Sustainable Water Management Plan - Nillumbik Shire Council

APPENDIX E
Conventions, Agreements, Legislation, Policies,
Strategies and Plans linked to the Sustainable
Water Management Plan
International agreements
The World Water Development Report
The World Water Development Report (2003) is
an ongoing assessment project undertaken by the
World Water Assessment Program Committee.
The international community pledged to halve the
proportion of people who are unable to access
or afford safe drinking water by 2015 and to stop
the unsustainable exploitation of water resources,
through the development of water management
strategies at the regional, national and local levels.
Federal Government
National Water Initiative
The National Water Initiative (NWI) was signed by
the Coalition of Australian Governments (COAG)
in 2004. The NWI aims to achieve a nationally
compatible market, regulatory and planning based
system of managing surface and groundwater
resources for rural and urban use that optimises
economic, social and environmental outcomes.
Victorian Government
21st Century Melbourne: A WaterSmart City
– The Final Report
In October 2002, the State Government released
21st Century Melbourne: A WaterSmart City
confirming its commitment to water conservation
by setting a blueprint for water resources for the
next 50 years. The report recommends reducing
metropolitan water consumption by 12% per annum
by 2050. This will be achieved through demand
management, efficient appliances, water harvesting
and water reuse. The Strategy states that ‘ no new
dams or diversion weirs should be built in the next
50 years’ and sets out actions that will lead to a
decrease in water consumption.
Melbourne 2030
The Victorian Government released the Metropolitan
Strategy 2030: Planning for Sustainable Growth. Its
objective for water management is to ensure that
‘water use efficiency will be managed so that existing
storages can reliably meet water demand beyond
2030’. 9 The policy sets out initiatives to achieve this,
including the promotion of water efficient practices;
the preparation of guidelines to encourage the use of
alternative water resources such as rainwater tanks,
stormwater and recycled water.
New Water for Victoria 2003
This Plan provides a framework for the adoption of
water recycling across Victoria as part of sustainable
water resource management. It outlines the current
barriers to recycling and provides a plan to deliver
the government’s medium term goal to increase
water recycling in Melbourne by 20% by 2010. The
action plan focuses on water recycling from sewage
systems operated by government-owned water
businesses.
Securing Our Water Future Together
Securing Our Water Future Together – White
Paper (2004) sets out an action plan to secure
Victoria’s water future over the next 50 years by
building an ethic throughout the community of
water conservation. The plan proposes a wide
range of actions to cut water use. Initiatives
include permanent water saving measures, reuse
of greywater, capture and reuse of stormwater,
pricing to encourage water conservation, mandatory
water rating on appliances, regulation of water
saving devices, e.g. AAA showerheads, rebates
for purchases of water saving devices, and water
sensitive urban development. The paper also looks
at restoring our rivers and streams to safeguard
water systems into the future.
Draft Central Region Sustainable
Water Strategy
Regional Sustainable Water Management Strategies
are a key action within the State Government’s Our
Water Our Future policy. The Draft Central Region
Sustainable Water Strategy is a plan to secure water
supplies for homes, business, industry, agriculture
and the environment for the next 50 years.It will
secure water supplies for all users in the face of
future pressures on the resource such as climate
change, population growth, economic development
and land use change.
This Draft Strategy is an integrated approach to
water resource planning. It considers all water
sources including rivers, reservoirs, aquifers, as well
as recycled water, storm water and seawater.
The Central Region covers an arc around
Melbourne, including Geelong, Ballarat, the
Macedon district and West Gippsland. It includes the
Barwon, Moorabool, Werribee, Maribyrnong, Yarra,
Bunyip, Thomson and Latrobe river catchments.
State Government – State of the Environment
Protection Policy (Waters of Victoria) including
Schedule F6: Waters of Port Phillip Bay and
Schedule 7: Waters of the Yarra Catchment.
The SEPPs were reviewed and released in 2003
and establish the basis for maintaining water quality
at a level conducive to environmental health, public
benefit, welfare, health and safety; and provide
an adequate basis for planning functions. SEPPs
provide a framework for government agencies,
businesses and other members of Victoria’s
communities to work together to protect and
rehabilitate Victoria’s surface water environments.
State Government – Victorian River Health
Strategy
The Victorian River Health Strategy (2002) provides
a vision for the management of rivers in Victoria and
policy direction on issues affecting river health to
ensure the most effective long term outcomes for the
effort and resources invested.
State Government – Port Phillip and
Westernport Regional Catchment Strategy
The Regional Catchment Strategy analyses the
natural assets of the region, assesses the risk
to those assets from past and current activities,
and identifies priority actions for improving and
enhancing the health of the region’s land, water and
biodiversity.
State Government – Yarra River Action Plan
The Yarra River Action Plan outlines priority projects
that the State will implement in conjunction with
local governments and the community to improve
the health and amenity of the Yarra River. Actions
include an upgrade of the northern sewage
system, replacement of 18,500 septic tanks
through connection to reticulated sewage system,
litter education, development of agricultural best
management practices, and ensuring the Yarra
receives sufficient flows for its environmental needs.
Nillumbik Shire Council’s Policies
Municipal Strategic Statement
Nillumbik Shire Council’s Municipal Strategic
Statement (MSS) outlines the vision for sustainable
land use and natural resource management in the
Shire. It responds to the range of environmental,
social and economic factors that shape the Shire and
outlines the objectives and strategies which need to
be implemented to achieve this vision.
Nillumbik Shire Council – Council Plan
2007-2011 10
The Council Plan is Council’s primary strategic
planning document, defining the strategies required
to achieve the Shire of Nillumbik’s vision.
Strategies to achieve sustainable water
management are:
1.2.2 Reduce water and energy consumption
at all Council facilities and more broadly
across the community in residential and
other premises.
1.2.6 Implement programs to minimise waste
water discharge and improve water
quality.
10
Nillumbik Shire Council Plan 2007-11
9
Melbourne 2030: Planning for a sustainable growth.
Direction 7, Policy 7.1: Ensure that water resources are managed
in a sustainable way.
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