ORD LAND AND WATER » Ord Land and Water Management Plan 2020
In 2014 and 2015 the Ord Land and Water Management Plan is being reviewed and where required revised. The initial plan was produced in 2000 so a review was essential to take the organisation towards 2020. The biggest change to the plan will be the addition of a fifth section to deal with pastoral issues. Currently new draft goals have been developed. They are –
Ground Water
- Maintain groundwater levels to below two metres from the surface across all irrigation areas.
- Hold the quality of groundwater in all irrigation areas at 2009 levels or better and specifically the ORIA as documented in the Ord Valley AEM Interpretation Project and other data sets.
- Ensure specific management practices are utilised and there are constant improvements in on-farm water use efficiency.
- Ensure specific management practices are utilised and there are constant improvements in the delivery of water to farms.
- That there is a continuous improvement of water quality moving off farm.
- All farms using IPM strategies for crop production.
- All chemical users using chemical resistance strategies.
- All farm chemical users to be accredited.
- All storage facilities to comply with Australian and Western Australian standards.
- All farm fuel storages to comply with Australian and Western Australian standards.
- All secondary processing facilities to operate at or above Australian best management practices for by-product management.
- Proper development of appropriate land and the protection of adjacent environmental values.
Fish Stock Management
- To protect, maintain and monitor existing fish stocks with a view to increasing specific species if required.
- To support the continued development and implementation of ecologically sustainable commercial and recreational plans for the Ord River.
- To prevent further damage to and restore natural riparian areas including vegetation and banks.
- To reduce the impacts of stock on riparian areas.
- To continue to provide input into the water planning processes within the Ord River catchment and influence enhanced outcomes in water allocation.
- Develop, with community input a flood management plan for high risk and high value areas within the Ord Catchment.
- Develop as a priority a flood management plan for Kununurra Township and the irrigation area.
- Reduce the off farm exports of chemicals nutrients and soil into the Dunham River during the dry season by 50% within 5 years.
- Within ten years develop a full catchment plan for the Dunham River that involves all the stakeholders.
Pest and Feral Animals
- Minimise the impact of feral species on the native flora and fauna within the catchment.
- Increase the understanding of pest and feral species, their impacts and control methods.
- Increase the understanding of causes and frequency of unplanned fires and their impact to enable effective management.
- Increase community awareness of the cause and effects of fires.
- Improve the coordination of planned fires between stakeholders.
- Minimise the impacts of invasive weed species on the catchment.
- Ensure the development of the Regional Weed Strategy in order to reduce the impact of current weed species on the area.
- Improve community awareness of invasive weed species, their impacts, prevention and control methods.
- Ensure there is no illegal clearing of native vegetation.
- Ensure that all clearing conforms to appropriate legislative processes and best practices.
- Preserve the remaining areas of native vegetation that have the potential to act as wildlife corridors or buffer zones.
- Identify where buffer zones and/or corridors are required for the conservation of biodiversity in and around new land or infrastructure developments.
- Increase the area in the reserve system identified as being of high biodiversity or special significance.
- Develop plans to manage the impact of visitors on popular recreational areas outside of national parks.
- Improve community awareness around current and proposed National Parks and Conservation Reserves.
- Maintain and protect the biodiversity within the Ord River Catchment.
- Increase the ecological knowledge of the native plant and animal species found in the Catchment.
- Improve community awareness of the benefits of biodiversity.
Land Use Planning
- To ensure that recommendations from the Kununurra Wyndham Area Development Strategy are adhered to for the time frame of the plan (25yrs) and that any changes to this and other town planning schemes only occur through due process.
- To ensure that no waste water effluent enters the irrigation supply channels.
- To ensure that appropriate infrastructure is developed to meet the needs of projected population increases over the next twenty years.
- Educate the community on waste water efficiency.
- To ensure that all management information and monitoring data are freely and publicly available.
- To have deep sewerage available to 100% of the Kununurra residential town site in three years and 100% connection to deep sewerage in five years.
- To ensure that inputs to and outputs from the land fill site are managed to Department of Environment Regulation standards.
- To identify the most relevant site for long term waste disposal.
- To educate the community about the methods to reduce waste production.
- To advocate for a regional based material recycling facility.
- To advocate for the use of local recycled waste.
- To reduce the impacts of stormwater runoff from town sites on adjacent water ways.
- To ensure that industrial facilities including ports and airports comply with Australian and Western Australian standards within two years..
- Eliminate the risk of waterway contamination from domestic and commercial hazardous and toxic material spillages.
