J~ __.,....+"' . ' VICTORIA Report of the SOIL CONSERVATION AUTHORITY for the Year ended 30 June 1981 Ordered by the Legislative Assembly to be printed MELBOURNE F D ATKINSON GOVERNMENT PRINTER 1982 :>lo. 7 420311B2-2151F1) Cover and above: A reminder of what could happen when soil conservation measures are not implemented. During the 1930s, high winds caused millions of tonnes of soil to blow away in the Mallee region. In some areas, two metres of soil vanished exposing tree roots. 2 SOIL CONSERVATION AUTHORITY 378 Cotham Road, Kew, Victoria, 3101 The Honourable Vasey Houghton, MLC. 30 October 1981 Minister for Conservation. Dear Mr. Houghton, In accordance with the provisions of the Soil Conservation and Land Utilization Act 1958 No. 6372, the Soil Conservation Authority submits to you for presentation to Parliament its Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1981. The Authority wishes to express its appreciation for the continued co-operation and assistance of Government departments and State instrumentalities, municipal councils and landholders. Yours sincerely, A. MITCHELL, M.Agr.Sc., D.D.A., Chairman / J.S. GILMORE J.P., Acting Deputy Chairman J.F. ALLINSON, Dip.Ag., M.Env.Sci., Acting Member 3 AIMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Soil Conservation Authority is a public • To ensure correct land use in water supply statutory body established in 1950 and operates catchments, with the object of protecting water under the Soil Conservation and Land Utilization quality and maintaining sustained yield. Act 1958 and associated legislation. • To provide a service to landholders which will Three members, appointed by the Governor-in­ ensure the efficient utilisation of "on-farm" Council, manage the Authority's overall activities. water resources in areas outside designated The Authority reports to Parliament through the irrigation areas. Minister for Conservation. • To promote community awareness of the need The principal objective of the Authority is to for soil conservation. achieve the adoption of soil-conserving land use • To provide advice and co-ordinate the policies practices by all land users in the State. and activities of government departments and Specific aims are: public authorities on the alienation, occupation, care and use of Crown lands to ensure that soil • To achieve correct systems of land use and erosion does not occur. management on all !and in the State so there is • To control shallow extraction of soil, sand and neither loss of soil nor its fertility. gravel to ensure soil protection during and after • To control erosion and reclaim eroded land. extraction. CONTENTS AIMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 4 STRUCTURE OF THE AUTHORITY 5 MEMBERS OF THE AUTHORITY 6 THE YEAR IN BRIEF 8 EROSION PREVENTION 10 EROSION CONTROL AND RECLAMATION 14 PROTECTING WATER SUPPLY CATCHMENTS 20 IMPROVEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES ON FARMS 22 PROMOTING COMMUNITY AWARENESS 23 CO-ORDINATION OF SOIL CONSERVATION IN GOVERNMENT 26 CONTROL OF SHALLOW SOIL AND GRAVEL EXTRACTION 27 INVESTIGATION=s-- 28 LANDHOLDER PARTIC'-=IP-'A-=TI""'O-,-N...,IN,...,.-SOIL CONSERVATION 32 ADMINISTRATION""----- -~--~ fi'NANCE 35 APPENDICES 39 REGIONS AND DISTRICTS 51 ~~~~~--~-----------~-------- 4 STRUCTURE OF THE AUTHORITY AUTHORITY DISTRICT Chairman ADVISORY -- Deputy Chairman COMMITTEES Member i SECRETARY CATCHMENT FIELD RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS & LAND ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS INVESTIGATIONS & INFORMATION CAPABILITY DIVISION DIVISION DIVISION SECTION DIVISION I J t I J Personnel I Publications I Office services Publicity Budget Media contact I Stores Displays & field days Land Catchment Technical library Photographic services Capability l' Investigation REGIONS Public relations ~ Special South land & Joint Central Mallee Northern Eastern Studies Hydrology ' Projects I ~ """"""' '1!111111111111 ~ ·~ - Alpine & North J Coastal Barwon Glenelg Eastern laboratory Agronomy I Economics I a-ordination I I "] J I ,.. I - - - Farm water supply service .1 Soil conservation land use & management Erosion control and reclamation Extractive industries Catchment management Extension & advisory services 5 MEMBERS OF THE AUTHORITY Chairman Mr. Gilmore represents the Authority on the A. MITCHELL Victorian Irrigation Services Advisory Committee M.Agr.Sc , D.DA, MA JAS. and the Natural Resources Conservation League. He has the responsibility of liaison with the 23 Mr. Mitchell has been Chairman of the Authority statutorily-appointed District Advisory Committees, since 1973. He is Deputy Chairman of the Land which represent clients of the Authority, and is Conservation Council, Member of the Chairman of the Bogong High Plains District Environment Protection Council (appointed Advisory Committee. He supervises grants and Chairman on 11 November 1980), Member of the loans made to landholders for soil and water State Co-ordination Council, and Member of the conservation, and grants to organisations for Commonwealth/States Standing Committee on erosion control on foreshores and Crown land. Soil Conservation (currently its Chairman). During Farm water supply services are a further the period 9 to 16 September 1980, Mr. Mitchell responsibility. was appointed Acting Member of the Environment Acting Member Protection Authority during the absence overseas of the Deputy Chairman, Mr. Alder. He is J.F. ALLINSON Chairman of the Thomson Stage Ill Water Supply M.Env.Sc., D.DA Catchment Committee and Convenor of the North Mr. Allinson, formerly Chief Conservation Officer, East Alpine Areas Working Group. was appointed Acting Member on 16 February Acting Deputy Chairman 1981. His responsibilities include oversight of soil conservation and erosion control programs, land J.S. GILMORE capability investigations and extractive activity J.P. controls. He represents the Authority on the Flood Mr. Gilmore, Member, was appointed Acting Plain and River Management Committee of the Deputy Chairman on the granting of leave of River Murray Commission. absence on 16 February 1981 to Mr. D.N. Cahill to undertake a soil conservation assignment of one year for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in the Ganges Basin of India. A meeting of the Authority. From left: David Aughterson (Secretary), Jim Allinson (Acting Member), Alex. Mitchell (Chairman) and Jack Gilmore (Acting Deputy Chairman). 6 Acting Chief Soil Conservationist STANDING COMMITTEE ON SOIL HA ALLEN CONSERVATION D.D.A., M.A.T.A. The 44th meeting of the Standing Committee on Principal Research Officer Soil Conservation was held in Melbourne between 29 September and 3 October 1980. This included F.R. GIBBONS inspection of soil conservation problems and B.Sc. activities in the Western District of Victoria. The Chief, Catchment and Land Capability main items considered were the proposed National Division Soil Conservation Program and recommendations arising from the sub-committees and working R.M. JOY parties of the Standing Committee. BA (Hons), M.Sc., M.Env.Sc., Dip.Ed. By invitation, Mr. Mitchell attended a meeting of Secretary the Standing Committee on Agriculture in Hobart D.M. AUGHTERSON on 5 February 1981, when the resolutions of the Standing Committee on Soil Conservation were considered. The Authority expresses its deep appreciation for the dedicated and loyal service of its staff. lt also sends its thanks to Government Departments. State The Chairman. Alex. Mitchell. plants a red gum at lnstrumentalities and Local Government for their co­ Points Reserve. Coleraine. to commemorate the v!sit operation and support throughout the year. by the Standing Committee on Soil Conservation to the Glenelg Catchment on 29 September 1980. 7 THE YEAR IN BRIEF The Authority's major achievements during 1980/81 were: • Group Projects: One hundred and two group projects involving 2, 778 landholders and covering 7,892 Km 2 throughout Victoria are in various stages of completion. • Farm Water Supply A total of 843 dams, 273 Km of pipeline and 338 ha of irrigation layout were surveyed and designed to improve water resources on farms. Soils from over 150 sites were tested for suitability for dam construction. • Financial Assistance One hundred and sixty-four landholders were paid grants totalling $87,678 to complete erosion control works. Forty-two loans for soil and water conservation totalling $317,600 were approved. • Advisory Visits A total of 10,965 field inspections were made for the purpose of providing advice on erosion prevention and control in water supply catchments and in public and freehold land. • Puckapunyal Army As part of a five-year program, $946,000 provided by the Commonwealth Range Government was spent on the treatment of 2,800 ha of the 20,000 ha extension to the Puckapunyal armoured vehicle range where the Authority is the prime contractor. • Dryland Salting Continuing studies of non-irrigated grazing and cropland showed that approximately 90,000 ha was saline and about 60,000 ha scalded resulting in an annual production loss in the order of $3 million. An assessment of the present and projected public and private costs of dryland salting funded by the Australian Water Resources Council, is in progress. • Coastal erosion Forty grants totalling $141,000 were made to foreshore Committees of Management to assist with the control of coastal erosion. • Land Capability and Twenty-one planning authorities were provided with maps and information on Erosion Risk Studies the capability of land to sustain particular uses without the occurrence of significant degradation. This information is being used by authorities as a basis for planning