Sustainable Water Management Plan - Nillumbik Shire Council

Introduction
“Water is essential to the success of our economy, the health of our environment and the
wellbeing of our society. Water will remain essential to the wellbeing of our children
and their society.” 1
Council operation actions
• no irrigation of parkland
• use of indigenous plant species in new
amenity plantings
• water conservation audits completed on five
Council buildings
• rain sensors and electronic irrigation system
installed at Edendale Farm Community
Environment Centre
• rainwater tank installed at North Warrandyte
Pre-school for use in toilet flushing
• rainwater tank installed at Edendale Farm
Community Environment Centre for use in
toilet flushing
• drought-tolerant grass species installed on all
fairways at Yarrambat Golf Course
• reuse of pool and dam water in road grading
operations and review of grading operations
• conduct regular irrigation system audits and
maintenance
• connection of backwash system from Diamond
Creek Swimming Pool to sewer
• Water Sensitive Urban Design features
incorporated into the Henry Arthur Estate,
the new Eltham Leisure Centre carpark and
planning for the Eltham Circulatory Road
• warm season grasses installed at the Ben
Frilay Oval, Hurstbridge
• completion of works at Central Oval, Eltham
including subsurface drip irrigation and warm
season grasses
• Water Management Plan completed for
Yarrambat Park Golf Course
• completion of wetlands at Challenger Street
Reserve
• installation of gross pollutant traps in Eltham
Industrial area
Community actions
• hosting GreenGardeners program
• Nillumbik’s Environmental Workshop program
• Business Streams program – stormwater
education for local businesses
• Edendale Farm Community Environment
Centre’s school education program featuring
water conservation and water quality themes
• provision of support for the WaterSmart
Schools program
• Sustainable Gardening Awards
• support for the School Audit program
• community waterwise garden at Edendale
Farm Community Environment Centre
• introduction of pay-for-use systems on
standpipes
• Federal and State Government funding to
community organisations and schools for
watersaving projects.
Acknowledgements
Nillumbik Shire Council would like to acknowledge and thank
Melbourne Water, International Council for Local Environmental
Initiatives – Australia/New Zealand (ICLEI-A/NZ) and Yarra Valley
Water for their assistance in the development of this Plan.
Thank you to Sarah Eggleton of SJE Water Management for
her assistance in the development of the Sustainable Water
Management Plan. The Environment Advisory Committee also
provided valuable input into the development of the Plan.
Thank you also to the community members and staff within
Council who have contributed to the Plan.
Located less than 25 kilometres from Melbourne’s
central business district, the Shire of Nillumbik forms
part of a north-eastern metropolitan Green Wedge:
bounded by the Yarra River to the south, Plenty
River to the west and the Kinglake Ranges to the
north. In 2004, Council strengthened its commitment
to sustainability by joining the Melbourne Water
facilitated Sustainable Water Management
Plan program and the ICLEI Water Campaign TM
program. Both programs build capacity within local
governments to reduce water usage and promote
water conservation to the wider community. The
ICLEI Water CampaignTM also incorporates water
quality improvement actions for internal Council
procedures and within the community.
Council has a significant influence on water
consumption within the Shire, as both a water user
and community and business leader. Council’s core
functions traditionally consume large amounts of
water annually. These functions include the operation
of Council buildings, irrigation of sports grounds,
open space and established public gardens; road
grading; operation of aquatic centres; and truck
washdown associated with waste collection. Council
is in a good position to lead by example with regard
to water conservation by facilitating community
involvement and education, and promoting
sustainable water management.
Graph 1: Water use within Nillumbik 2000-2001
Non-residential
9%
Residential
88%
(Data Source: Yarra Valley Water)
Council 3%
The reticulated water demand across the Shire
during the base year of 2000-2001 was 6,433,281
kilolitres. Graph 1 shows that Council uses 3% of
the total water consumed in Nillumbik annually with
non-residential using 9% and 88% being used for
residential purposes. Water usage within residential
areas of the community is above the Melbourne
average, even when taking into account the larger
household sizes.
In order to provide a strategic direction for improved
water management throughout Council’s operations
and the wider community, Council has prepared the
Sustainable Water Management Plan.
The Plan aims to:
• undertake an assessment of water
consumption in Council facilities
• undertake a water demand assessment of
consumption in residential and non-residential
properties
• continue to monitor stormwater quality issues
in the Shire
• establish a target to reduce water
consumption for Council’s operations and
the community
• establish a target for stormwater quality
in the Shire
• develop an action plan that provides strategic
direction for reducing water use and improving
stormwater quality
• build a coordinated and integrated approach
to water management across Council groups
and relevant state agencies.
The Nillumbik Sustainable Water Management Plan
is a major environmental sustainability document of
Council and is designed to implement the vision and
water management goals of the Council Plan 2007-
2011. The principles outlined in the Plan are aimed
at protecting and enhancing the environment and
promoting the principles of ecologically sustainable
development (ESD).
1
Securing Our Water Future: Green Paper for Discussion. (2003) p12
Sustainable Water Management Plan Sustainable Water Management Plan