The Draft Masterplan for the Moorabool River Reserve in Batesford is now open for public consultation until the 16th of August, 2023.
Council is seeking feedback on the Draft Masterplan from the Batesford community to ensure that the plan meets the needs and aspirations of the community for the reserve.
The Draft Masterplan can be found here https://www.goldenplains.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-07/DRAFT%20Moorabool_River_Reserve_Masterplan_23.pdf
Feedback can be provided via:
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- online by Councils webpage at goldenplains.vic.gov.au/consultations,
- at the Community Meeting being held at the Batesford Community Hall (15 Regent Street, Batesford) at 7:30pm on Tuesday 8th August, 2023.
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The draft plan contains some strong themes around conservation and passive use which should be applauded. There are some issues which require further discussion particularly around inadequate and inappropriate drainage through the reserve from the Riverstone development.
PALM would like to acknowledge the work of Dale Smithyman, Golden Plains Environment officer, in guiding this process. If the draft is adopted it will hopefully mean the Moorabool River will have the protection of an area encompassing biodiversity, cultural respect and passive use. The Batesford community should also be acknowledged. Places like this rely on the care shown by local communities to really be the best they can be. The survey results of residents show a strong commitment to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of the reserve.
On the 21st of June Dr Sarah Mansfield, member of the Victorian Legislative Council representing the Western Region, asked the following questions without notice to Water Minister Harriet Shing.
Questions without notice and ministers statements
Moorabool River catchment management
Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:00): (185)
My question is for the Minister for Water. The ABC recently revealed that 200 new private dams have been constructed along the Moorabool River catchment since 2012. Many appear to be unlicensed, and the water regulator, Southern Rural Water, has failed to enforce the law. In fact last year Southern Rural Water made not a single prosecution. The proliferation of unregulated dams poses a significant risk to essential inflows to the Moorabool, which is already one of the most flow-stressed systems in the state. Will the government place an immediate moratorium on the construction of new private dams within the Moorabool catchment whilst this issue is being investigated?
Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy, Minister for Equality) (12:01):
Thank you for that question about Moorabool and about the issue of dams and the way in which dams may be constructed over time. I want to acknowledge the work of PALM, the community group that has been identifying issues around concerns relating to the extension of existing dam footprints which may be subject to a stock and domestic licence – for example, using an existing bore. You do not currently need to have a licence to expand a bore where it is 3 metres by 3 metres, and there are other regulations that apply in the event of wanting to expand a bore, a dam or a holding beyond that process. There have been concerns raised by PALM around the very issues that you have talked about, which have been brought to my attention. We have had a discussion around surveys of what is actually happening. It is really difficult to get onto private landholdings to see what has changed over time and whether it has occurred inadvertently or intentionally. We know from the compliance system in Victoria that we have a very, very high level of compliance and enforcement with the rules and regulations that apply around the capture and storage of water, and in fact we lead the nation in that regard. To that end, I think we have seen about 3000 breaches notified, with only about 20 of those proceeding to prosecution. That should give you an idea about the extent to which undertakings can usually be provided or remedies delivered in order to correct breaches without them needing to be escalated further through a legal proceeding. I have been notified that the work of surveying is continuing and that PALM has been a big part of that. I am looking forward to seeing what the outcome is of those analyses about the footprint of dams across private landholdings. I want to make a couple of general points, if I can, about the importance of maintaining access to water. We know that dams in fact take water away from other areas where it might naturally travel to provide a range of other benefits, whether environmental or to primary producers or to riparian and waterway health overall. Wherever we take water and put it into a large-scale dam, we are in effect denying water the opportunity to move around to where it is otherwise needed. As far as integrated water management and natural resource management go, that is a significant thing to have to manage. I am looking forward, as I said, to getting the outcomes of that survey work and being able to continue to engage on improvement and making sure the community has the transparency that it is looking for. Again I thank PALM for that work and those partnerships that are being informed by the work on the ground.
Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:04):
I thank the minister for her response. I think it is interesting that you view Victoria’s compliance and enforcement systems as being robust. There is an alternative view that water corporations are structured in such a way that they are actually struggling in their duty to enforce the law. Following similar problems with illegal water theft and illegal dams in New South Wales, the New South Wales government established the Natural Resources Access Regulator to ensure direct government oversight of compliance and enforcement. Does the proliferation of unlicensed dams on the Moorabool demonstrate that the government needs to establish a similar body, a natural resources access regulator, rather than devolving this responsibility for enforcement to water corporations?
Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy, Minister for Equality)
(12:05): Thank you for that further question. I do want to point out that the Pearson review in 2018 found that we have around 96 per cent compliance. That is the highest around Australia. What I do also want to acknowledge is the statement that you have made around water corporations being responsible for that compliance work. In fact that consultation and part of the work that Southern Rural Water is doing on discussions with the community include those conversations with Wadawurrung, with PALM and with other community members to understand the presence of and/or the proliferation of and the need to monitor whether there might be any unauthorised or unlicensed dams that are being constructed or are otherwise present in our landscape. We are working across a consultation process, but our water corps are state owned. They are part of the government and not private companies, and when we look at the contradistinction with other jurisdictions and we see that there have been privatised environments, you will see in fact why that is a part of the feature of distinction of the compliance and enforcement systems that we have here in Victoria.
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/daily-hansard/Council_2023/Legislative_Council_2023-06-21.pdf
PALM would like to thank Dr Mansfield for her questions. As someone from the area and the current water spokesperson for her party we recognise and applaud her interest in the plight of the Moorabool River.
PALM would also like to thank Minister Shing for her response particularly in acknowledging the work of PALM community in delivering a greater understanding of what is happening within the Moorabool Catchment. Hopefully cooperation with all stakeholders and agencies will allow for a more secure future for this highly stressed but vital river system.
The issue of the high number of private dams in the Moorabool Catchment and their impact on flows within the river has been recognised for many years. The 2004 Sinclair Knight Mertz study Moorabool River Water Resource Assessment identified that one the "Key Issues in the Catchment" was the "Impact of farm dams on flows". https://www.ccmaknowledgebase.vic.gov.au/resources/R05_Final_report_d1.pdf
Modelling done in the report produced the following table of supply demands:
Newer modelling has allowed for more refined figures, although studies to determine the impact of private dams over different climate scenarios are ongoing.
Figures from the annual Victoria Water Accounts have been alarming. Private dam volumes in the Moorabool Basin compared to inflows are the second highest in the state. The stated figure of 20,236ML in 2017-18 was equivalent to the capacity of Barwon Water's West Barwon Reservoir.
A graphic from a 2020 study titled Investigation of trends in farm dam development over time. (Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning - Jordan, P., Shepherd, D., & Race, G. (2020)) is illustrative of how large the impact of private dam development is within the Moorabool Catchment. It compared subcatchments in 3 different basins. Franklin Creek in Gippsland, Love Creek near the Otways, and Woollen Creek in the Moorabool catchment which feeds into Lal Lal Reservoir. The volume of private dams compared to km2 of Woollen Creek was 8 to 10 times that of the other subcatchments:
In the recent Central and Gippsland Regional Sustainable Water Strategy completed last year, both the Moorabool and Maribynong catchments were acknowledged as private dam hotspots and an action adopted which committed to:
Action 4-13:
Review of water resource risks in small, dry, peri-urban catchmentsSouthern Rural Water will lead a project over two years to review resource risk and share evidence and reporting to build a shared understanding with communities on the risks, consequences and mitigation options we can use to address the increasing effects of small catchment dams. This project will focus on the upper Maribyrnong and upper Moorabool catchments (including tributaries) as identified hotspots, but recommendations from this review may be relevant to other catchments.
However the rationale was based on the belief that the issue was mainly due to "land uses are changing between agriculture and urbanisation". This was not what PALM supporters were observing on the ground. Downstream irrigators and farmers who are reliant on the river for stock and domestic needs had expressed concerns that large private dams were being developed in the upper catchment.
The group resolved to do its own study of where private dam development was occurring, and to see if it exceeded the growth rates described by DEECA. We were assisted by anonimised data from SRW showing licenced dams within the catchment.
Google Earth and its capacity to compare historical satellite imagery was used to note new and enlarged private dams developed, particularly over the last decade. It allowed an approximation of volumes based on a recognised formula for Victorian dams. In total this ultimately involved over 200 dams the majority from 2012 onwards, and many hours of volunteer time and effort.
PALM's report titled The Dammed Future of the Moorabool River - Testing arguments over the trajectory of private dam construction in the Moorabool River Catchment was sent to the Water Minister, Southern Rural Water and other relevant agencies in March 2023. PALM acknowledges within the document that:
This is a community driven and created discussion paper. While every reasonable endeavour was made to be as accurate as our limited resources permit, the report is presented as a basis for a policy review of how private dam development is managed within Victoria.
PALM does not imply, and no reader should infer, that any landowner within any areas covered by this investigation has enlarged or constructed a dam in breach of the rules applicable at the time of enlargement or construction.
From PALM's perspective there were a number of key points.
- It appears the annual increase in new private dam volumes over the last 10 years was triple that predicted by DEECA studies.
- Quite a number of the recent dam installations of significance appeared to coincide with either windfarm development or plantation harvesting.
- A concerning number of dams were constructed on watercourses as defined by the government dataset (https://discover.data.vic.gov.au/dataset/vicmap-hydro-1-250002)
It is the last point which is most troubling to PALM. A landholder digging a small dam in the corner of a paddock to provide stock needs is unlikely to impact the river. However in a narrow catchment such as the Moorabool virtually all watercourses contribute flows to the Moorabool River. The placement of new and enlarged dams on those watercourses will likely have a direct impact. The Water Act specifies that such dams should be licenced by the responsible authority. Southern Rural Water has since indicated to PALM that there are currently a number of dams of concern and that investigations are being conducted.
Monitoring and compliance is of course a factor in the proper management of water resources, but this does not address the inherent ambiguities within the current licencing system. As stated PALM's primary objective has been for the report to provide a "basis for a policy review of how private dam development is managed within Victoria". Part of that review must include addressing the fragmented approach to the authorising of new and enlarged private dams. Currently a landholder seeking to install a catchment dam in the system may have to approach 3 different authorities; Southern Rural Water, Moorabool Shire and the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority. This needs to be reformed.
Next, the ambiguities around what constitutes a watercourse need to be resolved. While the Water Act appears to be clear on what it considers a watercourse, and these appear on maps used on Victorian Government planning portals, they remain open to interpretation by regulatory staff. This amplifies confusion for landholders, and for other interested parties, and needs to be addressed in a manner which will protect the Moorabool.
Finally the education of landholders regarding their obligations and the potential impacts of certain activities, especially those who may not be aware of how flow stressed the Moorabool system is, must be the responsibility of those managing the system, particularly Southern Rural Water.
PALM considers that there must be a moratorium on new private dams in the system until these issues are resolved. We all need to face up to the fact that the catchment’s water has been massively over extracted for years and we are killing the river. It may well mean urban water users have to accept they will have to pay a bit more for water to be sourced elsewhere. It may also mean that landholders consolidate dams on their properties and construct reticulated systems to get water over their holdings just as some are already doing. PALM would fully support government initiatives to restructure the way water is used in the catchment such as assisting with reticulation costs.
If the government, the agencies, and the community get on the same page then this river just may have a fighting chance.
Update
ABC have published a story on the report. It can be accessed here.
The accompanying video story is below.
The first stage in the willow removal at Barwon Water's Bolwarra Wier has been completed.
An extensive willow infestation at the top of the wier has been removed and burnt onsite. Any regrowth with be dealt with over the coming months before further works commencing later in the year.
Funded by Barwon Water's Living Moorabool contribution and overseen by the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority the project will see the restoration of native species to the site and the introduction of walkways for the public.
Site in Feb 2023 with some of the many willows along the East Moorabool River before it enters the weir.
Chopped willows awaiting burning
Collecting and burning of willows piles
May 2023 - River each now cleared and ready for regeneration
Images courtesy of the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority.
While it may have taken a while it is really refreshing to have Barwon Water stepping up and taking ownership of weed management on sites like these. The willows here would have been contributiing to infestation downstream of the weir for decades.
There will obviously be a need for long term management of the site by Barwon Water have indicted a management plan is being formulated across all their sites, Bolwarra Weir included.
A thank you also goes to the CCMA for project managing the works. It is alway good to see funding directed to making a real difference on the ground.
The Geelong Times has run a front page story on PALM's call for better monitoring of catchment dams within the Moorabool River Catchment.
The catchment has one of the highest ratio of total private dam capacity compared to inflows in Victoria. The volume is equal to that held by Barwon Water's West Barwon Dam in the Otways.
Private dam development is accelerating putting further strain on the State's most flow stressed river. Without better controls, monitoring and compliance the growth in such dams will further erode small gains in environmental flows that have been secured for the river.
PALM is currently finalising a study looking at the last decade of dam growth which it hopes will inform the following action within the latest Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy
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Action 4-13: Review of water resource risks in small, dry, peri-urban catchments |
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Southern Rural Water will lead a project over two years to review resource risk and share evidence and reporting to build a shared understanding with communities on the risks, consequences and mitigation options we can use to address the increasing effects of small catchment dams. This project will focus on the upper Maribyrnong and upper Moorabool catchments (including tributaries) as identified hotspots, but recommendations from this review may be relevant to other catchments. |
The online version of the article can be found here:
https://timesnewsgroup.com.au/geelongtimes/news/srw-urged-to-increase-monitoring-on-unlicensed-dams/
PALM welcomes the recent annoucement from DELWP of planning scheme amendment VC 201 designed to give better protection to rivers like the Moorabool. How significant these changes will be remains to be seen but they should assist advocacy groups like PALM who have had to work hard to protect the river and its flood plains from developer excesses.
https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/policy-and-strategy/waterways-planning/amendment-vc201
Amendment VC201
Stronger planning policies and landscape controls to protect the Rivers of the Barwon, Waterways of the West and rivers and creeks across Victoria
Waterways, lakes, wetlands and billabongs are vital features of Victoria’s diverse landscape. They sustain ecosystems and communities while providing the opportunity for us to connect with nature, relax and play. These environmental assets also have significant ecological, cultural, social and landscape significance.
Gazetted on 16 December 2022, Planning Scheme Amendment VC201 delivers stronger recognition and protection for our waterways, lakes, wetlands and billabongs. It aims to improve waterway health, amenity and access while acknowledging the important community and cultural values associated with waterways.
Amendment VC201 provides a substantial acknowledgement of Traditional Owner values and custodianship of waterways. It recognises the importance of protecting the living cultural values and heritage relating to waterway systems.
Now included in the Planning Scheme is the following:
12.03-1R
16/12/2022
VC201
Rivers of the Barwon
Objective
To maintain and enhance the natural landscape, biodiversity, cultural and social values, and the
Traditional Owner living cultural heritage values of the Rivers of the Barwon, comprising the
Barwon (Parwan), Leigh (Waywatcurtan), Moorabool (Mooroobull) and Yarrowee (Yarowee)
Rivers, their tributaries and wetlands.
Strategies
Protect places of living cultural heritage value to the region’s Traditional Owners including the
confluences of the Leigh, Barwon and Moorabool Rivers, Lal Lal Falls and the Lake Connewarre
Delta.
Protect and enhance the environmental qualities and landscape values of the headwaters of the
Barwon, Yarrowee and Moorabool Rivers and the tributaries of the Rivers of the Barwon.
Protect and enhance wetlands and significant waterbodies including Lake Gherang, Wurdiboluc
Reservoir, Lake Modewarre, Lake Thurrumbong, Lake Ayrey, West Barwon Dam, and Ramsar
Convention listed Lake Connewarre, Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp from development that
threatens their ability to support terrestrial, aquatic and avian species.
Protect views of significant landscapes including gorges and waterfalls along the Moorabool River,
including the Lal Lal Falls, the steep escarpments and falls of the Barwon River, the open rural
scenery of the Leigh and Yarrowee Rivers and the expansive and open wetlands of the Lake
Connewarre system.
Balance the protection and restoration of the Rivers of the Barwon with planned urban growth and
development.
Design and site development in urban growth areas with river frontage to provide opportunities
for waterway access, activation, and conservation.
Encourage development to create links between open space corridors along the rivers with activity
centres including Geelong and Ballarat.
Protect and prioritise movement and green linkages and public access to the river along river
corridors including the Wallaby Track in Ballarat, River Track in Inverleigh, and Barwon River
Trail in Geelong.
Protect and enhance existing and proposed parklands along the Barwon, Leigh, Moorabool and
Yarrowee Rivers.
MEDIA RELEASE
Monday 5th September 2022
People for A Living Moorabool welcomed the release of the Central and Gippsland Sustainable Water Strategy announced by the Premier Daniel Andrews and Water Minister Harriet Shing today.
“This has been a long process but one which will hopefully relieve some of the stresses on the Moorabool River.” PALM’s coordinator Cameron Steele said today.
The Strategy is a high-level document providing plans for Victoria’s water future. It contains actions which will directly impact Victoria’s most flow stressed river.
“These are absolutely vital measures to help a river which has lost a further 20% of its inflows due to climate change over the last 15 years” Mr Steele said. “It really is a race against time to halt the decline of this magnificent river and it is heartening to finally have that urgency recognised by both Government and our water authorities. But it is still a long way from the 17,000ML required to secure a healthy future for this river.”
An upgrade of the Melbourne Geelong Pipeline will see the long-term average equivalent of 3000ML of water transferred from Barwon Water’s share of the Lal Lal Reservoir . A further 700ML from the Bostock Reservoir will assist the East Moorabool in a shared arrangement with the Wadawurrung and the environment.
Other measures announced include a study into the impact of small catchment dams in the Moorabool and Maribyrnong rivers. The Moorabool River Catchment has one of the highest volumes of water impounded in farm and commercial dams compared to its inflows and this has a direct impact on the health of the river.
“We have seen a dramatic acceleration in the construction of commercial and smaller catchment dams over the last three years eroding environmental flows gained for the river. This must be addressed otherwise we are simply giving with one hand and taking with another, something which is utterly unsustainable.” Mr Steele said.
An investigation into the rewatering of a Durdidwarrah wetland in the Brisbane Ranges NP was also included. PALM would like to acknowledge the efforts of Wadawurrung man Barry Gilson in helping to secure this action.
End Release
Link to final CGRSWS: https://www.water.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/594004/20220902_CentralGippslandRegion_SWS_Final_compressed.pdf
Link to Premier’s release:
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/delivering-water-security-our-future
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12th July 2022
The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority in partnership with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation have released the Murrabul Yaluk Water Quality Monitoring Program Report 2021.
As very welcome piece of collaboration between the CCMA and the Wadawurrung it should be applauded. This is a great example of shared knowledge strengthening and empowering both organisations and it bodes well for managing the future of river's like the Moorabool.
A special recognition needs to go to Kristen Lees, Project Officer Regional Citizen Science at the Corangamite CMA who has been instrumental in driving the partnership.
The four sites that were monitored were:
Site 1 - Lal Lal Creek at Lal Lal Falls Picnic Ground
Site 2 - Moorabool River at Ford (Dolly Creek Rd bridge crossing)
Site 3 - CO_MOO023 Moorabool River at Sharps Road crossing She Oaks
Site 4 - CO_MOO045 Moorabool River at Lilydale House, Dog Rocks Rd, Batesford
A summary of the results concluded:
"• pH is consistent across all four sites with the majority of
results within the Excellent to Good range.
• The dissolved oxygen saturation was lowest at CO_LAL080
ranging from Degraded to Fair. This site does not receive
eWatering. The three sites that are influenced by eWater had
the majority of results ranging from Good to Excellent.
• Electrical conductivity was best at CO_MOO004 the
majority of results rating as Good, and poorest at
CO_LAL080 with the majority of results ranging from
Fair to Poor. Of the three sites that are influenced by eWater
Electrical conductivity results declined as we moved
downstream.
• Reactive phosphorus results were worst at CO_LAL080
rating from Fair to Poor.
• Turbidity results were consistently Good to Excellent across
all four sites. However, CO_MOO023 and CO_MOO045 did
have Poor condition ratings for the 26th of October 2021
and the 18th of June 2021.
• Aquatic macro-invertebrate ALT SIGNAL2 site scores
(number of creatures / SIGNAL2 score) in 2021 were varied
with CO_LAL080 having an ALT SIGNAL2 score of <4 rating
as 'Severe Pollution', CO_MOO004 having an ALT SIGNAL2
score of between 4 and 5 rates as 'Mild Pollution'. Moving
downstream CO_MOO023 had Autumn 2021 results rate as
'Moderate Pollution' and Spring 2021 being <4 rate as
'Severe Pollution' and CO_MOO045 Autumn 2021 results
rate as 'Severe Pollution' and Spring 2021 rates as
'Moderate Pollution'
It is the last observation which is the most confronting. While the low ALT Signal scores have flagged both Mild and Severe 'Pollution' these are instead more likely a reflection of poor flows something which so severely afflicts the Moorabool River.
There are obvious signs that the limited environmental water is having some impact on sites it reaches but the river desperately needs more.