Yass Valley

Issue: Resource Use

This issue is discussed for these areas: [an error occurred while processing this directive]

In the 2004 Regional State of the Environment Report (RSoER) two issues papers covered community wellbeing and resource use for each Council. Previous ’Community Wellbeing‘ indicators have not been reported on in this RSoER following a decision by the Regional State of the Environment Reporting workshop in July 2007 as these indicators are now covered in the Council’s Social Plan.

Under the requirements of the New South Wales (NSW) Local Government Act 1993, reporting of Heritage (both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) and Noise is mandatory in state of the environment report.

What changes took place during the reporting period?

Strongly affected by drought with extensive use of water restrictions
Drinking water is treated extensively
Population is increasing only slightly in number but growing in age
No system for collecting noise complaints –this needs to be addressed
Waste minimisation strategy includes recycling
Little change to the listed heritage estate.

Table 1. General apparent emerging trends for Yass Valley Council area from the 2008 RSoER
Council Locations	Coastal Councils Eurobodalla Bega Valley	Alpine Councils Tumut Tumbarumba Snowy River Bombala Cooma/Monaro	Major Regional Centre Councils Queanbeyan Yass Goulburn/ Mulwaree	Inland Councils Young Boorowa Upper Lachlan Cootamundra Harden Gundagai Palerang
Population Size change	Increased population	Declining population	Increased population	Declined population
Population age change	Aging population	Aging population	Aging population	Aging population
Heritage	Spending on heritage programs	Spending on heritage programs	Spending on heritage programs	Spending on heritage programs
Noise	Main complaints - barking dogs. Improved noise compliance outcomes	Main complaints - barking dogs. Improved noise compliance outcomes	Main complaints - barking dogs. Improved noise compliance outcomes	Main complaints - barking dogs. Improved noise compliance outcomes
Waste	Good initiatives/ reduction strategies in place Improved data collection	Good initiatives/ reduction strategies in place	Good initiatives/ reduction strategies in place Improved data collection	Good initiatives/ reduction strategies in place
Water Quality	Consistent High Water Quality	Consistent High Water Quality	Consistent High Water Quality	Consistent High Water Quality
Water Availability	Higher potential evaporation Water restrictions	Higher potential evaporation Water restrictions	Higher potential evaporation Water restrictions	Higher potential evaporation Water restrictions

Source: The information in this table is collated from data supplied by Councils (collated by OCSE)

Water

Yass Valley Council area has a very limited water supply, due to low flow in the Yass River and on-going drought. The dam capacity is inadequate to maintain supply in drought without Level 3 restrictions on domestic use, which disadvantage residents

Water restrictions have been in place in Yass Valley Council area each year from 2001. During the reporting period there have been continuous restrictions from mid-2005 until the present. Level 3 restrictions applied for 43 days in 2004-2005, 4 days in 2005-2006 and 198 days in 2006-2007. During 2007/8 level 2 restrictions applied for 260 days and level 1 for 106 days. Since 2005 the restrictions policy has had 5 stages, in line with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Murrumbateman entered water restrictions in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, with 191 days of restriction in 2006-2007 and a whole year of restriction at Levels 3 and 4 in 2007-2008.Bore supplies to Murrumbateman are barely adequate. Increased dam capacity is required.

The Yass Valley Council area drinking water supply from the river is treated extensively.

Population

Yass Valley Council area has experienced a relatively stable population over the reporting period. According to the 2006 Census there were 13,747 residents in the council with an estimated 14,112 in 2007. Since the end of the previous RSoER reporting period, the population of the Council area is estimated to have increased by 2.3% or 896 persons.

Compared with NSW as a whole, Yass Valley Council area has a slightly higher rate of increase of aged persons, a lower Indigenous population and a small increase in the proportion of persons born overseas which is similar to the level observed for NSW. Along with many other jurisdictions in Australia, Yass Valley Council will need to consider the future impacts of an ageing population on its economy and infrastructure.

Noise

The Council has not yet put a system in place to capture noise complaints. Therefore there are no noise complaints records available for this period.

Anecdotally the issues are similar to the 2004 RSoER.

Reducing solid waste

Yass Valley Council provides a weekly kerbside garbage collection and a fortnightly recycling kerbside collection for urban residents. Five transfer stations and two landfill sites operate within the Council area .

No further information on waste management activities in the Yass Valley Council area has been provided.

Heritage

Two places have been added to the Register of the National Estate (an Indigenous site and the Lake George Quaternary site), seven places have been removed from the S. 170 heritage list of NSW Government departments and agencies (Binalong Footbridge, Burrinjuck Dam – greater, Burrinjuck Dam Site – Barren Jack Water Supply Dam, Burrinjuck Dam, Wee Jasper Bridge over Goodradigbee River, Yass District Hospital, Yass Fire Station and Yass Railway Footbridge).

No information is available on the condition of heritage sites for the reporting period and little information on condition prior to the reporting period either. The condition of many sites has not been updated since they were listed on the Register of the National Estate.

Over the four year period since the previous 2004 Regional State of the Environment Report, Yass Valley Council has erected heritage plaques on a number of heritage listed buildings. A Heritage Tourism Masterplan was written and Council offers two programs with the support of the NSW Heritage Office.

The future what does this mean for the Council?

For water

The present availability of water to Yass is not adequate, and has resulted in water restrictions since 2001, with Level 3 in place during four of the last six years. Yass Valley Council has explored a range of options, in order to identify the most cost-effective resolution of the problem.

One option that was explored was a pipeline from the ACT supply. This appeared to be technically feasible and an ultimate long-term solution but requires significant capital expenditure and support from the ACT Government. The ACT Government is currently investing in substantial capital works to greatly increase the reservoir capacity supplying Canberra and Queanbeyan, and also a pipeline from the Murrumbidgee River. ACT dam storages fell to about 30% of capacity in 2008, with Level 3 water restrictions in force.

The construction of an off-river storage for Yass Valley Council area has been explored, at a site 3 km upstream of Yass Dam. This would increase water harvesting from the river during higher flows, to be released during low flow periods to allow subsequent extraction. The proposed site allows construction of 450 ML storage. Geotechnical investigation and concept design have been completed.

The cost-benefit arising from this project is however lower than the alternative of raising the dam wall of the present reservoir. This proposal is to raise the wall by 3 metres, which will increase storage capacity by 1,500 ML, almost tripling the existing water storage. The design and tender documents are under preparation, with a completion date of December 2011.

Good consistent data collection should be continued to ensure that direct comparisons on drinking water quality between differing reporting periods can be continued.

For population

Along with many other jurisdictions in Australia, Yass Valley Council will need to consider the future impacts of an ageing population on its economy and infrastructure.

The composition of households has continued the trend noted in the 2004 report with a further reduction in the number of households comprising couples with children and a consequent increase in couples without children. Similarly there have been increased in lone person households. These are consistent with trends observed in other councils and for the state as a whole.

For noise

Yass Valley Council needs to implement a system for capturing and recording noise complaints. It also may wish to consider developing a system for keeping statistics on the resolution of noise issues. These statistics could assist the Council in further planning for resolving noise complaints especially with regard to time and resources management.

For waste management

Future directions for Yass Valley Council with regard to waste management are unknown, a focus towards a better collection of data, benchmarking the progress would assist the Council in dealing with future waste management demands.

For heritage

It is important that the heritage support programs be maintained.

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Regional State of the Environment Report 2008