Volumes of water Different volumes of water are referred to in this document. Volumes of water are measured in litres. One Litre 1 litre 1 litre 1 L One thousand litres 1,000 litres 1 kilolitre 1 KL One million litres 1,000,000 litres 1 megalitre 1 ML One billion litres 1,000,000,000 litres 1 gigalitre 1 GL Published by the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, November 2011. © The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment 2011 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne. Print managed by Finsbury Green Printed on recycled paper ISBN 978-1-74287-318-3 (print) ISBN 978-1-74287-319-0 (online) For more information contact the DSE Customer Service Centre 136 186. Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Accessibility If you would like to receive this publication in an accessible format, such as large print or audio, please telephone 136 186, or email [email protected] Deaf, hearing impared or speech impaired? Call us via the National Relay Service on 133 677 or visit www.relayservice.com.au This document is also available in PDF format on the internet at www.water.vic.gov.au/programs/ sws/western Cover images Clockwise: South Mokanger, Cavendish (Southern Grampians Shire Council), Windmill (Michael Jensz), Moonlight Head, Great Ocean Road (Tourism Victoria), Hamilton (Southern Grampians Shire Council). Table of contents Foreword 4 Chapter 6: The Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline and the Wimmera-Glenelg system 144 Executive summary 5 6.1 The Wimmera-Mallee supply system 146 Strategy at a glance 14 6.2 Providing increased certainty to water users and the environment 148 Chapter 1: What is the Western Region Sustainable Water Strategy? 16 6.3 Promoting the sustainable use of the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline 151 1.1 The Western Region Sustainable Water Strategy – vision and guiding principles 18 6.4 Maximising benefits for the environment 155 1.2 Role of regional sustainable water strategies 19 6.5 Water for recreation and other social values 160 1.3 The Western Region 20 Chapter 7: The Otways 164 1.4 Development of the Strategy 22 7.1 Water availability and use 166 1.5 Implementation of the Strategy 25 7.2 Promoting sustainable use of water 171 • Reference Guide 1: Water Entitlements 26 7.3 Protecting waterways, aquifers, wetlands and estuaries 179 • Reference Guide 2: Water Resource Management 28 Chapter 8: The South-west Coast 184 Chapter 2: The Western Region’s water resources, now and in the future 30 8.1 Water availability and use 186 2.1 Overview of the region’s water resources 32 8.2 Promoting sustainable use of water 190 2.2 Drought, climate variability and risk 39 8.3 Protecting waterways, aquifers, wetlands and estuaries 199 2.3 Other pressures on water resources 49 Chapter 9: The Western District 202 Chapter 3: Promoting sustainable water management 52 9.1 Water availability and use 204 3.1 Providing increased certainty for water users and the environment 54 9.2 Promoting sustainable use of water 208 3.2 Promoting the sustainable use of the region’s water resources 66 9.3 Protecting waterways, aquifers and wetlands 213 3.3 Improving water supply reliability 83 Chapter 10: The North-west sub-region 220 3.4 Protecting and improving the environmental values and health of the region’s waterways, 10.1 Water availability and use 222 89 aquifers, wetlands and estuaries 10.2 Promoting sustainable use of water 230 3.5 Considering the views of the region’s Traditional Owners when managing water 100 10.3 Protecting the waterways, aquifers and wetlands 235 Chapter 4: Making the best use of the region’s groundwater resources 102 10.4 Interstate water sharing arrangements 237 4.1 An improved approach to managing groundwater 104 Chapter 11: Delivering the strategy 240 4.2 Providing certainty through transparent, cost effective and adaptive local management 107 11.1 Implementation responsibilities 242 4.3 Promoting the sustainable development of the region’s groundwater resources 113 11.2 Reviewing the Strategy 243 4.4 Protecting the health of groundwater resources for current and future users, and the 118 environment 11.3 Community involvement in water resource planning 243 Chapter 5: Managing adverse water resource impacts from land use 128 Further information 246 5.1 A State-wide approach 130 End Notes 247 5.2 Estimating water use 131 Glossary 249 5.3 Declaring intensive management areas 134 Appendix 1: Independent Panel report on public submissions to the Draft Strategy 256 5.4 Managing declared areas 134 Appendix 2: Surface water and groundwater availability and use 264 5.5 Other land use changes that increase water use 139 Appendix 3: Key influences on Victoria’s climate 272 5.6 Areas that could be declared 141 Appendix 4: Summary of urban water supply-demand strategies 276 5.7 Other jurisdictions 142 Appendix 5: Regional strategies for healthy rivers and wetlands 284 Index of policies and actions 288 2 Western Region Sustainable Water Strategy Western Region Sustainable Water Strategy 3 Consultative Committee Executive summary Chair’s foreword The Western Region Sustainable Water Managing the region’s water resources Strategy identifies potential challenges for water management and opportunities to secure water into the future The Western Region is large and diverse. We resources for the next 50 years. It outlines policies make up a third of the State, from the Otway and actions to ensure sustainable water supply This Strategy considers: Ranges to the southern Mallee. Our water and management over that period. • pressures and risks to water availability resources, and the way they are used, are just (Part One); as diverse. Those resources support remarkable Consultation with regional water managers and • policies and actions to give water users, the community helped to develop the policies water corporations, environmental managers environmental diversity and values in the region’s I met many people throughout the region during and actions in this Strategy. The Consultative and communities the information and tools rivers, creeks, wetlands and estuaries. the development of the Strategy, and I thank Committee received 272 written submissions they need to respond to changes in water them for their contributions. I heard their concern about the Draft Strategy, which was released availability (Part Two); and Communities across the Western Region suffered about pressures on water resources in different for comment in March 2010. These comments • how these policies and actions will be applied through the long dry years from 1997 to 2009 that parts of the region as well as the invaluable helped develop policies and actions to: in the four sub-regions (Part Three): affected the whole region but were felt the hardest knowledge they have about those resources. I • ensure secure supplies for towns and - Otways; further inland. These dry times were followed also saw their desire to mange water well – to industry; - South-west Coast; by the floods in 2010 and early 2011 – some of make the smartest use of it while protecting the • encourage economically viable and - Western District; and the biggest on record. Our farmers, industries, environment too. townships and the environment bore real hardship sustainable agriculture; - North-west. and stress during those years. However, they • support tourism, recreation and other social The Consultative Committee guiding the values; and have bounced back. The rain brought damaging development of the Strategy sought to floods, but it refreshed the region’s rivers and • protect and improve the health of rivers, Figure E.1 The Western Region address these important concerns using that wetlands, estuaries and aquifers. wetlands and eased the strain on farmers, towns local knowledge. We went through the 272 and communities. submissions in detail and listened to people in public forums and other meetings to get a The Western Region The Western Region Sustainable Water Strategy broader perspective about water in the region. was prepared with these experiences in mind. The Western Region covers about one-third Water is vitally important for our region. As a Many people contributed to this Strategy. In of the State extending from Colac and Lorne community, we work together to be better at particular, I want to thank the Consultative in the south-east to Ouyen in the north-west managing and protecting our water resources, Committee for their positive approach to the (Figure E.1). It has a diverse range of landscapes, and this Strategy is an important part of our task and for their persistence though the climates, water resources and communities efforts. many meetings where they contributed so fully including the Otway Ranges with relatively reliable and frankly to the robust debate about these rainfall, the wet coastal fringe, the temperate The policies and actions in the Strategy will important issues. western district and the semi-arid north-west. It support resilient communities, strong industries includes the towns of Horsham, Stawell, Ararat, and a healthy environment in the region over the We sought to balance the security of supply for Hamilton, Warrnambool and Camperdown. The next 50 years. They will ensure our region makes urban and rural users, environmental needs and region contains the Avoca, Wimmera-Avon, the most of its water resources and support the protection of water resources for future use.