of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung Peoples.

One hour south of Bendigo is Daylesford, a quaint little town in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range of Victoria. It is situated near the southern border of the Loddon-Avoca catchment, and has long been considered a special place of healing for the Dja Dja Wurrung people. Nearby water storages include Cairn Curran Reservoir (147 Gigalitres), Tullaroop Reservoir (73 GL), and Laanecoorie Reservoir (8 GL).

Maldon is also located in the Loddon-Avoca catchment, just 10km east of the Cairn Curran Reservoir in the Shire of Mount Alexander. The National Trust awarded this lovingly preserved Australian gold mining town with the title of Australia's First Notable Town. Cairn Curran Reservoir is managed by Goulburn-Murray Water and is a popular spot for recreational activities – especially fishing.

Heathcote is approximately 40 kilometres south-east of Bendigo in the Campaspe catchment, and is just a short 20-minute drive from the region’s biggest water storage, Lake Eppalock (304 GL). It is situated east of the river, home to the land of the Taungurong Nation. Tourism is an important industry in the region, with Lake Eppalock attracting fishers, hunters and water-sport enthusiasts all year round.

Echuca is located on the northern border of the Campaspe catchment, at the junction between the Campaspe River and River Murray. Like Heathcote, the waterways and land of Echuca also attract visitors, mainly with the town’s rich history as a major inland port during the paddle-steamer era. This northern part of the catchment mostly provides employment in food processing, manufacturing and tourism.

Koondrook is nestled at the junction of the River Murray and Gunbower in the Central Murray catchment’s Shire of Gannawarra. Located just 5-minutes from Koondrook is Gunbower Forest, an internationally recognised forest, part of the Living Murray Gunbower–Koondrook– Perricoota icon site. The area is home to the Wama Wamba Nation and has long been important for First Nations sustenance and spirituality.

Mildura is a vibrant regional city that sits on the vast banks of the River Murray in the most western part of the central Murray catchment. It is the second largest town in the catchment, predominantly supporting agriculture, food manufacturing and tourism. South of Mildura are the Ramsar-listed Hattah–Kulkyne Lakes, which sit on the border of two First Nations groups, the Latji Latji and the Jari Jari. Mildura is also home to the Mildura Weir, which was recently awarded the Senator JS Collings Trophy for the best maintained and managed asset along River Murray.

The Greater Shepparton region is the largest centre of the Goulburn-Broken catchment, home to more than 60,000 people. Shepparton sits at the junction of the Broken and Goulburn Rivers, and is renowned for tourism and recreation, and (irrigated) fruit production. Shepparton is also home to the Lower Goulburn National Park, where River Red Gums line the Goulburn River and provide an important wildlife corridor to the River Murray. Another important function of the Goulburn–Broken catchment is to provide sufficient water downstream to the River Murray Ramsar sites.

30-kilometres east of Shepparton is the small town of Dookie, an emerging tourism community in the rolling hills of the Goulburn-Broken catchment. Dookie is home to a thriving wine region, unique and vibrant distinctive natural features, agricultural production, and Victoria’s oldest agricultural college. The University of Melbourne’s Dookie campus is part of the lands of the Yorta Yorta people, and is a focal point for agricultural research, teaching and technology development in Australia.

Trawool is scenic town in the Goulburn-Broken catchment, 15-kilometres south-east of Seymour. In 1983, the National Trust awarded the Trawool Valley a Scenic Classification, recognising its importance as a scenic, geological and cultural site, and for its great diversity of flora and fauna. Trawool’s Horseshoe Lagoon Flora and Fauna Reserve is a popular spot for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy recreational activities such as fishing and canoeing.