Water Course Buffers -A Step Nearer!
The Society, in conjunction with RAID (Residents Against Inappropriate Development),
has been lobbying Blue Mountains City Council to implement
a system of buffers around watercourses in its Local Environment
Plans (LEPs). The buffers would help to reduce siltation and improve
water quality.
The campaign received a big boost when Commissioner
Carleton, in his report on BMCC's Draft LEP 1997, made watercourse
buffers his first recommendation.
In response to lobbying
from the society and RAID, the Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management
Trust has formally taken on board a project to produce a scientifically
based report on buffers. This report will also cover the planning
implications arising from watercourse buffer implementation.
The Trust is the logical body to manage this project - water quality is their major priority,
they have access to technical expertise, and they have twenty-eight
Local Councils in the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment. The intention
is to achieve implementation of watercourse buffers in the BMCC
area, then progressively focus on the remaining Local Councils
in the catchment.
The preliminary budget for the research and report production is around $30,000. At its
19/6/99 meeting, our Management Committee approved a $2,000 contribution
from the Society's Public Gift Fund. The Trust and the Blue Mountains
Catchment Management Committee have committed a total of $7000.
Funding is also being sought from the Urban Runoff Programme administered
by Mr Debus.
The project will be run by a steering committee comprising representatives from seven
stakeholders - Blue Mountains City Council, Hawkesbury-Nepean
Catchment Management Trust, Blue Mountains Catchment Management
Committee, Blue Mountains Conservation Society, Dept Land and
Water Conservation, Environmental Protection Authority and National
Parks and Wildlife Service.
We are looking forward to working with these key organisations to help the Blue Mountains
Environment.