Barwon Downs: Boundary Creek and Big Swamp

Boundary Creek Big Swamp and surrounding Environment Remediation and Environmental Protection Plan

In September 2018, Southern Rural Water as delegate for the Minister for Water issued a Section 78 Ministerial Notice (s78). The legally enforceable Notice required the development and implementation of a remediation and environmental protection plan (Remediation Plan) for Boundary Creek, Big Swamp and surrounding environments impacted by past groundwater pumping.

On 28 February 2020, the plan was accepted by Southern Rural Water and since March 2020, Barwon Water has progressed the implementation of the plan including the preparation and submission of quarterly and annual reports to Southern Rural Water.

Southern Rural Water is responsible for regulating the actions with the Remediation Plan.  To support us we engage with the community via a Community Leaders Group and receive independent expert advice from an Independent Technical Review Panel.

All documentation including the Remediation Plan and supporting documents, quarterly and annual reports, technical reports and historic reports, can be found at Barwon Water’s community engagement microsite Barwon Water Boundary Creek.

 

Community Leaders Group

Southern Rural Water has a regulatory role in ensuring Barwon Waters compliance with respect to the requirements of the Section 78 Ministerial Notice Notice (s78). 

The role of the Community Leaders Group (CLG) is to provide Southern Rural Water with local knowledge and community insight to support the s78 process and ongoing management of the resources. 

The CLG is guided by an Independent Chair, Shaun Cox and comprised mainly of local landowners as well as the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority and local government.

Southern Rural Water will seek input from the CLG to:

• understand the community perspective and how that has been addressed through the deliverables submitted by Barwon Water; and
• inform feedback and amendments required to the deliverables.

Southern Rural Water  meets with the CLG at least twice a year and at all key decision making points.

 

About the Independent Technical Review Panel 

The role of the panel is to provide independent expert technical advice to Southern Rural Water to support the assessment of the implementation of the Remediation Plan.

This panel is comprised of experts from relevant fields including hydrogeology, hydrological modelling, geology, geochemistry, ecology.  The panel has recently expanded to include an ecologist, Lance Lloyd. This decision was informed by valuable feedback from the CLG members.

 

The members of the ITRP are:

• Associate Professor Peter Dahlhaus
• Hugh Middlemis
• Dr David Jones
• Lance Lloyd

Former member

• Dr Jeff Taylor