Moruya River
Community comment on the objectives

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Overview

For the Moruya River catchment a community discussion meeting attended by 40 people was held in Moruya, a meeting for Aboriginal people was held at Narooma (attended by representatives of many south coast Aboriginal communities) and several written submissions were received.

Water resource values and quality requirements

The catchment community supported all the proposed environmental values and the corresponding water-quality options contained in the discussion paper (EPA 1997). A healthy aquatic ecology (protection of aquatic ecosystems), safe swimming (primary contact recreation), water looking pleasant and clean (visual amenity), being able to drink the water after some treatment (drinking water supply), being able to irrigate (irrigation water supply), being able to use the water for household uses (homestead water supply) and for watering livestock (livestock water supply) were particularly significant uses within the catchment.

The comments received indicated a high level of community support for a healthy catchment with good quality water and sufficient flows-both from a resource point of view, and because of the feelings of attachment and well-being associated with knowing the catchment was healthy. People wanted unpolluted water, rehabilitated riparian zones, and a diversity of native animals, with their habitats protected. A broad range of environmental problems within the catchment was identified (see 'Major issues', below).

There was widespread recognition that achievement of the objectives would have some cost for the community, although most comments indicated that having a healthy catchment was worthwhile. Many people recognised that a healthy ecosystem was needed to support locally important industries (tourism, fishing, oyster-farming, recreation) and to enable people to continue with the lifestyle they have come to expect. A number of people strongly supported spreading the costs throughout the community, rather than targeting a particular sector, as they recognised that the community as a whole would benefit from achieving good water quality and a flow regime that protected both human and environmental health.

River flows

The responses to the discussion paper (EPA 1997) indicated that the community considered that the most important issue was protecting the estuary. There was also support for many of the other river flow objectives, including:

While there was overall support for the concept of improving river health, there were some criticisms of the discussion papers, which were felt to lack sufficient data on which to base decisions. Some people also questioned whether people had sufficient will to make the necessary decisions.

Major issues

The process of developing the objectives has identified major issues that were felt to need progressive action to achieve a healthy and viable Moruya River catchment (see the supporting information for the recommended objectives in Section 3):

The South Coast Water Management Committee has been established to develop a water management plan for the Clyde, Moruya, Tuross, Bega and Towamba catchments.

Existing programs

Some of the above issues already receive considerable attention and resources. Communities, through Landcare, Rivercare and other programs, are undertaking important on-the-ground projects. The NSW Government has established and funded programs such as Blue-Green Algae Management, Estuary Management Program, Floodplain Management Program, Wetlands Action, the Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program and the NSW Shellfish Quality Assurance Program. At the Commonwealth level, programs are being funded through Landcare and the Natural Heritage Trust.

Where management plans or programs such as these are already underway in the catchment, they should be acknowledged and, where possible, incorporated in water and estuary management plans.

This page was published 1 May 2006