West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) is once again calling all photographers to submit their images for the Connected rivers, connected people photo competition with great prizes to be won.  

The popular annual competition encourages photographers to get snapping along three key rivers of the region. These rivers are chosen because they receive annual allocations of ‘water for the environment’ and are:

• Durt’Yowan (Latrobe River) – including the Lower Latrobe Wetlands ie: Dowd Morass, Heart Morass and Sale Common
• Wirn wirndook Yeerung (Macalister River)
• Carran Carran (Thomson River) – including the Heyfield Wetlands.

There are three prizes up for grabs, each a local business association voucher with the winner receiving $600, runner up $300 and a special under eighteen category with a prize of $100.  

“Rivers are the lifeblood of our towns and communities, carrying water for people, farms, and the environment. Healthy and connected rivers are essential for healthy people, healthy communities and healthy local economies,” said Dr Stephanie Suter, Environmental Water Officer for West Gippsland CMA.

“Rivers across West Gippsland provide water for towns, industry and food production. So we’re removing large amounts of water that would normally naturally flow into the environment. Because of this, the health of our rivers and wetlands is under threat and they may not be able to support the animals and plants that depend on them.”

To redress the balance, the Carran Carran (Thomson), Durt’Yowan (Latrobe) and Wirn wirndook Yeerung (Macalister) rivers receive ‘water for the environment’.

“This carefully planned and delivered water helps restore a more natural flow to improve conditions for the people that use them as well as plants and animals that live there.”

Simply capture an image of one of these three rivers or wetlands showing how you connect with them and be in the running to win the great prizes.  

“Your photo might show you connecting with nature by fishing, kayaking or when you spotted that elusive platypus. It might reflect the inner peace you felt as you captured a beautiful sunrise on the river. It might show you connecting with your friends during a swim or riverside BBQ. It might just be a pretty photo of the river that shows that you connect with its beauty. This will be different for different people, depending on how you value the river,” said Stephanie. 

As an added bonus, the credited images will also appear in West Gippsland’s annual Seasonal Watering Plan document and other areas that promote and protect the magnificent waterways of West Gippsland. So get snapping West Gippsland! 

The competition is open from Thursday 1 February and will close at 11;59pm on Monday 11 March, 2024. Please read the terms and conditions before submitting your entry.