Ballarat City Integrated Water Management Plan
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Central Highlands Water, City of Ballarat, Corangamite CMA Ballarat City Integrated Water Management Plan Final report February 2018 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - i This document has been prepared solely for the benefit of Central Highlands Water, City of Ballarat and Corangamite CMA and is issued in confidence for the purposes only for which it is supplied. Unauthorised use of this document in any form whatsoever is prohibited. No liability is accepted by e2designlab or any employee, contractor, or sub-consultant of this company with respect to its use by any other person. This disclaimer shall apply notwithstanding that the document may be made available to other persons for an application for permission or approval to fulfil a legal obligation. Document Control Sheet Report Title Ballarat City Integrated Water Management Plan Version FINAL REPORT Celeste Morgan and Dale Browne (E2Designlab), Matt Shanahan and Author(s) Kym Whiteoak (RMCG), Esther Kay (ELM) Approved by Peter Breen Signed Date 16 February 2018 Distribution Stakeholders Ballarat City Integrated Water Management Plan Final Report 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CONTENTS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Executive Summary................................................................................ 5 1. Local Context, Key Drivers and IWM Objectives ............................ 13 1.1 IWM Context and Key Drivers 14 1.2 IWM Plan Purpose and Objectives 18 2. Preliminary Assessment and Shortlisting ....................................... 23 2.1 Base case definition and water balance 23 2.2 Existing developer requirements 29 2.3 Project identification 31 2.4 Preliminary assessment 31 3. IWM Project Shortlisting and Portfolio Assembly ........................... 33 3.1 Portfolio Assembly 33 4. Portfolio Evaluation ........................................................................ 45 4.1 Evaluation Process 45 4.2 Summary of estimated project costs 51 4.3 Economic assessment of costs and benefits 52 4.4 Scored Assessment of Benefits 56 4.5 Dual assessment 58 4.6 Exploration of Uncertainties 60 5. Recommendations and Implementation Plan ................................. 68 5.1 Overarching partnerships to support delivery of IWM projects 68 5.2 Recommended projects for delivery 71 5.3 Targeted Moves 72 5.4 Planning for Growth 84 5.5 Strategic Investigations and Options 98 Bibliography ....................................................................................... 107 Ballarat City Integrated Water Management Plan Final Report 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Appendices Contents - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Appendix A: Background Analysis of Ballarat’s Urban Water Cycle Appendix B: Stakeholder Workshops Appendix C: Preliminary Assessment Appendix D: Portfolio and Project Explanations Appendix E: IWM Project Design Assumptions Appendix F: Summary of Project Costs and Benefits Appendix G: Economic Analysis Appendix H: Planning Background Analysis Ballarat City Integrated Water Management Plan Final Report 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Executive Summary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Introduction The Ballarat City Integrated Water Management (IWM) Plan (the plan) explores and sets out recommendations for future water management in the City of Ballarat. The plan will deliver on broader liveability and community benefits by considering the whole urban water cycle, including management of stormwater, wastewater, water supplies (surface water and groundwater) and waterways. The plan aligns with the Victorian Water Plan (Water for Victoria) in considering: 1. Diverse water sources to achieve water security 2. Strategic investments in wastewater 3. Better stormwater management for a healthy and resilient urban environment 4. Partnerships across government to support health and resilient urban landscapes 5. How local planning can help deliver integrated water management 6. The role of water use efficiency in integrated water management 7. Regional waterway health priorities Water is a crucial component of a successful community. For the inland cities of Australia, water security is an ever-increasing issue. The millennium drought not only brought about a range of water conservation initiatives, it also highlighted important water related liveability issues that simply can’t be realised through water conservation alone. This plan builds on a range of previous studies and initiatives. Ballarat and Region’s Water Future: A whole of water cycle management framework (2014) based on extensive stakeholder engagement sets the scene for addressing water management issues while also addressing water related outcomes such as liveability. Central Highlands Water’s Urban Water Strategy (2017) highlights that Ballarat is well positioned with a highly secure and reliable water supply system. This plan complements the Urban Water Strategy by taking advantage of water cycle synergies while optimising community benefits and liveability opportunities. Ballarat City Integrated Water Management Plan Final Report 5 The Ballarat Context In the past, Ballarat has been a leader in regional Victoria with the adoption of a range of IWM solutions including recycled water, groundwater and stormwater harvesting schemes across the city. In particular, IWM solutions for Lake Wendouree are seen as a leading Victorian case study. In the future, Ballarat faces a range of water cycle challenges. These include: • A growing population – with the number of dwellings in Ballarat City expected to increase by 150% in the next 50 years. • A changing economy – with a growing service, education and tourism industry, the creation of a green, attractive, and liveable town is a community priority. • A changing climate – with the effects of drought and flooding already being experienced. • A regional and interconnected water system – with rural and urban water cycles interacting there will be a significant increase in urban stormwater runoff and available wastewater. Vision and Objectives Building on collaborations formed in the Ballarat Region’s Water Future study, this plan was developed by major project partners Central Highlands Water (CHW), City of Ballarat (CoB) and Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CCMA) with the support of the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP). The project benefited from a Technical Support Group consisting of technical experts from the major project partners along with Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority (GHCMA) and Southern Rural Water (SRW). Stakeholder input from land developers, local committees, educational institutions, volunteer groups and large water users played a significant role in shaping the plan. Previous work in the region resulted in the creation of a vision document for Ballarat: The Ballarat and Region’s Water Future (2014), which outlined a community vision and key objectives for IWM in Ballarat. The vision was carried through for this IWM plan and the key objectives were the basis for the development of eight guiding objectives. The intention of this plan is to add detail and direction to the overall vision. IWM Plan Vision: “A greener, more liveable and prosperous water future for the city and towns of the Ballarat region” Ballarat City Integrated Water Management Plan Final Report 6 The eight guiding IWM objectives are to: 1. Support river health priorities and mitigate flooding risks 2. Optimise the use of local water sources 3. Maintain and influence water efficiency 4. Support a safe and secure urban water supply and demand future 5. Generate improved liveability outcomes, recreational opportunities and increase green infrastructure 6. Support a sustainable and productive economy 7. Deliver strategic direction to enhance IWM outcomes within land use planning 8. Develop a plan that reflects community and stakeholder values and outlines clear implementation pathways For ease of summary analysis, these objectives were grouped into four integrated water management themes (Figure 1): Figure 1. Four integrated water management themes Ballarat City Integrated Water Management Plan Final Report 7 Methodology Given the broad-reaching scope of the plan, its development has been a collaborative five-step process (Figure 2): Figure 2. Five stages of the IWM Plan development Specific tasks included: • Background data, confirmation of drivers and objectives • Stakeholder workshop to confirm objectives and identify opportunities • Preliminary option assessment • Short listing of options and portfolio assembly • Monetary and non-monetary evaluation of shortlisted options • Stakeholder workshop to confirm direction and consider capacity challenges • Draft plan preparation • Community feedback and plan finalisation Scope The plan has a 50-year horizon and sets out recommendations to be delivered in the short,