| GOAL |
Respect the natural environment |
| Water Quality |
OBJECTIVE — Maintain
water quality and availability
Water resources management is a key sustainability
issue that will influence the type and extent of future development
within the ACT and surrounding NSW. Think
water, act water: a draft strategy for sustainable water resources
management (2003) provides
the broad direction, targets and objectives for the management
of ACT water resources. |
Policy response
- The Spatial Plan supports the initiatives
of the ACT water strategy in that it proposes an urban form
and structure that ensures existing and possible future potable
water catchment areas are protected.
- Urban areas are designed
and managed to protect water quality in the receiving waters
of the Molonglo and Murrumbidgee Rivers and ultimately the
Murray–Darling River system.
- The ACT is committed to working
with NSW State and Local Governments to ensure coordinated
land use on both sides of the ACT border which encourage
sustainable development and catchment protection.
Actions
- To assist in the implementation of the
Spatial Plan a Regional Management Framework will be developed
to ensure cooperative management of critical issues. The ACT
Government will also participate in the development of the
Sydney-Canberra Corridor Strategy.
- Amendments will be made to
the sustainable development design guidelines to ensure that
new developments and redevelopment meet water sensitive urban
design standards, including for:
- improved stormwater runoff quality; and
- reduced peak flow and volumes of urban stormwater runoff.
- Any development
in the Molonglo Valley will introduce water quality management approaches which
treat the stormwater currently flowing from the Weston Creek and Woden catchment
areas as well as from the new urban development areas.
Outcomes
- The water quality in ACT rivers,
lakes and aquifers protected to maintain and enhance
environmental, amenity, recreational and designated
use values and the health of people in the ACT and
downstream.
- Rivers and streams maintained in
a condition that supports threatened fish and riparian
habitats.
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Monitoring indicators
- The quality of water leaving the ACT in comparison
with water entering the ACT.
- The quality of groundwater in relation
to the extent and severity of pollution.
- The quality of groundwater in relation
to extent and severity of salinity.
- The number of water quality monitoring sites
for which water quality has been assessed as good, moderate
and poor compared with standards.
- Proportion of length of rivers and streams
that support:
- threatened fish, and
- native vegetation.
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