Latrobe

The Latrobe River flows in an easterly direction within a basin bound by the Strzelecki Ranges in the south and the Great Dividing Range in the north, before flowing into the Gippsland Lakes.

Annual rainfall in the north of the basin is over 1200 mm and reduces to 600-900 mm for much of the length of the river.

Water in the Latrobe basin is used for industry including power generation, urban use and agriculture.

More information on water management and accounting is detailed in Water explained.

When compared to the previous year, in 2024-25:

• less rainfall and catchment inflow was received, and storage levels ended the year lower
• there were more restrictions on licensed diversion from streams
• a similar amount of water was diverted from the basin for consumptive uses.

Rainfall

In 2024-25, rainfall in the Latrobe basin was lower than the previous year. Compared to the long-term average (1975-2025), rainfall was:

• the lowest on record south-west of Morwell around Thorpdale and Yinnar
• very much below average over most of the basin’s western and south-western regions
• below average in a band that spanned the north-west of the basin to southwards of Traralgon and near Longford
• average along parts of the basin’s north-east boundary, encompassing Baw Baw Village and areas east of Longford.

Figure 1 displays the rainfall received in 2024-25 compared to the long-term average.

Wastewater treatment plants

Water treated at wastewater treatment plants can be used to supplement water available in the basin. Water discharged to waterways from treatment plants is included as an inflow to the water balance.

Information on treatment plants is reported in the water supply local reports for the water corporation responsible for managing the plant.

In this basin, wastewater treatment plants are managed by Gippsland Water.

Compliance

Compliance against water entitlements is reported for this basin in 3 areas:

• entitlement issued: that the volume of entitlements issued in a basin does not exceed formal caps, and has not increased without appropriate approvals
• water taken: that the volume of water taken during the year does not exceed the volume considered to be available for consumptive and/or in-stream use during that year
• bulk entitlement provisions: that holders of entitlements do not breach any provisions that are documented in their bulk entitlement orders.

Key points on compliance against entitlements in 2024-25

Environmental watering sites

Environmental watering sites and environmental values in the Latrobe basin that depend on water for the environment include:

• the Latrobe River, which contains native estuarine and freshwater fish species including black bream, Australian bass and short- and long-finned eel as well as platypus, freshwater turtles and continuous stands of river red gums in its upper reaches. The banks along the lower reaches support stands of swamp scrub, an endangered vegetation group.
• the lower Latrobe wetlands (including Sale Common, Dowd Morass and Heart Morass, which are part of the internationally recognised Gippsland Lakes Ramsar site). The lower Latrobe wetlands provide habitat for a variety of waterbirds. Mature river red gums also grow adjacent to the wetlands and provide nesting habitat for sea eagles and other birds of prey that hunt in the wetlands.
• the Gippsland Lakes, which are listed as internationally significant wetlands under the Ramsar Convention and partially rely on freshwater inputs from the Latrobe basin to function ecologically.

Environmental water reserve

In 2024-25, water for the environment in the Latrobe basin comprised:

• the Lower Latrobe Wetlands Environmental Entitlement 2010, held by the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH), which allows water to be diverted to Dowd Morass, Sale Common and Heart Morass when river levels are above heights specified in the environmental entitlement
• the Blue Rock Environmental Entitlement 2013, held by the VEWH, which provides a 9.45% share of inflows into Blue Rock Reservoir
• the Latrobe System Environmental Entitlement 2025, held by the VEWH, which provides 2.34% share of inflows into Blue Rock Reservoir and a 3.33% share of unregulated Latrobe River flows into, and downstream of, Lake Narracan, with a maximum annual take of 5,333 ML
• water set aside for the environment through the operation of passing flow conditions:
  • on consumptive bulk entitlements held by Southern Rural Water and Gippsland Water
  • on licensed diversions
• all other water in the basin not allocated for consumptive uses: this water also provides social, recreational and cultural benefits.

Environmental water use

In 2024-25, no environmental water was delivered in-stream in the Latrobe basin due to the channel constraints in the lower reaches (floodplain areas) of the Latrobe River. Environmental water was delivered to the lower Latrobe wetlands; however, this was not measured as per rules under the Lower Latrobe Wetlands Environmental Entitlement 2010 (see table 5).

Management of water in the Latrobe basin is undertaken by various parties