The Mallee region is the largest catchment area in the state and runs along the Murray River from Nyah to the South Australian border, and south through vast dryland cropping areas and public reserves.
The Mallee is a key part of Victoria’s food bowl – producing over 30 percent of Victoria’s cereals, and over 90 percent of all grape and nut production.
The Mallee region has a proud history of identifying and addressing key natural resource management issues through innovative solutions and effective partnerships.
The Mallee is recognised nationally and internationally for the uniqueness and diversity of its natural assets, the importance of its dryland and irrigated agricultural industries, and the richness of its cultural heritage.
An extensive network of national parks, state forests and crown reserves including Wyperfeld National Park, Big Desert Wilderness Park, and Big Desert State Forest; which collectively form the largest remnant of uncleared native vegetation in the agricultural areas of south-eastern Australia.
There are more than 900 wetlands in the Mallee region, 14 of which are listed as ‘nationally significant’. The Hattah Lakes system is internationally recognised (under the Ramsar Convention) for its value to waterfowl and its importance in maintaining regional biodiversity.
The Mallee has a particularly rich avifauna, with over 300 bird species recorded. The number of reptile species in the Mallee region exceeds that of anywhere else in Victoria, with at least 77 species recorded; while 19 species of native fish have been recorded in the watercourses and wetlands of the region including the Murray Cod and the Murray Hardyhead.
The Mallee has been occupied for thousands of generations by Indigenous people, with human activity at Direl (Lake Tyrrell) dated as far back as between 26,600 and 32,000 years ago; although use of the area possibly began as early as 45,000 years ago.
A large number of Aboriginal cultural and heritage sites are unique in Victoria both for their concentration and diversity
Dryland farming in the region covers some 2.4 million hectares and includes the cropping of a wide variety of cereals, pulses and oilseed crops such as wheat, barley, vetch, lupins, chickpeas and canola.
Irrigation in the Mallee extends adjacent to the Murray River corridor from Nyah to the South Australian border. The major irrigated sectors are almonds, table and wine grapes, and citrus. Between 1997 and 2021, irrigation development reliant on water from the Murray River has increased from 39,470 hectares to 81,355 hectares, representing a more than doubling of the irrigable area.
We work toward healthy and resilient landscapes being cared for by connected communities
