The Living Murray Program Condition Monitoring 2020/21

⁠⁠⁠The Living Murray (TLM) Initiative is one of Australia’s most significant river restoration programs. The Living Murray aims to improve the environmental health of six icon sites, chosen for their significant ecological, cultural, recreational, heritage and economic values. The Mallee CMA is the Icon Site Manager for two of these sites; Hattah Lakes and Lindsay, Mulcra and Wallpolla Islands (part of the larger Chowilla-Lindsay-Wallpolla icon site). As part of the delivery of environmental water to the icon sites, a monitoring program has been undertaken since 2006. Condition monitoring at LMW and Hattah Lakes assesses the change in condition of flora and fauna communities over time, and this can be related to water management at the icon sites. More specifically, assessments are made of River Red Gum and Black Box canopy condition and tree community demographics, lignum condition, wetland and floodplain understorey vegetation community, fish community condition and waterbird populations.

The invitation for the condition monitoring program for 2020-21 has been broken up into three sections:

• vegetation;
• fish;
• waterbirds.

Tenderers are invited to apply for individual sections of the program, or a combination of sections up to and including all three sections. Tenders for each section must include the required work for both icon sites - Hattah Lakes; and Lindsay, Mulcra & Wallpolla Islands.

The Mallee CMA seeks to appoint individual(s), consulting firm(s) or consortium(s) with recognised proven skills in the delivery of environmental monitoring projects to complete the data collection, analysis of data and deliver a technical report(s) with respect to the condition of these two icon sites