Vinifera

The Murray River Vinifera floodplain within Nyah-Vinifera Park supports community connection through recreation and outdoor activities.

Latest news

Construction activities have commenced. Temporary access changes and track closures within Nyah-Vinifera Park are now in place. Visitors are advised to check the Parks Victoria website or the Community Update notifications below for the latest access information. To report an issue, please contact the team at 1800 808 830.

About

The Murray River and its floodplains are central to the identity of regional communities like Vinifera, as places of environmental, recreational, and deep cultural and historical significance.

Over the past 100 years, floodplains have gradually deteriorated as a result of Murray River regulation. Water is not reaching some parts of the floodplains as often as it should, or at all.

Vinifera Creek has been modified over time and is now completely disconnected from the Murray River at the southern end, which has reduced healthy habitat for native plant and animal species.

VMFRP environmental works at Vinifera involve creating a system of containment banks and gates (also known as regulators), to help these floodplains function more like they once did. Improved water movement across the floodplains will allow the forests and wetlands to regenerate so native animals can survive and thrive. 

Project milestones:

 

Project features

Four regulators, which act as gates, will be installed to help control water movement on and off the floodplain. The specifications for each regulator are:

  • 1 pipe regulator, 1350mm wide x 1350mm high
  • 1 gate, 1800mm high x 1200mm wide
  • 4 gates, each 1800mm wide x 1800mm high
  • 10 gates, each 1800mm wide x 1500mm high

Other project features:

  • 2.3 km of containment banks will be constructed along existing tracks with low profiles designed to blend into the landscape. The average height will be one metre, and no greater than 1.5m high.
  • One drop structure to provide erosion control for flows returning into the Murray River
  • One permanent hardstand area (for temporary pumps to transfer environmental water, as required)
  • Upgrades to existing access tracks
  • New access tracks

Refer to Vinifera Infrastructure Map for a site map depicting the location of infrastructure.

Location

The project site for Vinifera is located north-west Victoria, 20km north-west of Swan Hill and within the Nyah Vinifera Park.

Project benefits

  • 142 rare or threatened species

    Within the inundation area are expected to benefit from more frequent watering events.

  • More than 2,000 large trees

    Will benefit from improved watering events.

  • 340 hectares

    Of lakes and floodplain targeted for improved ecological health.

  • Local employment

    Opportunities during construction and operation.

  • Cultural significance

    Aboriginal cultural significance acknowledged and respected.

  • Improved resilience to threats such as climate change

    Through carefully timed watering events.

Planning and compliance

The Vinifera project received planning approval under the Environment Effects Act 1978 (Vic) in October 2023. The Environment Report, together with a draft Planning Scheme Amendment was on public exhibition for six weeks between January and March 2023. A public hearing was held in March 2023, and the Standing Inquiry and Advisory Committee referred the project to the Victorian Minister for Planning to make a final determination (to approve or reject the proposal). The Minister’s assessment concluded that while there would be some significant adverse impacts during construction, the project can achieve an overall improvement to biodiversity of the floodplain environments. As part of the conditions of approval, the construction and operation of the project must comply with the conditions set out in the Minister’s Assessment of the project. 

Construction

VMFRP environmental works are the only viable option to restore and protect the Nyah-Vinifera Park floodplains. Building infrastructure in a national park requires careful management. Construction is guided by approved environmental and cultural heritage management plans, with controls in place to protect vegetation, wildlife, water quality and culturally significant areas. Works are carefully planned and monitored in collaboration with project delivery partners to minimise impacts during construction. Where possible, construction will take place on existing access tracks and areas that have already been disturbed.  

What to expect during construction

  • Increased traffic and heavy vehicle movements on local roads 
  • Temporary changes to access within the park
  • Construction activity during working hours (7am to 6pm)
  • Installation of temporary fencing and signage

Construction impacts will be monitored before, during and after works. If unexpected impacts occur, management approaches will be adapted in response. Temporary construction disturbance areas will be rehabilitated, with tracks and surrounding areas restored to the same or better condition than prior to works, supporting improved long-term environmental and land management outcomes. 

Long-term ecological monitoring will continue after construction is complete to track the recovery of the floodplain and inform future watering decisions. 

Temporary park access changes

Temporary access changes are in place during construction:

  • River Track at Vinifera will be closed during works, meaning there will be no vehicle access into Nyah-Vinifera Park at Vinifera throughout 2026.  
  • Walking tracks within the park, and outside the work zone will remain open. 

More information about track closures within the park is available in the Community Update section below.

Project documents

Community updates

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are floodplain restoration works required at Vinifera?
Over time, the Murray River has been regulated with weirs, dams and levees to support communities, agriculture and industry. While this has delivered many benefits, it has reduced the frequency, duration and extent of natural flooding required to keep landscapes healthy. Before river regulation, the Murray River would flood the low-lying floodplains at Vinifera annually. These flooding events are now much less common. Restoring flooding in a carefully managed way will help support the health and resilience of these landscapes into the future. It will mean water can be released onto the floodplain, held by containment banks, and released back into the river at the optimum time.
What happens if the floodplains are not restored?
The Murray River and its floodplains are part of an interconnected ecosystem that depends on natural wet and dry cycles to stay healthy, and keep the river rich with nutrients. Reduced flooding has increased stress on floodplain vegetation, weakened tree canopies and reduced habitat and food for wildlife. Without intervention, these iconic Australian landscapes will continue to decline, placing biodiversity, cultural values and regional communities at risk. If we do not intervene, these landscapes may decline beyond the point of rejuvenation.
Why was Vinifera chosen?
Nyah-Vinifera Park is home to old red gum forests, billabongs and wetlands. The native vegetation and wildlife form an essential biodiversity corridor that connects the semi-arid Mallee landscape with the Murray River floodplain. The park is an important place of connection for Traditional Owners and the broader community, which must be preserved for future generations.
How is the Nyah-Vinifera Park being protected from construction impacts?
Protecting Nyah-Vinifera Park is a priority. Construction is guided by approved environmental and cultural heritage management plans, with guidelines in place to protect vegetation, wildlife, water quality and culturally significant areas. Works are carefully planned and monitored in collaboration with project delivery partners and Traditional Owners to minimise impacts during construction. Where possible, construction will take place on existing access tracks and areas that have already been disturbed. Plans have been developed through an extensive environmental assessment process that has satisfied both the Australian and Victorian Governments that the project will achieve its ecological, social and cultural objectives while minimising environmental impacts during construction and beyond.
Will trees be removed as part of the works?
To restore and protect 797 hectares of floodplain habitat in Nyah-Vinifera Park, less than 2% (15 ha) of vegetation must be removed. This includes fewer than 80 large trees to support the health of more than 5,000 trees across the floodplain. These are combined figures for both the Nyah and Vinifera project sites, which are both situated within Nyah-Vinifera Park. Every tree, plant and animal matters, which is why great care is being taken to avoid and minimise the removal of vegetation. Independent environmental assessments have found long-term benefits will significantly outweigh any impacts. Vegetation is inspected prior to clearing and any animals found are safely relocated.
What measures are in place to stop weed and pest contamination during construction?
A Native Flora and Fauna Management Sub-Plan outlines strict hygiene and environmental controls to help prevent the spread of weeds and pests. All vehicles and equipment entering the water course must be cleaned prior to entering and on exit if working between waterways.
How will water be delivered to the Vinifera floodplain?
While the lower sections of the park at Nyah and Vinifera still flood naturally when the Murray River rises, water drains back into the river down the natural slope without properly watering the landscape. After VMFRP works are complete, when the river rises and water enters the floodplain, regulators, which act as gates, can close to hold the water for longer. Temporary pumps may be used to deliver additional environmental water as a top up. This will happen in the cooler months to help bring the floodplains back to life.
How does Vinifera fit in with the broader VMFRP project?
The infrastructure at Vinifera is one part of a package of works being delivered in Victoria under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan. Floodplain infrastructure is designed to target specific ecological outcomes at each site. The decision to water a site is informed by floodplain conditions and is part of a holistic approach to keeping the Murray River and its floodplains healthy. Planning and delivery of environmental water operations is coordinated via catchment management authorities, in consultation with stakeholders including Traditional Owners, land managers, water authorities and the local community, and informed by the results of ecological monitoring programs.
How do we know the project will work?
The VMFRP partners and specialist engineers and scientists have been working together on the Vinifera design since 2012. The project has undergone a rigorous State and Commonwealth environmental assessment process to understand potential impacts and benefits. Similar infrastructure delivered by other Victorian projects such as the Living Murray site at Hattah Lakes has shown that reconnecting rivers and floodplains improves ecological health, providing evidence that the Vinifera works will deliver lasting benefits.
How are Traditional Owners involved?
Traditional Owners with connections to Nyah and Vinifera will be integrally involved where cultural heritage is discovered during construction, as well as in the planning and operations of watering events once the environmental works are complete.
What happens if cultural heritage is discovered during construction?
Traditional Owners have cared for and sustainably managed the cultural landscapes of the Murray River and its floodplains for thousands of years. The VMFRP projects are considered culturally significant, and each contains a number of registered heritage sites. Traditional Owners have been involved with the VMFRP since 2014, and extensive work has been undertaken on Country to understand Traditional Owner land and water aspirations to guide watering of the floodplain. The Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 describes a legislative pathway for protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage in Victoria which includes detailed on-ground assessments to document cultural heritage sites and consultation with Traditional Owners on the proposed works and their potential impacts. The outcomes of assessments, along with proposed measures for protection, are documented in a Cultural Heritage Management Plan.
How are cultural heritage values being managed?
The Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 sets out how Aboriginal cultural heritage is protected in Victoria. This includes on-ground cultural heritage assessments and consultation with Traditional Owners about proposed works and potential impacts. The outcomes of these assessments and measures for protection are contained in the CHMPs. As there is no appointed Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP) for the Nyah and Vinifera project areas, First Peoples State Relations (FPSR) is the regulatory body that approved both CHMPs in late 2025.
Who is responsible for the project?
The VMFRP is funded by the Australian Government and delivered by the Victorian Government, Lower Murray Water, Goulburn-Murray Water, Mallee and North Central Catchment Management Authorities and Parks Victoria.

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Contact the project team

If you have questions about Vinifera, or would like to provide feedback, please email the project team. We’ll put you in touch with the right person.