Gundagai
Issue: Resource Use
This issue is discussed for these areas: [an error occurred while processing this directive]
For more information refer to the following Indicators:
Drinking Water Quality | Hazardous Waste | Heritage | Noise | Population | Solid Waste | Water Use
In the 2004 Regional State of the Environment Report (RSoER) two issues papers covered community wellbeing and resource use for each Shire Council. Previous ’Community Wellbeing‘ indicators have not been reported on in this RSoER following a decision by the RSOER workshop in July 2007 as these indicators are now covered in the Shire 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 reports.
What changes took place during the reporting period?
- Strongly affected by drought with extensive use of water restrictions
- Continued drinking water quality of a high standard
- Population is reducing in number but growing in age
- The main noise complaint problems were in relation to barking dogs
- Waste minimisation efforts improved
- Little change to the listed heritage estate.
| 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 Shire Councils (collated by the ACT Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment).
Water
Gundagai Shire has adopted an effective response to the present drought, which has conserved approximately 20% of the reticulated water previously used. All the wastewater effluent is recycled for irrigating of recreational areas. Non-reticulated water and reticulated water use by rural/irrigation sectors has increased, resulting in overall water use remaining constant.
Gundagai draws its drinking water supply for the town from the Murrumbidgee River, which is processed at the treatment plant. The Murrumbidgee River is a major supply river to the irrigation areas downstream, and has high flows in summer of water released from Burrinjuck dam and from the Snowy system via Tumut River. The limitation on the volume drawn for the town supply is by licence, rather than by the river flow. Overall water use by the Shire was effectively constant from 2000 onwards at 600 to 650 ML/Yr. The use of reticulated water progressively dropped from 2003-04 as water restrictions were imposed. The overall reduction in reticulated water use between 2000-2001 and 2007-2008 was nearly 20%. Non-reticulated water was used in rural industries, which in the Gundagai area include vineyards, horticulture and tree plantations. This increased from 67 ML/Yr in 2000-01 to 170 ML/Yr in 2007-08.
The Gundagai drinking water supply is of excellent and consistent quality.
Population
Population in the Gundagai Shire remains relatively static with only a small percentage in growth observed. According to the 2006 Census there were 3,851 residents in the Shire with an estimated 3,813 in 2007. Since the end of the previous RSOER period, the population of the Shire is estimated to have increased by 0.1% or 11 persons.
Compared with NSW, Gundagai has a higher aged population, a comparative indigenous population and a small increase in the proportion of persons born overseas which is similar to the level observed for the State.
Noise
A small number of barking dogs were the main source of complaints for the Shire Council. Shire Council had the service of a ranger during the reporting period and a percentage of their time was spent on dealing with companion animal management issues. All barking dog complaints received during the period were investigated.
Other noise complaints included traffic noise, lawn mowers, an agricultural scare gun and construction noise. Shire Council investigated all formal complaints. Given the small size of the community a range of noise issues were resolved between parties and never reached the '"complaint to Shire Council" stage.
The Shire Council did not undertake any ambient noise monitoring in the period of this report therefore it is not possible to report on trends. Anecdotally it would appear that there has been an increase in construction noise nearer to the central business district which is linked to increasing growth and development pressures in the Shire and from other composite noise sources associated with an increasing population.
Reducing solid waste
The total waste stream generated by Gundagai Shire residents increased by 36% in the reporting period 2004-2008, with most of this being an increase in recycled materials. Of the total waste generated, Gundagai Shire achieved 41% resource recovery and 59% to landfill in 2007-08, a similar proportion to 2005-2006 and 2006-07.
Shire Council has initiated new arrangements for landfilling waste generated in the Shire at a joint regional facility located in Harden, and has begun (in 2004) the provision of kerbside recycling to about 700 shire residents. A weighbridge is used at both the recycling recovery centre and the regional landfill, enabling an accurate picture to be gathered of waste generation activities. Gundagai’s previous landfill site has now been converted to a transfer station and there are no active landfill sites in Gundagai Shire.
Heritage
There have been no changes to the listed heritage estate for Gundagai Shire over the past four years. There are no listed Aboriginal Cultural Heritage sites in the Gundagai Shire.
The future what does this mean for the Shire Council?
For water
As noted previously Gundagai Shire has adopted an effective response to the present drought, by conserving approximately 20% of the reticulated water previously used. All the wastewater effluent is recycled for irrigation of recreational areas. Non-reticulated water and reticulated water use by rural/irrigation sectors has increased, resulting in overall water use remaining constant.
Consistent data collection should be continued to ensure that direct comparisons can contine to be made for drinking water quality between differing reporting periods.
For population
Along with many other jurisdictions in Australia, Gundagai Shire Council will need to consider the 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 and also lone person households. These are similar to trends observed in other Councils. Gundagai Shire Council’s Social Plan is committed to addressing these issues.
For noise
Statistical evidence suggests that noise complaints have dropped significantly since 2004 though this may not be necessarily the case especially in relation to barking dogs and the data may need to be revisited.
The Shire Council may wish to consider developing a system for keeping statistics on noise issues. These statistics could assist the Shire Council in further planning for resolving noise complaints especially with regard to time management and resources outcomes.
For waste management
Shire Council is taking steps to bring the recycling and waste services up to a high standard in the Shire, and the quality data that has been collected in this reporting period gives a clear picture, which shows that residents are using the new systems well. Gundagai Shire Council’s use of the joint landfill facility at Jugiong enables access to a quality of waste management and data collection which is sometimes difficult to achieve individually with the small scale of many rural Shire Councils. Further reduction of the waste stream would be possible if organics were also collected but economies of scale may make this unfeasible.
For heritage
As no information is available on the condition of heritage sites during the reporting period and little information on condition prior to the reporting period either, it would be beneficial for the Shire Council to address these gaps to develop a future benchmark from which to work. It appears that the condition of many sites has not been updated since they were listed on the Register of the National Estate, again this could be addressed.
