Water Strategies Review

About

On 21 January 2016 Council resolved:

" that Council staff brings a report to a future Council meeting with recommendations for the establishment of a community reference group to participate in the development and monitoring of Council's demand management and water efficiency initiatives and provide input to Council decisions concerning water security for the Shire."

To address Council's resolution it was proposed that Council:

1. Reviews the present Demand Management Strategy and Implementation Plan in the context of the demand reduction achieved to determine the efficacy of the Strategy and Implementation Plan (what has been done, what worked - what did not work and at what cost).

2. Reviews the present Demand Forecasts to determine the assumptions made about the reduction in demand (what has been assumed in the continued reduction in demand and is it realistic).

3. Establishes a Community Reference Group to review the assessment of the Demand Management Strategy and Implementation Plan.

4. Through the Community Reference Group, identifies additional demand management measures to be considered in updating/revising the Demand Management Strategy and Implementation Plan.

5. Analyses proposed demand management measures in terms of cost and achievability and provide the analysis to the Community Reference Group.

6. Through the Community Reference Group's consideration of the analysis, identifies additional demand management and water efficiency measures to be recommended to Council.

7. Through the Community Reference Group, identifies criteria by which the efficacy of the demand management measures can be assessed.

8. Undertakes regular reporting on performance against the criteria.

About

On 21 January 2016 Council resolved:

" that Council staff brings a report to a future Council meeting with recommendations for the establishment of a community reference group to participate in the development and monitoring of Council's demand management and water efficiency initiatives and provide input to Council decisions concerning water security for the Shire."

To address Council's resolution it was proposed that Council:

1. Reviews the present Demand Management Strategy and Implementation Plan in the context of the demand reduction achieved to determine the efficacy of the Strategy and Implementation Plan (what has been done, what worked - what did not work and at what cost).

2. Reviews the present Demand Forecasts to determine the assumptions made about the reduction in demand (what has been assumed in the continued reduction in demand and is it realistic).

3. Establishes a Community Reference Group to review the assessment of the Demand Management Strategy and Implementation Plan.

4. Through the Community Reference Group, identifies additional demand management measures to be considered in updating/revising the Demand Management Strategy and Implementation Plan.

5. Analyses proposed demand management measures in terms of cost and achievability and provide the analysis to the Community Reference Group.

6. Through the Community Reference Group's consideration of the analysis, identifies additional demand management and water efficiency measures to be recommended to Council.

7. Through the Community Reference Group, identifies criteria by which the efficacy of the demand management measures can be assessed.

8. Undertakes regular reporting on performance against the criteria.

Guest Book

From: Katie Milne
Sent: Wednesday, 30 October 2019 10:33 PM
Subject: Re: Meeting 8_30 Oct 2019_ for Water Strategies Review PRG

Hi all,

I found an article about the quote I referred to tonight re the potential of regenerative agriculture doubling the amount of water in the landscape. (about 3/4 of the way down in the article)

https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/current-affairs/the-headline-that-highlighted-the-revolution-australia-missed-out-on/news-story/70cada1389974c193689773c7b717287

In the full Q&A program (from the Monday before last) Julian Cribbs refers to this advice from Major General Michael Jeffery who is the Government’s National Soils Advocate working with the Soils for Life organisation.

I spoke the CEO of the Soils for Life organisation today and he is looking into providing us with some relevant research and advice for Tweed in this regard. I will forward any info I receive.

I hope that our consultants can give this issue of regenerative landscape management full consideration as it seems there could be multiple benefits not only for water supply and drought management, but biodiversity and flood mitigation, as well as the economic benefits for our farmers.

Warm regards,

Katie Milne

Mayor of Tweed Shire

Response from Pryce Allsop in relation to the link below on potential of regenerative agriculture doubling the amount of water in the landscape.

https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/current-affairs/the-headline-that-highlighted-the-revolution-australia-missed-out-on/news-story/70cada1389974c193689773c7b717287

There is no doubt that there are ways to curb and redirect our current course of agricultural performance. It will cost from the onset and can become highly profitable long term in production of environmental outcomes that bring solutions and create long term benefits.

We need to be exploring opportunities, as we look at the problems individually we may miss the big opportunity of seeing the amalgamation of problems, the overall view, our need is to be looked at on a macro level, a proactive approach is required. In Australia we discard a really very valuable resource, our waste it sent to sea it gigalitres.

Every state of Australia is removing rainfall by virtue of produce we have consumed, we take it from the lands, we mulch it through our human consumption, we treat it and then send the remnants out to sea. This waste surely needs to go back into the ground to maintain the cycle and improve the land. We waste vast amounts of water, we do not utilities the harvesting potential.

It seems to me that the current model of the harvest inevitably leaves a depleted level of opportunities for regrowth and then photosynthesis to occur and to contribute to the longevity. With the current situation it seems to me that it is inevitable that we are contributing to the continuation and further desertification.

Rain isn’t magic, it is though affected by the source of supply through evaporation and It seems more evident now that we are being plagued by numerous droughts. There is a noticeable failure in our interference of the cycle. Rain falls may be very random where they release and make landfall but it’s our contribution and cooperation that are required. Contributing by working lands and planting resources that will be valuable in time to come, creating and being part of evolving system should be our goals short and long term. We need to evolve beyond our limited understanding. Spending too much time talking and not enough time realising the fails that exist and exploring the opportunities and seizing and utilising.

Regards Pryce Allsop

You need to be signed in to comment in this Guest Book. Click here to Sign In or Register to get involved

Is there really any point in debating anything with this council? It appears there may be a faction who vote for what THEY want regardless of any relevant and requested community input (tick the box for community consultation, but put submissions in the ‘no further action box????). I’m starting to wonder (a) how many supporters of this regime actually pay rates and (b) how many actually work for a living rather than bludge off the tax payer. It’s really easy to be “green” if you don’t actually work for a living and don’t really have to consider sustaining a living. To say I’ve found this council disappointing is an understatement. In any decent Organisation there is BALANCE and frankly it’s hard to see any. To think I was excited to move to an area with a “green” council, stupid, stupid me.

Meg.h over 4 years ago

Page last updated: 10 May 2021, 01:49 PM