Sustainable Water Management Plan - Nillumbik Shire Council

Sediment and erosion control
Construction site management
To reduce contaminants entering stormwater from
construction sites, Council incorporated a clause
in Local Law Number 7 Asset Protection Law,
Part 6 Stormwater Protection. It states that ‘where
any building or other work is being carried out on
any land, the owner must ensure that the site is
developed and managed to minimise the risk of
stormwater pollution, through the contamination of
run-off by chemical, fill, sediments, animal wastes,
gross pollutants or any other material or substance
in accordance with currently accepted best practice.’
Information detailing builders/developers
responsibilities in regard to this Local Law
is provided with relevant building permits. In
environmentally significant areas covered by an
Environmental Significance Overlay, applicants are
required to submit a Land Management Plan with
planning permit applications which require standard
sediment control procedures to be addressed.
Council employs a Works Development Officer
and Planning Investigations Officers to monitor
compliance with Local Law and planning permit
conditions.
Council also requires that all tenders for construction
works on Council land must submit a site
management plan and risk assessment which details
any erosion and sediment control procedures to be
implemented.
Revegetation and regeneration
programs
Council’s Environmental Works Unit and Parks and
Reserve Maintenance Unit undertake a number of
revegetation and regeneration projects annually
in degraded riparian environments to improve
water quality and habitat values in and around
local waterways. Priority areas are identified and
assessed, and in some instances management
plans are developed, for Council parks and reserves.
Projects include fencing, rabbit control, weed
control, revegetation, bank stabilisation and wetland
management. Council also supports approximately
30 Friends and Landcare groups undertaking
environmental projects on Council land.
Landcare support and grants programs
There are a number of Landcare Groups in the Shire
which work together on private property to undertake
environmental improvement activities, particularly
along waterways and habitat corridors. Activities
include fencing, bank stabilisation, revegetation,
seed collection, plant production and weed and
rabbit control. Council offers advice and funding to
support many of these projects.
Land management incentive programs
To assist residents address land management issues
and protect and enhance biodiversity on private
land, Council offers a range of incentive programs
that provide assistance and financial incentives
to landholders. Each year, these programs are
reviewed, assessed and modified as required.
Currently, the incentives offered under this program
include:
Community Weed Control – providing access
to a cost-effective, professional contractor and
subsidies to undertake weed control on particular
environmental and noxious weeds.
Biodiversity Enhancement – providing either
a rate rebate or grant for undertaking permanent
biodiversity protection and/or enhancement works.
Community Rabbit Control – facilitating and funding
community development and action in undertaking
rabbit control on a neighbourhood or community
level.
Sustainable Agricultural Rebate - providing rate
rebates for undertaking or maintaining specified
works to improve land and water resources, and
address problems of land degradation.
Council also provides funding and administrative
support to WACMAC Landcare to employ a facilitator
who provides support to the Whittlesea Agricultural
Society, Arthurs Creek, Merriang and District and
Cottlesbridge Landcare groups. WACMAC Landcare
was established to address erosion and salinity
issues across the City of Whittlesea and Shire of
Nillumbik.
Road sealing
Council undertakes sealing of unmade roads to
reduce sediment run-off into local waterways.
However, there is currently no prioritisation of
road sealing in relation to impacts on waterways.
A draft discussion paper on Rural Road Sealing
has recently been released for public comment.
The purpose of this discussion paper is to seek
comments from residents and community groups on
the rural road sealing program, which has been in
place for several years whereby Council has been
funding construction of “collector roads” across the
municipality. These collector roads have the primary
function of carrying traffic on key routes through and
across the municipality, and also serve to collect
traffic from local access roads.
Gross litter and pollution management
Litter management
Council has implemented a three bin GRO
residential kerbside waste and recycling service
which assists in reducing the escape of household
rubbish during collection.
Council also has an extensive litter management
program which reacts to the reporting of littering
offenders and the incidence of litter, dumping and
litter bin collection in the community. Maintenance
and collection programs are carried out by Council’s
Infrastructure Maintenance crews and Municipal
Laws section.
A review of litter basket design and maintenance
performance has been undertaken by Council
and it was deemed not feasible to use these
systems as a method of controlling litter pollution
due to the requirements for regular cleaning and
maintenance. The preferred method was found to be
the installation and management of Gross Pollutant
Traps (GPTs) in strategic locations.
It is also a requirement in Council’s Works
Specifications for employees undertaking parks
and reserve maintenance activities to remove any
loose litter, rubbish or debris where possible before
undertaking any mowing or slashing activities to
prevent shedding of this material.
Chemical spill management
Any employee applying chemicals is required to
have a Farmer’s Chemical Users Permit. Safe Works
Procedures including guidelines on the safe and
effective use of herbicide are provided in Works
Specifications for employees and contractors.
Chemical dilution only occurs in specially designed
areas at the depot where chemical spill procedures
and kits are on hand. There is still a need, however,
for chemical spill procedures for on site accidents.
Business education
To encourage local businesses to play a role in
stormwater pollution prevention, Council piloted the
Business Streams Stormwater Education Program
in the Eltham Light Industrial Precinct with 10
businesses in 2005. The aim of this program is to
provide businesses with the knowledge and skills
to develop practices that reduce their impact on
stormwater quality whilst working together to improve
the local environment.
Nutrient management
Parks and reserve management
The majority of Council’s open space management
involves the protection and enhancement of remnant
vegetation or revegetation using indigenous plant
species. Using indigenous plants reduces the need
for fertilisers or additional irrigation. Fertilisers were
previously used for plant establishment, however this
ceased in autumn 2005. Currently fertilisers are only
applied to sporting ovals. Garden beds are mulched
regularly to reduce the need for herbicides.
Council’s Works Specifications require employees
and contractors undertaking parks and reserve
maintenance activities to remove any organic
material from the site following maintenance
operations where applicable. Employees are also
required to face mowers away from roads and blow
down paths after maintenance activities to prevent
organic material being washed into stormwater
drains.
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