Speech by Lyn Gunter,
Mayor, Shire of Murrindindi3rd Shed a Tier Congress
Canberra, 22 March 2002[Overhead slides omitted in the following]
My thanks to the organisers of today, for allowing me the opportunity to speak to you.
I would also thank those who assisted me in my preparation of the paper for today particularly Michael Chesworth from Murrindindi shire, Scott Ridges Goulburn-Murray Water, Tom O’Dwyer and Tony Kubeil from Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority Yea.
In the past, environmental management of local streams and waterways has not been a priority area of focus for local government, and a number of Shires, including Murrindindi, have tended to leave the issue of managing local waterways to other authorities.
My talk today will hopefully demonstrate how the priorities of local government, particularly at Murrindindi, have broadened to include involvement in local environmental and waterway management issues.
I will provide a short overview of a project where a local government representative from Murrindindi Shire is a delegated person in helping to facilitate the development of a sustainable streamflow management plan which is of major importance to the local environment and community. The project involves considerable liaison with other government authorities.
The southern borders of Murrindindi Shire are approximately 60 kms North East of Melbourne. The shire is approximately 3,800 square kilometres and has a population of around 13,000. Nationals Parks take in approximately 1/3 of the total area of the Shire and the primary industries are rural and agriculture based.
The area I am speaking about today lies within the King Parrot Catchment which is at the southern end of the Murray Darling Basin.
In June 1995 a water cap was placed on the Murray Darling Basin, which includes the catchment of the King Parrot Creek. The water cap means that there can be no further extension of water diversion volumes from the Basin. Water within the King Parrot catchment can only be traded subject to Goulburn Murray Water’s trading rules.
The flows of the King Parrot and its tributaries range from flood to extreme drought with the stream often drying up before it reaches the Goulburn in some summer periods.
The average rainfall at the headwaters of the catchment is 45 inches.
The King Parrot has a total of nine species of fish recorded, six of which are native. The creek contains a relic population of the endangered Macquarie Perch and is one of a handful of streams within Victoria that is crucial for the ongoing survival of the species.
Due to the Catchments Proximately to Melbourne it is has a scenic appeal to tourists and those seeking recreational pursuits particularly recreational fishing.
Spring Area at Wallaby Creek
One particular area of the catchment which causes some concern is the natural springs located at the entrance to the Wallaby Creek Resort where a large portion of non residents come to take spring water away by plastic containers, 2 litre – 25 litres often by the trailer load.
Effects of Subdivision and housing
There is great pressure for further subdivision and rural living development within the King Parrot Catchment area of the Shire and this is likely to create increased demand for additional domestic and stock water licences from the catchment in the medium to long term.
In addition there are concerns of a deterioration of water quality in the creek during low flow times of the year due to leaching from septic systems and household grey water waste from existing housing developments adjacent to the creek.
The draft Streamflow Management Plan for the King Parrot catchment has been developed by a Consultative Committee representing broad interests in the Catchment. The plan recognises that water flowing in the creek is finite and needs to be managed in a sustainable way.
The King Parrot consultative committee consists of representatives from several stakeholder agencies and community groups including Goulburn -Murray Water Goulburn Catchment Committee, Irrigators, Victorian Farmers Federation, Environmental Protection Authority, Goulburn-Murray Water, Natural Resources and Environment Victoria, and the Murrindindi Shire Council.
The Committee has been meeting now for 2.5 years to develop the draft plan and it is understood that this is just the beginning of the project as reviews of the plan during its implementation will be required.
There are currently a number of Streamflow Management Consultative Committee’s developing draft management plans for unregulated streams in Victoria.
The King Parrot Streamflow Management Plan is one of the first to be released in Victoria and the project is setting many of the ground rules for other Committee around the state in trying to achieve an optimum water management result.
The draft plan is aimed at providing the necessary licence management framework to achieve a fair and balanced outcome between the various competing interests for water use in the catchment.
The Management Plan is designed to protect existing water users while at the same time ensure sufficient environmental flows are achieved particularly during the summer low flow periods.
The plan requires the co-operation of all relevent stakeholders and authorities, including the Council in order to achieve an optimum result.
Currently water diversion Licences consist of:
- Domestic and Stock licences
50 - Irrigation licences
4 - Commercial licences
6 - Commercial Residential licences
2 - Industrial licences
1 - Other
Domestic and Stock makes up 30% of these entitlements with the demand being at its highest in the months when the flows are low.
Any future Licences for Domestic and Stock use will be required under the plan to be on a Winter fill basis with residents having to provide on site storage for use of the water in summer.
There is currently a moratorium on the issue of any further Irrigation Licences.
A major factor to consider on the sustainability of flows is that Melbourne Water has a Bulk Entitlement to an average of 12,400 ML per year. This is approximately 23% of the total catchment yield measured at the Flowerdale Gauge.
regulate the consumptive use of water in the catchment
recognise recreational and aesthetic pursuits on the waterway
develop recommendations for all stakeholder authorities with respect to the management and environmental sustainability of the local catchment .
From the council’s perspective these objectives and recommendations contained in the Streamflow Plan are now incorporated into Murrindindi Shire’s Community Plan and the Murrindindi Planning Scheme for the area.
The headwaters of the catchment are extremely sensitive and require protection against future residential development. As there is no provision for effluent disposal or reticulated water any future residential development will be restricted until such time as these services can be provided.
Currently the Council is undertaking an Integrated Strategy, which is looking at corridors protecting streams and vegetation from future low-density residential development.
With regard to the Springs, the Council has initiated a meeting with all relevant authorities to discuss the degradation of the area. The Council has a large number of complaints from residents about the area with large amounts of rubbish being left by non-residents at this site.
Conclusion
In the top of the catchment there are a large number of domestic and stock bores. Ground water management issues have not been covered and as yet a study has not been undertaken to ascertain if there is any relationship between ground water and the stream.
Further integration with the Shire Planning Scheme to ensure that issues of water management are considered in the broader development of the Shire.
This plan is the first step in addressing the current situation we find ourselves in. We cannot leave previous undesirable conditions as they are. We must move forward and try to improve what we can.
The Council has very little experience in facilitating a project of this nature and has generally not had much involvement in waterway management issues. These issues require round table discussion with all authorities to obtain the best results for the community.
The Streamflow Consultative Committee is an important step in that all relevant authorities have been interacting and working together, possibly for the first time on a formal level.
There is now a formal mechanism that binds all the relevant authorities together so that cross agency solutions can be determined and ongoing reviews can take place with all the stakeholders together.
I would encourage further co-operative discussions at all levels as I believe it is essential for any future development, no matter where the location, that a coordinated approach from all levels of Government and their associated bodies is achieved to ensure that environmental social and economic issues are covered.
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