Burnanga Indigenous Fishing Club president Corey Walker said additional Victorian Fisheries Authority funding will help to develop the Dunyak Moira catch-and-release fishing site into a regional hub and a home for all.
The funding, totalling $108,610, was secured by Goulburn Valley Water and will be used for a number of upgrades at the Morrissey St, Merrigum, site.
Works will include accessibility improvements, the construction of an education and picnic shelter, and updating signage and artwork in collaboration with the fishing club.
Mr Walker said the education and picnic shelter will add significant value to the site, both for the club, which is based at Dunyak Moira, and for others that regularly use the facilities, like Merrigum Primary School.
“It’s really important for not only our club members, but also the wider community to participate in recreational fishing activities and to have a green space where they can collectively come together and learn about fishing,” he said.
Nearly 3000 visitors have visited Dunyak Moira, which means “fishing lake” in Yorta Yorta language, since opening in 2023.
Built on the site of two unused storage lagoons, Mr Walker said the work put into the area, both by GVW and it’s partners, had created a safe space loved by the community, and crucial in protecting threatened species.
“It’s a surrogate site for threatened native fish,” he said.
“We’ve created the habitat where our partner agencies and researchers can actively place or translocate those threatened species.”
GVW acting managing director Daniel Flanagan said the investment will allow the site to continue its transformation into a place where conservation, recreation, education and and culture combine.
“This latest grant will help ensure the site is more accessible, informative and sustainable for years to come,” he said.
Mr Walker said there was interest in education the club delivers at the site.
“We do get a lot of inquiries about taking people out fishing, particularly from young people,” he said.
“[It’s an opportunity to] bring in young leaders that will facilitate working with those youth around fishing, going for a bush walk, learning about the culture and heritage, or just immersing [themselves] in the Dunyak Moira site.”
Mr Walker would like to see Dunyak Moira become a place where all locals could use the facilities for a myriad of events.
He believed the site could become a major attraction for the region, injecting funds into the broader Merrigum community.
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