General News
27 March, 2026
Res group seeking ideas
Goldfields Reservoir Action Group is seeking the community's perspective on what they want to see at Goldfields Reservoir.
A community group working to improve Goldfields Reservoir asked interested locals what they wanted out of the project last Saturday.
Goldfields Reservoir Action Group (GRAG) are a recent community initiative with big goals of turning Goldfields Reservoir into a lively local asset.
Their original plans to refill the reservoir have expanded, according to their spokesperson Tony Savage, to include the surrounding environment.
The group hope the site will become a community nature reserve that leverages the benefits of Goldfields Reservoir with the surrounding environment and walking tracks.
“Originally when we had our first public meeting there was a lot of focus about just getting water in the [reservoir] but it has grown into a broader project now,” Mr Savage said.
The change of plans is partly due to obstacles the group faces if they want to refill the site.
Anthony Ohlsen, who spent half his life in the local water industry, said the group was “stonewalled” when they investigated what it would cost to pump the necessary water.
“The problem with that is we can’t go and buy the water if we don’t know how much it’s going to cost to put in here.
“The agreement between Central Goldfields Shire Council and Central Highlands Water is commercial in confidence.
“So let’s make the project much bigger than putting water in the reservoir,” he said.
Recent rain has seen the water level rise, enjoyed by all kinds of local wildlife, and is a positive image of a wetland to Upper Loddon and Avoca Landcare Network employee Chris Pollock.
“They do have their dry periods and their fill periods. I guess as a community you need to know what you want,” she said.
“Do you want a big place you can go boating or do you want a natural wetland? You’ve got to decide that because there’s a bit of a difference.”
Those who have been in the community long enough can remember when people could ski on Goldfields Reservoir.
Changes to the bank made the water too shallow but vice president of the Bridgewater Water Ski Club Mick Collicoat hopes this will change.
“I’m really hoping to see this go ahead either way but I’d love to think the kids in Maryborough could come up here and have a bloody ski again like we used to,” he said.
“My girls have gone on to ski for Australia because they learned here.”
Whatever the project becomes Mr Savage said they aren’t turning to the community for money, only ideas, at this stage.
GRAG are currently working with Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal to apply for funding.
“We probably will get funded by them but to what extent we’re not sure,” Mr Savage said.
It’s understood that may include money to refill the reservoir, but only as part of a broader project, and the details are not yet known.
In the meantime, GRAG project director Kelly Aitken encouraged the community to have their say.
“We do have a strong vision but there’s no point us having a strong vision that doesn’t align with what people actually want,” she said.
GRAG will soon be organising a working bee to tidy up Goldfields Reservoir specifically targeting weeds and debri.
“We’ll reach out to the community to do a couple of key working bees really soon,” she said.
Mr Savage invited locals to join GRAG on their journey.
“We’ll see it to the end,” he said.