Upper Lachlan

Issue: Resource Use

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In the 2004 Regional State of the Environment Report (RSoER) two issues papers covered community wellbeing and resource use for each local government area. Previous ’Community Wellbeing‘ indicators have not been reported in this RSoER following a decision by the RSoER workshop in July 2007. 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 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 quality improving - generally 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 education programs continue
Little change to the listed heritage estate.

Table 1. General apparent emerging trends in Upper Lachlan Shire Council 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

Water restrictions were not introduced in the Upper Lachlan Shire in 2005-2006. In 2006-2007, restrictions applied for 90 days at Level 1. This was increased to Level 3 in 2007-2008 for 150 days. The 2007-2008 water use shows a reduction of nearly 20% from the volume used in 2006-2007. Level 3 restrictions allow garden watering by a hand-held hose for 60 minutes on alternate days, in the early morning or late afternoon. No fixed irrigation is allowed. There is no use of recycled water; treated wastewater is discharged to creeks.

The microbiological quality of the supplies to the Upper Lachlan townships improved from autumn 2007 to the present, with no samples showing E.coli in the drinking water supply over this period. Prior to that time all the supplies showed the organisms intermittently in summer.

The only inorganic component of the supplies requiring attention is the high concentration of iodine in the bore water supplied to Dalton. The Guideline Value of 0.1mg/L was exceeded by the mean concentration of 0.18 over the last four years, with a maximum recorded of 0.34 mg/L. This is of health concern.

Population

Upper Lachlan Shire Council has experienced a relatively stable population over the reporting period. According to the 2006 Census there were 7,347 residents in the Shire with an estimated 7,329 in 2007. Since the end of the previous RSoER period, the population of the Shire is estimated to have increased by 0.2% or 47 persons.

Compared with NSW as a whole, Upper Lachlan has a higher aged population, a lower Indigenous population and a small increase in the proportion of persons born overseas which is similar to the level observed for the State as a whole.

Noise

There are only a small number of noise complaints in this reporting period, five complaints in relation to barking dogs, one complaint regarding a noisy pump, one regarding noise from a pub, one from a neighbour’s vehicle and another regarding noisy animals in a feedlot.

The main measure taken in relation to barking dogs was offering the parties mediation. Noise monitoring and noise abatement measures were not undertaken by the Shire Council during this reporting period.

Reducing solid waste

Kerbside recycling collections have been introduced in selected areas of the Shire with high participation rates, alongside drop-off recycling centres at Gunning, Crookwell, Collector and Taralga. The volume of recycling dropped off at the Shire Council’s Crookwell landfill has decreased as a result of the kerbside collections. However, the Shire Council reports that overall rates of recycling within the Shire are increasing. As a consequence, the Shire Council is currently undertaking recycling education programs, though no results have been gathered on changes in community trends.

Glass, plastic and aluminium received at the Crookwell landfill has decreased dramatically, with the largest decrease in the plastics collections. This is due to the Shire Council introducing kerbside collections for recycling within the Shire (previously there was no collection of recyclables). Kerbside collections are taken directly to a recycling facility in the ACT therefore diverting them from landfill entirely.

Decreases in the garden waste received at the tip can also be noticed at the Crookwell landfill, possibly due to the ongoing drought conditions throughout the Shire.

Increases in ferrous (974%), non-ferrous (217%) and acid-lead battery (119%) wastes received at the tip have been seen since 2004. This may be due to farm clean-outs occurring throughout the Shire, or due to increased community knowledge of free disposal of these recyclable items throughout Crookwell landfill.

Heritage

Changes to the listed heritage estate for Upper Lachlan Shire over the past four years show that four places have been removed from the Register of the National Estate (Wollogorang, Wollogorang Garden, Wombeyan Caves and the Lake George Quaternary site). The reason for this is the resiting of these sites in a different Shire.

No information is available on the condition of heritage sites during the reporting period and little information on their 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.

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The future what does this mean for the Shire Council?

For water

The recent drought has had a major impact on the availability of water for residential use in Crookwell. At the worst only about six months supply was available to the town. In the event of the predicted reductions in annual rainfall in South Eastern Australia becoming the normal situation, increasing the water storage capacity is indicated.

Consistent good quality data collection should be continued to ensure that direct comparisons between water quality reporting periods can be continued.

For population

Along with many other jurisdictions in Australia, Upper Lachlan 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. Upper Lachlan’s Social and Community Plan is committed to addressing these issues.

For noise

The Shire Council may wish to consider developing a system for keeping statistics on noise issues. These statistics could assist the Shire Council in future planning efforts to resolve noise complaints especially with regard to time and resources management.

For waste management

The Shire Council is currently undertaking recycling education programs, though no results have been gathered yet on changes in community trends. The Shire Council would benefit from collecting data on the changes in behaviours that have occurred as a result of these education programs. This data can then be used as a benchmark for future direction.

For heritage

No information is available on the condition of heritage sites during the reporting period and little information is available on conditions prior to the reporting period. It would be beneficial for Council to address these gaps to develop a future benchmark from which to work.