Report Lake Mokoan Future Land Use Strategy 22 September 2006 Prepared for Department of Sustainability & Environment Contents Acknowledgements............................................................................ 2 PART I: INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT............................................... 3 1 Introduction ................................................................................. 4 2 Methodology............................................................................. 12 3 Policy Framework ..................................................................... 24 PART II: LAND USE PLAN ..................................................................... 28 4 Land Use Strategy ..................................................................... 29 5 The Land Use Plan ..................................................................... 39 PART III: STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION ...................................... 57 6 Introduction ............................................................................... 58 7 Strategy 1: Ecosystem Management...................................... 61 8 Strategy 2: Cultural Heritage.................................................... 71 9 Strategy 3: Tourism and Commercial Development ............. 76 10 Strategy 4: Primary Industry ..................................................... 81 11 Strategy 5: Recreation and Community Facilities ................. 86 12 Strategy 6: Land Ownership and Governance ...................... 90 13 Strategy 7: Research and Monitoring ..................................... 98 14 Strategy 8: Fire and Flood Management.............................. 105 15 Strategy 9: Infrastructure and Services ................................. 109 16 Strategy 10: Inlet and Outlet Channels................................. 115 17 Strategy 11: Planning.............................................................. 119 18 Strategy 12: Education and Enforcement............................. 124 19 Achieving the Vision............................................................... 128 Acknowledgements Name Organisation Responsibility Consultant Team The Lake Mokoan Future Land Use Strategy (FLUS) is being managed by the Greg Pollock Beca Project Director Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), with support from John Arup Arup Environmental & Project Manager Planning Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW)and the Goulburn Broken Catchment Lisa Arup Arup Environmental & Strategic and Statutory Planning, Planning Natural Resources & Environment, Management Authority (GBCMA). The Lake Mokoan Future Land Use Steering Social Planning & Community Building Committee (LMFLUSC) is assisting DSE with development of the FLUS. Beca Pty Jo Cannington Beca Strategic and Statutory Planning Ltd, and its consultant team, was appointed to prepare the FLUS on behalf of DSE Carl Viljoen Beca Cost Engineering David Papps Beca Hydrology, Engineering and and the LMFLUSC. Infrastructure Matt Elgin, Rob Horsley, Beca GIS Specialists Andrew Francis In the preparation of this Strategy, the following acknowledgments are made: Kevin Jackson Conceptz Strategic and Statutory Planning Geoff Carr Ecology Australia Natural Resources & Environment Project Sponsor/Client Lawrie Conole Ecology Australia Natural Resources & Environment Hon Minister John Thwaites Victorian State Government Minister for Water and overall project Nina Roberts Ecology Australia Natural Resources & Environment sponsor John Henshall Essential Economics Economics and Tourism Robyn McLeod Department of Sustainability Executive Director, Major Projects Marianne Støttrup Essential Economics Economics and Tourism and Environment Division Sophie Mackinnon Essential Economics Economics and Tourism Ross Davies Department of Sustainability Project Director Jo Bell Heritage Insight Heritage Assessment and Environment David Rhodes Heritage Insight Heritage Assessment Tony Long Department of Sustainability Project Manager and Environment NE Region LMFLUSC Bernie O’Kane Department of Sustainability Contract Liaison Officer Sally Simson LMFLUSC Chair & Local Landholder; and Environment Russell Ellis LMFLUSC Deputy Chair & Local Landholder Phil Stevenson Goulburn Broken Community Engagement Doug Bain LMFLUSC Local Landholder; Fire protection Catchment Management Authority Michael Burston LMFLUSC VFF Cr. John Brownstein LMFLUSC Benalla Rural City Council The Future Land Use Steering Committee, the consultants (Beca Pty Ltd.) and the Paul Dahlenburg LMFLUSC Local Landholder Huw Davies LMFLUSC Local Landholder Department of Sustainability and Environment thank all those people and Charles Jones LMFLUSC Benalla District Environment Group Cr. Lyn Tanner LMFLUSC Benalla Rural City Council organisations who have contributed in the development of the Strategy over the Wayne Tennant LMFLUSC GBCMA past 18 months. A special acknowledgement is made to the indigenous Kevin Ritchie LMFLUSC DSE – North East Region David Jeffery LMFLUSC G-MW community and their representative organisations, for their contribution to the Strategy, specifically: North East Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Program Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative Ltd. Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation Bangerang Cultural Centre Co-operative Ltd Taungurong Clans Aboriginal Corporation Mungabareena Clans Aboriginal Corporation Cover photo: Taken with permission from Doug Bain’s property, Feb 2006 22 September 2006 Page 2 Report Part I Introduction and Context 1 Introduction The Lake Mokoan project is part of a $60m integrated program of water savings being undertaken by the Victorian Government and Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW). The program will enhance the efficiency of irrigation infrastructure and generate environmental flows for the State’s rivers. As part of this program, Lake Mokoan will be decommissioned. At the core of the project are three “infrastructure” measures: Decommissioning of the storage (2-3 years from now); Restoration of the study area; Provision of an alternative water supply for irrigators. In the decommissioning phase, the lake will no longer be filled via the inlet channel and the lake water levels will gradually recede, a portion of the dam wall removed, outlet gates fixed open, weirs and other control structures removed. The Lake Mokoan Future Land Use Strategy (FLUS) will address and deliver: Photo 1: Lake Mokoan Planning for the restoration of wetlands within the study area; Planning for the balance of the (dry) land and interface areas; and Planning for the inlet and outlet channel. The outcomes need to be ecologically sustainable, technically feasible and cost effective to establish and maintain. The emphasis is on achievable and affordable outcomes that meet community aspirations and can be managed and sustained at the regional level. As a separate exercise, G-MW is undertaking the studies designed to meet the needs of irrigators currently using Lake Mokoan. The focus of this strategy is on land use outcomes specifically associated with the ‘Lake area’ and the inlet and outlet channels. 22 September 2006 Page 4 Photo 2: View of Lake Mokoan from Bain Farm Photo 3: Outlet Channel Photo 4: Inlet Channel 22 September 2006 Page 5 1.3 Background 1.1 Document Overview Lake Mokoan is an off-river storage in the Broken River valley near Benalla. This document is structured in three parts, and is also supported by a series It was formed by the construction of an embankment (approximately 7.5 km of technical papers, including background reporting, plus working long and averaging about 6m high) to inundate a series of wetlands, the documentation which records the process followed to prepare the FLUS. largest being Winton and Green Swamps. The creation of the storage also This documentation is available on the web site (www.lakemokoan.com). inundated Ashmeads, Taminick, Lindsay's, Humphries, Saddlers and Black The three parts of the document are as follows: Swamps. Part I: Introduction and Context – this section provides an overview Lake Mokoan, together with Lake Nillahcootie, which is on the Broken of the project objectives, guiding principles and key policy framework River upstream of Benalla, was constructed in the late 1960s. The prime that affects the project. This section also provides a summary of the function for Lake Mokoan was to be operated in conjunction with Lake steps followed in the preparation of this report, and identifies the Eildon and Lake Nillahcootie to regulate the flow of the Broken River to remaining steps to finalise the report. meet stock, domestic and urban requirements throughout the Broken River valley. When at full storage level, Lake Mokoan has the capacity of Part II: The Future Land Use Plan – this section articulates the 365,000ML, a surface area of around 7,880 ha and a maximum depth of vision for the future of the study area. This includes a detailed 7.3m. Due to the relatively small local catchment area (330 km²), it was description of how the future environment is expected to evolve, required to have an inlet channel (2400ML/d capacity) from the Broken including the nature of restoration activities on the site, as well as a River. Lake Nillahcootie has a capacity of 40,200ML. An outlet channel, range of added value investment that may occur in the future, such as constructed along Stockyard Creek, following the natural drainage line, for tourism opportunities. This section describes the primary, secondary conveys water back to the Broken River above Casey's Weir. and tertiary land uses proposed for the future,