Have your say on the Draft Lake Pertobe Integrated Water Management Plan.
Integrated water management is defined by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action as: "how the delivery of water, wastewater and stormwater services can contribute to water security, public and environmental health and urban amenity. It fundamentally shifts the way water, land use planning and urban development opportunities are understood and undertaken in Victoria."
Lake Pertobe holds significant potential for Integrated Water Management given the following characteristics:
- it receives significant volumes of stormwater;
- it provides natural treatment of stormwater prior to water flowing into the Merri River estuary;
- uses significant volumes of reticulated potable water for irrigation and toilet flushing;
- uses significant volumes of groundwater for irrigation and supplying park water features;
- it is prone to drainage and flooding issues; and
- it has current and potential tourism, recreation, environmental and cultural value.
The following opportunities have been outlined in this draft plan:
- water quality improvement;
- multi-benefit basin;
- lake links and levels;
- stormwater irrigation;
- education and value of water;
- water recreation;
- roof water to aquifer recharge; and
- catchment permeability and aquifer recharge.
The plan outlines the foreseen benefits, potential risks and further analysis needed for each of these opportunities.
The draft plan was developed by Council in collaboration with Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Authority, Wannon Water and Southern Rural Water.
Please send your comments on the draft plan to: green@warrnambool.vic.gov.au
Alternatively you can write to:
Sustainability Team
Warrnambool City Council
PO Box 198
Warrnambool VIC 3280