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Towong Shire Council

Domestic Wastewater Management Plan

Background Paper

Working Draft

September 2015

2 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper

Contents

1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4

2. Project Process ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 5

3. Wastewater Policy and Legislative Context ..................................................................................................................................... 6

4. Responsibilities of Key Stakeholders ................................................................................................................................................ 12

5. Wastewater Profile ................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

Special Water Supply Catchment ....................................................................................................................................................... 15

Population and Settlement Trends .................................................................................................................................................... 15

Unsewered Townships ............................................................................................................................................................................ 16

Bethanga. ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18

Cudgewa .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23

Eskdale ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 26

Granya ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 32

Mitta Mitta ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 36

Old Tallangatta ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 41

Tintalrda ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 45

Towong ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49

Township Risk Summary ......................................................................................................................................................................... 53

6. Towong Shire Catchments.................................................................................................................................................................... 54

Existing Land Use and Dwelling Density ........................................................................................................................................ 54

Climate ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 59

Proximity to Sensitive Receiving Environments and Direct Township Potable Water Extraction .......................... 59

Land Use Change ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 59

Catchment Risk Assessment ............................................................................................................................................................... 59

7. Future Rural Residential Development Within the Lake Hume Environs .......................................................................... 63

Rationale for Proposed Rezonings .................................................................................................................................................. 63

Soil-Landform Analysis of Areas to be Rezoned ....................................................................................................................... 64

Merits of the Rezonings....................................................................................................................................................................... 67

APPENDICES

North East Land Resource Assessment (NELRA) Land Elements within Proposed Rural Living Areas

Appendix 1: Proposed Bethanga Rural Living Area…………………………………………………………………………………………70

Appendix 2: Proposed Lakeside Rural Living Area…………………………………………………………………………………………..71

Appendix 3: Proposed Old Tallangatta Rural Living Area………………………………………………………………………………..72

Appendix 4: Proposed Talgarno Rural Living Area…………………………………………………………………………………………..73

Appendix 5: Proposed Tallangatta South East Rural Living Area……………………………………………………………………..74

Appendix 6: Proposed Tallangatta West Rural Living Area……………………………………………………………………………...75


List of Tables Table 1: Bethanga Wastewater Management Profile 18

Table 2: Bethanga NELRA Soil Landform Information 19

Table 3: Bethanga AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories and Indicative Land Application areas 20

Table 4: Bethanga Risk Assessment 21

Table 5: Cudgewa Wastewater Management Profile 23

Table 6: Cudgewa AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories and Indicative Land Application Areas 24

Table 7: Cudgewa NERLA soil landform information 24

Table 8: Cudgewa Risk Assessment 25

Table 9: Eskdale Wastewater Management Profile 27

Table 10: Eskdale AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories and Indicative Land Application Areas 28

Table 11: Eskdale NELRA Soil Landform Information 29

Table 12: Eskdale Risk Assessment 31

Table 13: Granya Wastewater Management Profile 32

Table 14: Granya NELRA Soil Landform Information 33

Table 15: Granya AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories and Indicative Land Application Areas 34

Table 16: Granya Risk Assessment 35

Table 17: Mitta Mitta Wastewater Management Profile 36

Table 18: Mitta Mitta AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories and Indicative Land Application Areas 37

Table 19: Mitta Mitta NELRA Soil Landform Information 38

Table 20: Mitta Mitta Risk Assessment 40

Table 21: Old Tallangatta Management Profile 41

Table 22: Old Tallangatta AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories and Indicative Land Application Areas 42

Table 23: Old Tallangatta NELRA Soil Landform Information 43

Table 24: Old Tallangatta Risk Assessment 44

Table 25: Tintaldra Wastewater Management Profile 45

Table 26: Tintaldra AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories and Indicative Land Application Areas 46

Table 27: Tintaldra NELRA Soil Landform Information 47

Table 28: Tintaldra Risk Assessment 48

Table 29: Towong Wastewater Management Profile 49

Table 30: Towong NELRA Soil Landform Information 50

Table 31: AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories and Indicative Land Application Areas 51

Table 32: Towong Risk Assessment 52

Table 33: Township Risk Assessment 53

Table 34 Catchment dwelling density, Propertion of Crown Land and Potential for land use change 57

Table 35: Catchment Risk Assessment 61

Table 36:

NELRA Defined Land Element within proposed Lake Hume Environs Rural Living Areas –

Major Soil Type Soil Information (Australian Standard AS/NZS 1547:2012 Soil Categories and

Design Loading Rates / Design Irrigation Rates (DLR/DIR)) 66

List of Figures

Figure 1: Domestic Wastewater Management Plan Process 6

Figure 2: Bethanga NELRA Soil Landform Information 19

Figure 3: Bethanga Lot Sizes, Land Holdings and Dwellings 20

Figure 4: Bethanga System Age 21

Figure 5: Cudgewa NELRA Soil Landform Information 24

Figure 6: Cudgewa Lot Sizes, Land Holdings and Dwellings 25

Figure 7: Eskdale NELRA Soil Landform Information 29

Figure 8: Eskdale Lot Sizes, Land Holdings and Dwellings 30

Figure 9: Eskdale System Age 30

Figure 10: Granya NELRA Soil Landform Information 33

Figure 11: Granya Lot Sizes, Land Holdings and Dwellings 34

Figure 12: Mitta Mitta NELRA Soil Landform Information 38

Figure 13: Mitta Mitta Lot Sizes, Land Holdings and Dwellings 39

Figure 14: Mitta Mitta Systems Age 39

Figure 15: Old Tallangatta NELRA Soil Landform Information 43

Figure 16: Old Tallangatta Lot Sizes, Land Holdings and Dwellings 44

Figure 17: Old Tallangatta Lot Sizes, Land Holdings and Dwellings 46

Figure 18: Tintaldra NELRA Soil Landform Information 47

Figure 19: Towong NELRA Soil Landform Information 50

Figure 20: Towong Lot Sizes, Land Holdings and Dwellings 51

Figure 21: Catchment Areas 54

Figure 22: Dwelling Density by Catchment 55

Figure 23: Crown Land 56

Figure 24: Percentage of Crown Land by Catchment 56

Figure 25: Properties with existing dwellings in high risk locations (within Code of Practice setbacks) 58

Figure 26: Properties with existing dwellings in high risk locations

(within Floodway and Land Subject to Inundation Overlays) 58

Figure 27: Un-sewered properties in Lake Hume Environs and Bethanga Creek Catchments 60

Figure 28: Proposed rural livings areas in Lake Hume environs 63


1. Introduction

The Towong Shire Domestic Wastewater Management Plan (DWMP) seeks to minimise the impact of

domestic wastewater on public health and environmental values. It provides a risk based approach for

the management of domestic wastewater issues within the municipality and a strategic framework for:

• The development and deployment of long term strategies in relation to wastewater

management;

• Making decisions about individual sites and installations;

• Enforcement, monitoring and compliance;

• Costing and funding wastewater management; and

• Communication between stakeholders.

The DWMP contains two main parts:

Part 1: Background Paper

The DWMP Background Paper provides a profile of the current wastewater situation within

each of the un-sewered towns and catchment areas and provides a risk assessment of each

based on wastewater threats and values. It also discusses the rezoning of areas in the Lake

Hume environs to enable rural residential development with reference to likely soil conditions

in the areas to be rezoned. It includes a discussion about the policy and legislative context for

domestic wastewater management in Towong Shire as well as the roles and responsibilities of

stakeholders together with the methodology undertaken in the preparation and development

of the DWMP.

Part 2: Domestic Wastewater Management Plan

The DWMP provides a suite of management strategies and actions to minimise the impact of

domestic wastewater on public health and environmental values.

The DWMP focuses on identifying actions that can be undertaken to:

Improve compliance with current on-site domestic wastewater legislation and statutory

instruments, including the Ministerial Guidelines for Planning Permit Applications in Open,

Potable Water Supply Catchment Areas;

Minimise the impacts of domestic wastewater on human health and the environment;

Assist in management of current and future domestic wastewater system installations; and

Assist in the decision making process at all levels, both internally within Towong Shire

Council and with external agencies and authorities.


2. Project Process

DWMP Project Team

This DWMP has been prepared by a project team consisting of the following Towong Shire Council

staff:

Chief Executive Officer,

Director Technical Services,

Environmental Health Officers, and

Manager Planning.

The Project Team is responsible for:

• Developing, implementing, monitoring and reviewing the Domestic Wastewater Management

Plan;

• Ensuring that other relevant staff are aware of and participate in the implementation of the

DWMP;

• Ensuring that all relevant personnel are given updated information on domestic wastewater

management;

• Identifying relevant staff and organisations and their roles in implementing the DWMP; and

• Providing leadership and direction for domestic wastewater management within Towong

Shire.

Project Steering Group

The project steering group is responsible for the identification of specific technical matters, the

development of project processes and the format and content of the final DWMP. The Steering Group

for the Plan consists of:

Goulburn Murray Water;

North East Water; and


External Stakeholders

The DWMP includes the management requirements and technical input from various authorities. It is

anticipated that a degree of interaction between each of the authorities is required to develop a

common understanding and expectation in relation to the objectives and outcomes of the DWMP.

The key stakeholders that have been consulted in the preparation of this DWMP include the following:

Department of Environment and Primary Industry (DEPI);

Environment Protection Authority (EPA);

Goulburn Murray Water (GMW);

North East Water (NEW);

Department of Human Services (DHS);

North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA); and

Individual land owners.


3. Wastewater Policy and Legislative Context

This section provides the regulatory context for domestic wastewater management in Victoria and

Towong Shire. It outlines the legislation, government policies and statutory instruments that are

applicable to domestic wastewater management within the municipality including:

Local and state planning provisions;

EPA Publications/Guidelines;

Legislation;

Ministerial Directions;

Codes of Practice; and

Australian Standards.

Environment Protection Act, 1970

The Environment Protection Act 1970 is the primary legislation that regulates and controls on-site

domestic wastewater system installations. The EPA Act outlines council responsibilities in approving

the installation, modification and use of on-site domestic wastewater systems, where the systems are

designed to treat or receive up to 5,000 litres of effluent per day.

Treatment systems that are designed to treat more than 5,000 litres of effluent per day are scheduled

premises under the EPA Scheduled Premises Regulations. A Works Approval is required from the EPA

for construction of these installations and an EPA discharge licence is required for operation. The EPA

is responsible for the oversight and management of these systems.

Data

collection and

analysis

Engagement

with external

stakeholders

Preparation

of Draft Plan

Public

Consultation

Final Plan

Preparation

Council

Adoption &

Water

Authority

Approval

Implementation

Evaluation

and Review

Figure 1:

Domestic Wastewater Management Plan Process Data collection and analysis

• Determination of existing municipal wastewater profile

• Soil data obtained from the field for high risk small towns

• Published soil data obtained for future rural living areas

• Identification of key wastewater management issues

Engagement with external stakeholders

• Identification of specific technical matters

• Development of project process

Preparation of Draft Plan

• Input from project working group and external

stakeholders

• DWMP format and content

• Risk profiling for towns and catchments

• Assessment of proposed rural living areas

• Steering Group approval prior to consultation phase

Public Consultation

• Direct landowner correspondence

• Information sessions

• Website and Facebook

Final Plan Preparation

• Informed by outcomes from public consultation phase

Council Adoption

• Council approval and adoption of Steering Group

endorsed DWMP

Implementation

• Implementation of DWMP recommendations

Evaluation and Review

• Measure performance to inform future DWMP review

Project

Commencement


The Environment Protection Act 1970 imposes the requirement that any condition issued with the

permit be complied with relating to the installation or the operation of the system. The Environment

Protection Act 1970 also outlines the council annual returns lodgement process with the EPA.

Section 53M of the Environment Protection Act 1970 provides that a municipal council must refuse a

permit if a proposed onsite waste water/septic tank system is contrary to any State Environment

Protection Policy or waste management policy.

Planning and Environment Act, 1987

The Planning and Environment Act 1987 (P&E Act) establishes a framework for planning the use,

development and protection of land in Victoria in the present and long-term interests of all Victorians.

The P&E Act aims to:

To provide for the fair, orderly, economic and sustainable use, and development of land;

To provide for the protection of natural and man-made resources and the maintenance of

ecological processes and genetic diversity;

To secure a pleasant, efficient and safe working, living and recreational environment for all

Victorians and visitors to Victoria;

To conserve and enhance those buildings, areas or other places which are of scientific,

aesthetic, architectural or historical interest, or otherwise of special cultural value;

To protect public utilities and other assets and enable the orderly provision and co-ordination

of public utilities and other facilities for the benefit of the community; and

To balance the present and future interests of all Victorians.

State Planning Policy Framework (SPPF)

Every planning scheme includes the SPPF. The framework comprises general principles for land use

and development in Victoria and specific policies dealing with settlement, environment, housing,

economic development, infrastructure, and particular uses and development. To ensure integrated

decision-making, planning authorities and responsible authorities must take account of and give

effect to the general principles and the specific policies contained in the SPPF. Of relevance within the

SPPF is Clause 14.02 Water. This clause seeks to:

assist the protection and, where possible, restoration of catchments, waterways, water bodies,

groundwater, and the marine environment;

protect water quality; and

ensure that water resources are managed in a sustainable way.

The SPPF seeks to protect waterways from potential contamination and to ensure that land use

activities potentially discharging wastes to waterways are sited and managed to minimise such

discharges and to protect the quality of surface water and groundwater resources, rivers, streams,

wetlands, estuaries and marine environments.

Catchment and Land Protection Act, 1994

The Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CALP Act) sets the framework for integrated

management and protection of catchments. The CALP Act also details a number of controls for

noxious weeds and pest animals and encourages community participation in the management of land

and water resources.

State Environment Protection Policy (Waters of Victoria)

The State Environment Protection Policy (SEPP) Waters of Victoria sets a statutory framework for the

protection of the uses and values of Victoria’s fresh and marine water environments. The SEPP

includes:


The uses and values of the water environment that the community and government want to

protect (beneficial uses);

The objectives and indicators which describe the environmental quality required to protect

beneficial uses; and

Guidance to local government, catchment management authorities, water authorities and

state government agencies to protect and rehabilitate water environments to a level where

environmental objectives are met and beneficial uses are protected.

The State Environment Protection Policy (Waters of Victoria) adopts the precautionary principle as a

principle that should guide decisions about the protection and management of Victoria’s surface

waters when considering a permit for an on-site system system. Clause 32 of the SEPP specifies EPA’s

expectations in relation to on-site domestic wastewater management, and the EPA provides further

guidance in relation to onsite treatment systems (EPA Publication 891, Code of Practice – Onsite

Waste Water Management, as updated or replaced). The SEPP requires councils to develop and

implement a domestic wastewater management plan in conjunction with water authorities and

communities. The SEPP is subordinate legislation to the Environment Protection Act 1970.

EPA Code of Practice Onsite Wastewater Management, Publication number 891.3 February

2013

This Code of Practice ("the Code") provides standards and guidance to ensure the management of

onsite wastewater (up to 5000 L/day) protects public health and the environment, and uses our

resources efficiently. It has been written to support the onsite wastewater industry, regulators and

premise owners design, install and/or manage sustainable sanitation and re-use systems in

accordance with the Environment Protection Act 1970 and the State environment protection policies

Waters of Victoria (SEPP WoV) and Groundwaters of Victoria (GoV). The Code applies to wastewater

(containing sewage) generated by a single domestic household or by multi-dwelling residential,

commercial, industrial or institutional facilities. It provides guidance on:

1. The selection, approval, management and maintenance of onsite wastewater management

systems which treat up to 5,000 litres of wastewater per day;

2. Systems which treat up to 5,000 L/day of greywater to a quality fit for toilet flushing and cold

water supply to clothes washing machines and/or land application; and

3. Land capability assessment procedures and wastewater flow calculations for designing

effluent recycling and disposal systems.

The Code is based on current state, national and international best practice principles in public health

and environmental protection, wastewater treatment, land capability assessment and effluent

minimisation, reuse, recycling and disposal. It is the Victorian guideline for ‘best practice’ management

of onsite wastewater systems and associated land capability assessment. It is referred to in Clause 32

of the State Environment Protection Policy - Waters of Victoria (SEPP WoV 2003).

Health Act, 1958

The Health Act (1958) states that it is the function of every council to prevent disease, prolong life and

promote public health through programs that control or prevent environmental health dangers and

disease. The Act requires councils to find solutions, where possible, to all nuisances within the

municipality. An authorised officer of a council may issue a notice requiring the abatement of a

nuisance however no fines for breaches can be imposed. Where the notice is not complied with the

council may take the matter to the Magistrate’s Court.


Local Government Act 1989

A council may make local laws for, or with respect to, any Act or matter if the council has a function or

power under State legislation. Part 5 of the Local Government Act (1989) outlines the powers of

councils to make local laws and the procedures for developing and implementing such laws. Local

laws offer a penalty system (which the Health Act does not offer). Towong Shire Council has not

previously made any local laws that specifically relate to wastewater and septic tank systems.

The Local Government Act empowers councils to enact local laws and set special charges for council

activities. These powers may be used to develop local regulations for wastewater management as long

as these regulations are consistent with State policy and legislation. Special charges may be set to

raise revenue for wastewater management programs.

The Local Government Act enables councils to create local laws and set charges for certain council

activities. Council is able to use these powers to develop local regulations for wastewater

management provided these regulations are consistent with State policy and legislation and to raise

revenue to implement its wastewater management programs.

Water Act 1989 Part 9 s.180 Septic tank permit applications

The Water Act requires referral to water authorities when wastewater systems are proposed within

drinking water catchments. There is jurisdiction under the Water Act to require at any time an upgrade

to septic tanks within a sewerage district.

Australian Standards

A number of Australian Standards are relevant to domestic wastewater installations. These have been

listed as follows:

• AS1289 Methods of testing soil for engineering purposes;

• AS139 Safety Signs for the occupational environment;

• AS/NZS 1546.1: 1998 On-site domestic wastewater treatment units, Part 1: Septic Tanks;

• AS/NZS 1546.2: 2001 On-site domestic wastewater treatment units, Part 2: Waterless

composting toilets;

• AS/NZS 1546.3: 2001 On-site domestic wastewater treatment units, Part 3: Aerated

wastewater treatment systems;

• AS/NZS 1547: 2000 On-site domestic wastewater management;

• AS/NZS 3500: National Plumbing and Drainage – Domestic Installations; and

• AS2698 Plastic Pipes and fittings for rural applications.

Some of the more relevant Australian Standards are discussed briefly as follows:

AS/NZS1547 – On-site domestic-wastewater management

This standard aims to provide the requirements for primary and secondary treatment units for

all persons and agencies involved with sustainable and effective on-site domestic wastewater

management.

AS/NZS 1546.1 - On-site domestic wastewater treatment units, Part 1: Septic Tanks

The standard identifies performance requirements and criteria for septic tanks with a flow rate

of less than 14,000 litres per week. The standard also specifies technical means of compliance

and provides test specifications enabling septic tanks to be manufactured to comply with the

performance requirements and criteria.


AS/NZS 1546.3 - On-site domestic wastewater treatment units, Part 3: Aerated

wastewater treatment systems

This standard aims to provide performance requirements, design requirements, means of

compliance, installation requirements, requirements for operation and maintenance and

specifications for testing AWTS and associated fittings.

EPA Publication 746.1 (March 2003) – Land Capability Assessment for Onsite Domestic

Wastewater Management.

The publication provides guidelines on the information required from a land capability assessment

prior to the planning approval of subdivisions or land rezoning and to assess the capability of

individual lots as part of an application for a septic permit. These include:

Land features of the site and surrounds;

Type of wastewater treatment system proposed;

Land capability assessment for the development including potential impacts on

surrounding land;

A management program to ensure ongoing environmental sustainability and protection

of human health; and

Location of wastewater envelopes, that is, the area where the effluent from the system is

to be discharged to and the expected extent of its travel through the soil.

Building Regulations 2006

These regulations require the report and consent of a council for a building permit that requires the

installation or alteration of a septic tank system.

Lake Hume Declared Potable Water Supply Catchment

There are 134 Declared Water Supply Catchments in Victoria, and Towong Shire is unique in that the

whole of the municipality is wholly located within such a Declared Water Supply Catchment. These

catchments, formerly known as Proclaimed Water Supply Catchments, are the basis for catchment

planning and management under the provisions of the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994.

Under this Act, Declared Special Areas (Water Supply Catchments) officially recognise designated

catchments that are used for water supply purposes.

The Lake Hume Catchment was proclaimed a Declared Potable Water Supply Catchment on 31 July

1984.

This system of Declared Water Supply Catchments is intended to highlight the importance of the

catchment to water supplies, and to provide an elevated level of development controls and

environmental safeguards. Within Declared Special Water Supply Catchments a number of statutory

instruments require catchments to be protected.

The key statutory instrument identified by State Planning Policy that must be considered in Declared

Special Water Supply Catchment is the DPCD Guideline Planning permit applications in open, potable

water supply catchment areas. This document expressly addresses matters associated with risk

management and protection of open potable water supply catchments and is intended to guide the

assessment of planning permit applications for land use and development in such catchments.


A pivotal requirement of the Guideline is a limitation on dwelling density, which is set at 1 dwelling per

40 hectares within the overall catchment. This dwelling density requirement is not derived from a

science based approach, but rather is a direct application of the Precautionary Principle. In applying

the Precautionary Principle through this dwelling density rule, the Guideline seeks to achieve the

protection of water supply from human pathogens by allowing for safe wastewater land application

practices and ensuring the protection of both environmental and human health.

Towong Planning Scheme

Local Planning Policy Framework

The Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) establishes the strategic planning framework for the

municipality and shows how it supports and implements the State Planning Policy Framework. The

State Planning Policy Framework and MSS together provide the strategic basis for the application of

zones, overlays and particular provisions within the Towong Planning Scheme. The MSS provides the

broad local policy basis for making decisions under a planning scheme and must be taken into

account when preparing amendments to a planning scheme or making decisions under a scheme.

The MSS identifies that Towong Shire is located in a Declared Water Supply Catchment under the

provisions of the Catchment and Land Protection Act, and has a policy objective to protect water

quality and employ a merits based planning decision making approach that implements the standards

of the EPA Code of Practice - On-site Waste Water Management.

Clause 22.08 of the Local Planning Policy relates to effluent disposal and water quality. It policy applies

to all development that is unable to be serviced with reticulated sewerage. This Policy seeks to

implement the water quality protection objectives of the SPPF.

Key policy objectives are to ensure:

Water quality and human and animal health is not affected by development;

Effluent disposal systems are suitable to the soil type and topography of the site, and are

appropriately located away from environmentally sensitive features;

Effluent is not discharged off site; and

That the density of effluent disposal systems is suitable to the soil type and topography of the

site.

It is policy to:

Ensure development is appropriate to the site and environmental characteristics of the

allotment, and

Ensure development proposals clearly demonstrate that such use and development will not

adversely affect the water quality in any waterway.

Clause 22.08 requires a land capability assessment report be provided indicating that the design and

location of the effluent disposal system is appropriate to the site and environmental characteristics of

the land.

Towong Planning Scheme Restructure Overlay

The Restructure Overlay and associated Restructure Plans were introduced into the Towong planning

Scheme in 2004. The Restructure Overlay applies to all un-sewered small towns. The purpose of the

overlay is to:

Identify old and inappropriate subdivisions which are to be restructured; and

To preserve and enhance the amenity of the area and reduce the environmental impacts of

dwellings and other development.


Development must implement the prescriptions of the Restructure Plan, which in many cases is the

consolidation of abutting land parcels before it can commence. Buildings that are for uses that do not

generate wastewater or impact on the existing primary and reserve wastewater disposal areas are not

required to be in accordance with the Restructure Plan.

In 2012 the Restructure Overlay was amended to include a more scientific and merits based

assessment option as an alternative to the prescriptions of the individual Restructure Plans. Under this

approach, any proposal must be in accordance with Restructure Plan for the land unless supported by

a Land Capability Assessment undertaken in accordance with the methodology of:

The relevant Australian Standard; and

Environment Protection Authority Publication No. 746.1 Land Capability Assessment for On

Site Domestic Wastewater Management.(March 2003) as updated or amended.

Before the Restructure Plan requirements are waived the Land Capability Assessment must clearly

demonstrate that:

Wastewater will not be discharged off site; and

Wastewater can be managed in accordance with the requirements of the EPA Publication

891.3 Code of Practice – Onsite Wastewater Management.

Towong Shire Stormwater Management Plan

In 2002 Council adopted the Towong Shire Stormwater Management Plan. This Plan identified key

threats to stormwater quality within the municipality. It identified that a key threat is pollution from

on-site split wastewater systems where grey water is directly discharged to stormwater systems. This

causes odour and local amenity issues as well as being a threat to receiving waterways. The

Stormwater Management Plan articulates a reactive strategy for dealing with septic and sewerage

system stormwater issues. This approach responds to the highest priority issues and applies to those

towns currently without sewerage systems (i.e. all towns in the Shire with the exception of Tallangatta,

Corryong, Bellbridge, Walwa and Dartmouth) where the primary concern is the leakage of effluent

from septic systems into the stormwater system and direct grey water stormwater discharge. The

Stormwater Management Plan notes that this is most notably a problem in the towns of Bethanga,

Eskdale and Mitta Mitta.

4. Responsibilities of Key Stakeholders


Towong Shire Council has legal responsibilities for domestic wastewater management including:

Providing landowners with information about onsite wastewater systems;

Ensuring new residential subdivisions are provided with reticulated sewerage or that the

allotments are capable of treating and containing domestic wastewater onsite;

Issuing or refusing permits to install new onsite systems, in accordance with the relevant

legislative guidelines, referral agencies requirements and the EPA Code of Practice;

Refusing permits if the onsite system is not of a type approved by the EPA;

Issuing certificates to use onsite systems;

Monitoring the operation of existing onsite systems and the compliance of householders with

permit conditions and certificates;

Submitting an annual return to the EPA that includes information on permit activity in relation

to on-site wastewater system installation and modification; and

Preparing and implementing a domestic wastewater management plan.


Department of Environment and Primary Industry (DEPI)

The Department of Environment and Primary Industry’s role includes protection, conservation and

sustainable management of the natural environment and biodiversity. The most relevant DEPI

document is the Planning Permit Applications in Open, Potable Water Supply Catchment Areas

November 2012. These guidelines apply to all open potable water supply catchments declared to be

special water supply catchment areas under Division 2 of Part 4 of the Catchment and Land Protection

Act 1994. Schedule 5 of the Act lists the special water supply catchment areas declared as at 1994.

Overall, DEPI has the following responsibilities related to domestic wastewater including:

Sustainable water management and supply;

Sustainable catchment management;

Management and governance of Victoria's parks;

Biodiversity, conservation, ecosystem, heritage recreation and tourism;

Provision of Land information; and

Providing policy frameworks and regulations to protect the environment.

Environment Protection Authority (EPA)

The Environment Protection Authority has a statutory responsibility to oversee the protection of the

environment. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is responsible for developing policies and

guidelines for environmental protection and encouraging best practice environmental management.

The EPA also performs a regulatory and enforcement role to protect the quality of the environment.

The EPA’s responsibilities in relation to the management of domestic wastewater are as follows:

Developing policies and legislation for domestic wastewater disposal;

Developing and reviewing the Code of Practice for Onsite Wastewater Management and

information bulletins. This Code of Practice provides standards and guidance to ensure

the management of onsite wastewater (up to 5000 L/day) protects public health and the

environment. It has been written to support the onsite wastewater industry, regulators

and premise owners design, install and/or manage sustainable sanitation and re-use

systems in accordance with the Environment Protection Act 1970 and the State

environment protection policies Waters of Victoria (SEPP WoV) and Groundwaters of

Victoria (GoV);

Approving the design of domestic wastewater treatment systems via the Certificate of

Approval process and developing a list of approved technologies for the treatment of

domestic wastewater;

Receipt and collation of council’s annual returns to enable the Authority to identify trends

impacting on the environment in sensitive areas and to provide a basis for future

domestic planning and research;

Monitoring the performance of local councils in carrying out their functions as the

approval authority;

Providing advice to local councils where required;

Monitoring the performance of companies that design wastewater treatment systems;

and

Approval of systems discharging more than 5000 litres of wastewater per day.


North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA)

The North East Catchment Management Authority is concerned with the sustainable development of

catchments particularly on floodplains and waterways. NECMA is responsible for minimising flood

risks, issuing statutory approvals for development on Designated Waterways and ensuring the

condition of waterways is maintained and improved.

Department of Human Services (DHS)

The Department of Human Services is responsible for ensuring community access to quality services

that protect and enhance the community's physical, mental and social well being. DHS has

responsibility for water quality standards including drinking water, irrigation water and reuse, and

whilst DHS has no direct impact on domestic wastewater management, they have a responsibility to

ensure public health is protected.

Land Owners

Those land owners with on-site wastewater treatment systems are responsible for:

Connecting to a sewerage system where it is available (unless otherwise exempted);

Obtaining a septic tank permit before a building permit is issued and prior to installing the

system;

Obtaining a certificate to use the systems once installed;

Obtaining a permit if alterations are to be made to an existing septic system;

Maintaining existing systems, particularly secondary treatment systems and the de-sludging

at appropriate intervals; and

Ensuring appropriate maintenance of land application areas including ensuring such areas

remain unencumbered by development, unsuitable vegetation and impermeable surfaces.

Water Authorities (North East Water, Goulburn Murray Water)

Water authorities are generally responsible for:

Delivering irrigation water to irrigators;

Delivering bulk water supplies to regional urban water authorities;

Harvesting water from water supply catchments;

Regulating dams on waterways; and

Assessing planning applications referred to them from council in relation to the likely impacts

on their water supply catchments.

North East Water is responsible for the provision of water and sewerage services to many settlements

in north eastern Victoria. These services range from water and wastewater treatment and distribution

including wastewater reuse. North East Water’s role in domestic wastewater management relates

primarily to investigating and implementing reticulated sewerage backlog schemes for high-risk towns

where onsite systems are demonstrated to be inadequate.

North East Water must perform its functions and exercise its powers in accordance with the Statement

of Obligations made by the Minster for Water and in relation to relevant to domestic wastewater

management planning this requires:

North East Water to participate with municipal councils in the development of domestic

wastewater management plans; and

That when considering the types of sewerage services to be provided to unsewered

urban areas, North East Water must consider the costs and benefits to the Corporation’s

customers and community and the risks to the Corporation.


Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW) is a rural water corporation that operates under the Water Act and is

responsible for the management of bulk water supplies including the supply of raw water to regional

urban water corporations. It is also responsible for the protection of water quality. G-MW participates

in the development and review of various strategic policies, plans and strategies that identify, assess

and mitigate the risks to water quality associated with onsite wastewater management including

domestic wastewater management plans.

Goulburn-Murray Water is responsible for implementing the Ministerial Guideline for Planning Permit

Applications in Open, Potable Water Supply Catchment Areas and endeavours to ensure compliance

with the Environment Protection Act 1970, SEPP’s, EPA Code of Practice for Onsite Domestic

Wastewater Management (as updated), and other relevant guidelines and standards.

Pursuant to Section 55 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987, water authorities can object to the

granting of a planning permit when the application is within a special water supply catchment area

and in such a case Council must act upon the water authority’s objection and refuse the planning

application.

5. Wastewater Profile

The wastewater profile within this DWMP makes reference to the Special Water Supply Catchment

status of Towong Shire together with the broad population and settlement trends of the municipality.

It focuses on three main spatial components:

1. Un-sewered settlements consisting of the following:

Bethanga,

Cudgewa,

Eskdale,

Granya,

Old Tallangatta,

Mitta Mitta,

Tintaldra, and

Towong.

2. Fifteen catchments areas across the municipality; and

3. Identified future rural living areas.

Special Water Supply Catchment

The whole of Towong Shire is located within the Lake Hume Special Water Supply Catchment which is

proclaimed under Division 2 of Part 4 of the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. This imposes

additional requirements upon future development within Towong Shire as the Ministerial Guidelines

for Planning permit applications in open, potable water supply catchment areas apply across the whole

of the municipality.

Population and Settlement Trends

Towong Shire had a total population of 5,891 in 2011 with 42% of the total population residing in the

sewered towns of Corryong, Tallangatta and Bellbridge. The other main settlements within the Shire

are Bethanga, Dartmouth, Cudgewa, Eskdale, Granya, Koetong, Mitta Mitta, Old Tallangatta,

Tallangatta Valley, Tintaldra, Towong and Walwa. Of all Towong Shire settlements, only Corryong,

Tallangatta, Bellbridge and Dartmouth have both reticulated water and sewerage infrastructure.

Walwa has a reticulated, treated water supply and an innovative whole of town wastewater treatment

system. Eskdale and Cudgewa have reticulated water.


The population of Towong Shire began to steadily decline from the early 1970s, with the greatest

decline occurring in the early to mid 1990’s. Overall, the population has declined from about 6,500

people in 1991 to 5,918 in 2011. Overall population decline in Towong Shire can be chiefly attributed

to the influence of the following factors:

An ageing population (the median age in the Towong Shire is 10 years older than

the state and national averages);

A negative natural increase (the difference between births and deaths); and

A narrow economic base centred chiefly on agriculture, resulting in limited

inward migration and significant outward migration.

The Towong Shire rural balance population, those people living in unsewered rural areas, decreased

from 3,460 in 1996 and to 3050 in 2011. In respect of the Towong rural balance trends, most of the

rural population decline can be attributed to losses in Statistical Local Area (SLA) ‘B’ within the eastern

part of the Shire. In contrast, there has actually been a trend over the same period of time, of

increasing importance of the rural balance areas within SLA ‘A’ as a settlement destination. Of the net

population growth within SLA ‘A’ between 2001 and 2006, 75%, occurred within the rural areas of the

SLA with the remaining 25% of this growth being accommodated within Bellbridge, Bethanga and

Tallangatta townships.

Apart from the western part of the municipality, there is a clear and sustained trend away from rural

based settlement toward settlement within sewered towns with services, and for this reason the risks

associated with wastewater management in most of the municipality are not likely to increase in the

foreseeable future. Most policy attention needs to be directed to the west of the Shire where there is

demand for rural living and where there is proximity to a sensitive receiving environment in Lake

Hume.

Victoria in the Future 2012 population projections analyse, changing economic and social structures

and other drivers of demographic trends to indicate possible future populations if the present

identified demographic and social trends continue. The projections suggest overall Towong can

expect some modest growth over the next two decades, with most of this growth occurring in SLA ‘A’.

Of relevance to the management of wastewater in Towong Shire is that since 2001, two principal

trends have emerged in relation to household size. Firstly there has been a sustained decrease in the

number of family households and secondly a significant increase in lone person households. Within

Towong Shire, the typical household size has been reducing, implying that in many households, less

wastewater is being generated than in the past.

According to the Victoria in the Future projections, by 2031 it is anticipated that there will be only a

0.2% change in the Towong Shire population and a 0.3% increase in the number households.

Recognising these fundamental population and settlement trends is important for future wastewater

management decisions within the municipality. Given the likely limited future growth rates, most risk

on-site wastewater is associated with existing development in the landscape rather than from any

future development.

Unsewered Townships

A risk assessment of Bethanga, Cudgewa, Eskdale, Granya, Mitta Mitta, Old Tallangatta, Tintaldra, and

Towong has been undertaken by the DWMP to enable ranking of these areas and the targeting of the

actions required in the highest risk areas. By assessing values, threats and wastewater management

issues, a numerical ranking has been assigned to these unsewered towns (Table 33).

Typically, the size of allotments in these older small settlements of Towong Shire is small (often less

than 1000 square metres) and the majority of on-site wastewater systems in these settlements consist


of a septic tank which only treats the household black water. Most of these systems are 20-50 years

old with the primary treated effluent piped to a shallow trench. Typically grey water is not treated at

all in these systems and is piped directly to the stormwater drains or the gutter. The grey water then

flows with stormwater to local watercourses or the surrounding environs. It is likely that the

management of many of these existing systems is inadequate. There is ad-hoc de-sludging and

maintenance of these systems and the space allocated for land application is likely to be undersized

compared to systems sized according to contemporary best practice. These small land application

areas are more likely to fail and lead to potential adverse impacts on both human and environmental

health.

Lot size is pivotal in determining the capacity of a lot for sustainable long term on-site wastewater

management. Typically, the smaller the lot the less land that is available for wastewater management

after allowing for other development on the land. A correctly sized land application area provides for

long term, sustainable wastewater loading rates that match the assimilative capacity of the soil and

plant systems. Previous subdivision practices in the Towong small towns did not always properly

consider land capability and as a consequence many small un-sewered residential lots now exist, some

of which are developed that are now considered too small to enable sustainable on-site wastewater

management.

To address this issue of small lots, the Towong Planning Scheme contains a Restructure Overlay across

all un-sewered settlements. This overlay ensures that further development of small lots does not occur

where wastewater cannot be managed according to current standards. The Restructure Overlay

contains restructure plans and these plans are used to guide future development on the identified

land. The mechanism for giving effect to the Restructure Plans in the Planning Scheme is that no

development can occur until the requirements for that lot are implemented. In other words, Council

will not issue a permit for a change in land use or for any new development until the identified

restructure requirements have been carried out. Any proposal must be in accordance with the

Restructure Plan for the land unless supported by a Land Capability Assessment that clearly

demonstrates that:

Wastewater will not be discharged off site; and

Wastewater can be managed in accordance with the requirements of the EPA Publication

891.3 Code of Practice – Onsite Wastewater Management as updated or amended.

The provision of this performance based approach provides a more scientific and merits based

assessment option as an alternative to the prescriptions of the various Restructure Plans, which in

some instances may be unnecessarily restrictive.

Because of spatial variations in edaphic and climatic conditions, there is no universal rule about what

constitutes an appropriate minimum wastewater management area, or minimum lot size. This will vary

depending on the physical constraints present on the lot, the nature of the development as well as the

type of treatment and land application system used. Clay-rich subsoils are common across Towong

Shire and in those towns with AS/NZ1547:2012 Category 5 soils, lots smaller than 2000 m² will have

limited available space available for a waste water land application area after allowing for typical

improvements like a residence, driveway, sheds and gardens and making provision for an equivalent

sized reserve land application area.

For lots with areas between 2,000 m² and 4,000 m², without other significant physical constraints, the

increased availability of land for wastewater management usually improves the potential for

sustainable on-site wastewater management though detailed site and soil investigation is important

to identify the most appropriate design solution. On lots that are larger than 4,000 m² there is likely

to be far less problems in providing adequate space for wastewater management, though site specific

constraints could limit opportunities for sustainable wastewater management.


Bethanga

The Bethanga township is a low density residential village that contains approximately 90 dwellings.

The township of Bethanga was originally a small mining community which supported a small number

of gold and copper mines in and around the township. The mines ceased operation in the early

1940’s, but a large number of mullock and slag piles remain as a historical reminder of the town’s

origin. Despite their potential historical value these heaps have been noted to contain elevated levels

of heavy metals and the current overall environmental condition of the Bethanga Creek is poor due to

previous mining activities.

The varied local topography has produced a lot configuration pattern that is irregular, with smaller

lots tending to be located in the eastern and southern parts of the town. Some of these lots are quite

small and potentially problematic for managing domestic wastewater.

The water supply for dwellings in Bethanga is derived from either groundwater bores or on-site

rainwater collection. Groundwater discharge points are common in the Bethanga environs and

approximately 30 groundwater bores are located within or close to the township. Given the human

consumption that occurs from some of these bores there is an elevated possibility of human contact

with groundwater and the practice of augmenting rainwater with groundwater could potentially pose

health problems to residents, particularly if they are sourcing water from springs or bores which are

contaminated by sewage overflow from ineffective septic systems.

The township has a relatively high density of wastewater disposal systems and In the past there have

been complaints of odor resulting from ageing and poorly functioning wastewater management

systems. Many of the systems are old and most trench lengths are insufficient for effective on-site

wastwater disposal. In addition, it is believed that septic tanks de-sludging rates are low, indicating

that many systems may suffer trench clogging and subsequent reduced effluent absorption.

Stormwater management in Bethanga is limited to open drains which direct stormwater to the

Bethanga Creek without any pre-treatment. The direct flow of untreated stormwater to Bethanga

Creek could compromise the quality of the water in the creek and potentially affect the water quality

of Lake Hume.

The town is within easy commuting range of Albury-Wodonga and there is some demand for

additional development, though the market preference is for rural residential lots within the broader

Bethanga Creek catchment.

Table 1: Bethanga Wastewater Management Profile

Water Supply On-site rainwater collection for potable water supply with some possible

use of groundwater

Significant Environmental Features Bethanga is located at the confluence of the Bethanga Creek and a

smaller unnamed waterway that originates near the Talgarno Gap.

Towong Planning Scheme Zoning & Overlays Township Zone

Restructure Overlay

Future Planning Scheme Changes No zone changes within the town.

Possible additional Rural Living Zone within Bethanga Creek catchment.

Approximate Average Age of Wastewater

Systems

35 years

Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 750mm

Approximate Annual Evaporation (mm) 1350 mm

Number of properties <2000 m² 46

Number of properties 2000 - 4000 m² 35

Number of properties >4000 m² 19

Number of lots without dwelling 19


Number of dwellings 90

Properties <100m waterway 71


Properties in Floodway / Land Subject to

Inundation Overlay

None

AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories as identified

by land capability assessments within the town

and environs

Category 3 -5

Summary of Key Wastewater Issues Concentration of wastewater systems

Small lot sizes with many lots having limited provision for a

reserve land application area

Age of systems

Proximity of waterways, particularly the Bethanga Creek

Use of groundwater for human consumption

High proportion of ‘split systems’ with direct stormwater

discharge to waterways

Proximity of Lake Hume and Bethanga Creek

Topography that slopes toward Bethanga Creek

Figure 2 and Table 2:

NELRA Soil Landform Information

LANDFORM

PATTERN

Hills

GEOMORPHIC

UNIT

1.3.1 Eastern Uplands; Ridges,

Valleys and Hills; High

Dissected Ridges and Valley

Relief

GEOLOGY Ordovician gneiss and gneissic

pegmatite

NELRA LAND

UNIT

HGn; Hills on gneiss

MAJOR SOIL

TYPE

Brown loam gradational soils

and reddish texture contrast

soils

AUSTRALIAN

SOIL

CATEGORY

Brown Kurosols and Red

Chromosols

SOIL RISK 1 – 2 (Low-Medium)


TABLE 3:

BETHANGA AS/NZS 1547/2012 SOIL CATEGORIES AND INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREAS

SOIL PROFILES 1 2 3

MGA CO-ORDINATES E 508,382

N 6,002,657

E 508,801

N 6,002,440

E 508,801

N 6,002,686

ELEVATION (M) 305m 260m 265m

SOIL DEPTH Soil depth greater than 1.0 metres

DEPTH TO WATERTABLE Groundwater not encountered

Limited mottling indicates infrequent saturation

LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON TEXTURE

Sandy Clay Light Clay Sandy Clay

LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON STRUCTURE Strong Strong

Strong

SOIL CATEGORY (AS/NZ1547:2012) 5 5 5

INDICATIVE DESIGN LOADING AND IRRIGATION RATES

DESIGN LOADING RATE (TRENCHES & BEDS)

(mm/day)

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary

DESIGN LOADING RATE ETA/ETS (mm/day) 8 8 8

DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE DRIP AND SPRAY

(mm/week)

3 3 3

DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE LPED (mm/day) 2.5 2.5 2.5

SOIL PERMEABILITY Ksat (m/day) 0.12 – 0.5

INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREA SIZING⁺

TRENCHES & BEDS

(PRIMARY)

TRENCHES & BEDS

(SECONDARY)

ETA/ETS LPED IRRIGATION

LENGTH AREA (m²) LENGTH AREA (m²) LENGTH AREA (m²) LENGTH AREA (m²)

288 435 120 180 180 270 576 864

⁺ Assumes a three bedroom dwelling with sizing calculated using AS/NZS 1547/2012 and Code of Practice Onsite Wastewater Management Publication number 891.3

methodology.

Figure 3


Table 4: Bethanga Risk Assessment Values

Value Category Specific Value Type Rating Justification

Public Health Infectious Disease Transmission 4 Protection of public health is a priority.

Protection of Potable Drinking

Water

4 Dwellings in Bethanga rely on on-site rainwater collection for potable drinking water however Bethanga Creek

discharges directly into Lake Hume which is used for potable drinking water.

Environment Sensitive Receiving Environments 4 Key receiving environments are the Bethanga Creek, associated unnamed waterways within the Bethanga

catchment and groundwater. Many parts of the town cannot provide requisite Code of Practice setbacks.

Bethanga Creek discharges directly into Lake Hume.

Amenity Recreation 3 Recreation activities are focused at the Bethanga Recreation Reserve and the small playground adjacent to the

general store. There is significant recreational use of the nearby Lake Hume.

Visual / Odor 4 Town amenity is important for residents particularly given the concentration of un-sewered development within

the town. A 2009 assessment of systems within the town suggested that approximately 20% of systems were in

a poor condition.

Economic Development Potential 3 Development within the town will be constrained by existing small lot sizes and waterway proximity. Whilst

there are no plans to augment the existing zoned area to expand the town there is scope for additional rural

living development within the Bethanga Creek catchment,

Property Values 3 Ensuring property values are not impacted by wastewater management issues is important for town residents.

Tourism 2 There are limited tourism activities within the town, though the former mine is a site of historic importance.

Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=4

Figures 3 and 4

Figure 4


Threats Wastewater Threats

Receiving Values Small

Lots

Systems

>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive receiving

environments

Soil

Type

Flooding Concentration of

Systems

Offsite

Discharges

Value Category Specific Value Type

Public Health Infectious Disease

Transmission

4 4 4 4 2 1 3 4

Protection of Potable

Drinking Water

4 4 4 4 2 1 3 4

Environment Sensitive Receiving

Environments

4 4 4 4 2 1 3 4

Amenity Recreation 3 3 3 3 1 1 3 3

Visual / Odor 4 4 4 4 1 1 4 4

Economic Development

Potential

4 2 2 4 2 1 3 3

Property Values 3 3 3 2 1 1 3 4

Tourism 1 1 2 3 1 1 1 2


Risk (Value x Threat) Wastewater Risk


Lots

Systems

>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive receiving

environments

Soil

Type


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

16 16 16 16 8 4 16 16


Drinking Water

16 16 16 16 8 4 16 16


Environments

16 16 16 16 8 4 16 16


Visual / Odor 16 16 16 16 4 4 16 16


Potential

12 8 8 12 6 3 12 12


Tourism 2 2 4 6 2 2 2 4

Low Value 1 x 1 = 1 Medium Value 2 x 2=4 High Value 3 x 3=9 Very High Value 4 x 4 =16

Summary of Risks

Bethanga has the highest risk assessment score of all the un-sewered Towong Shire townships. This

high risk assessment score is derived from the environmental and public health risks caused by:

Ageing and failing systems;

Proximity to sensitive environments (Bethanga Creek, groundwater resources and

Lake Hume);

Possible undetected offsite discharges;

Grey water discharges to the stormwater system which then discharges directly to

surface waters;

Use of groundwater for human consumption by town residents;

The concentration of systems within a small part of the catchment;

Lots that are often of insufficient size to manage waste water in accordance with

statutory requirements; and

Land use change within the broader catchment which may increase the dwelling

density within the overall catchment.


Cudgewa

Cudgewa contains 53 dwellings arranged chiefly in a linear arrangement along the Cudgewa Valley

Road. The township is located approximately 300 - 500m from the Cudgewa Creek and housing

density is low. Whilst the seasonal water table is likely to be shallow, there is minimal use of ground

water for domestic purposes if any and the town is connected to the Corryong reticulated water

supply.

Table 5: Cudgewa Wastewater Management Profile

Water Supply Reticulated water supply

Significant Environmental Features Cudgewa Creek is located 300 - 500m west of the township

Various minor waterways and drainage lines in close proximity

to the township

Possible shallow groundwater

Towong Planning Scheme Zoning & Overlays Low Density Residential Zone

Restructure Overlay

Land Subject to Inundation Overlay (northern part of town only)

Future Planning Scheme Changes Possible application of the Low Density Residential Zone across

properties fronting Cudgewa Valley Road

Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 800

Approximate Annual Evaporation (mm) 1300





Number of lots with dwelling 53



Properties in Floodway / Land Subject to Inundation

Overlay

Seven properties in the northern part of the town are included

within the Land Subject to Inundation Overlay

AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories as identified by land

capability assessments within the town and environs

Category 5

Summary of Key Wastewater Issues Proximity of Cudgewa Creek and other minor

waterways,

Possibility of inundation in the northern part of the

town,

Possible shallow groundwater,

Small lot sizes in township,

Age of systems,

Many lots have limited provision for a reserve land

application area, and

Reticulated water supply promoting increased

wastewater generation.



NELRA Soil Landform Information

TABLE 6:

CUDGEWA AS/NZS 1547/2012 SOIL CATEGORIES AND INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREAS

SOIL PROFILES 1 2


N 5,994,514

E 570,112

N 5,994,973

ELEVATION (M) 325 315



Limited mottling indicates infrequent saturation


Light Clay Sandy Clay

LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON STRUCTURE Moderate Moderate

SOIL CATEGORY (AS/NZ1547:2000) 5 5



(mm/day)

5 Maximum

10 Secondary

5 Maximum

10 Secondary

DESIGN LOADING RATE ETA/ETS (mm/day) 5 5


(mm/week)

3 3

DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE LPED (mm/day) 2.5 2.5

SOIL PERMEABILITY Ksat (m/day) 0.06 - 0.12


TRENCHES & BEDS (PRIMARY) TRENCHES & BEDS

(SECONDARY)


LENGTH AREA (m²) LENGTH AREA (m²) LENGTH AREA (m²) LENGTH AREA (m²) No dimensions provided pursuant to

Notes 2 and 3 of Table L1 of AS/NZS

1547/2012

144 216 288 432 576 864


methodology

LANDFORM

PATTERN

Low hills and undulating terrain

Alluvial plain and terraced land

GEOMORPHIC UNIT 1.3.5 Eastern Uplands; Ridges,

Valleys and Hills; Valleys, Terraces

and Floodplains

1.3.4 Eastern Uplands; Ridges,

Valleys and Hills; Enclosed Low

Hills and Valleys

GEOLOGY Quaternary alluvium

Ordovician - Silurian - Devonian

granite and granodiorite

NELRA LAND UNITS ALP3; Alluvial plain, type 3, broad

river valleys

CLG2; Colluvium derived from

granite, type 2, Upper Murray

MAJOR SOIL TYPE Yellowish brown gradational soil

and pale brown to brownish

yellow texture contrast soils

AUSTRALIAN SOIL

CATEGORY

Brown Dermosols and Yellow

Chromosols

SOIL RISK 1 (Low)


Table 8: Cudgewa Risk Assessment Values



Transmission

4 Protection of public health is a priority.


Drinking Water

3 The whole of Towong Shire is a Declared Open Potable Water Supply Catchment.


Environments

3 Key receiving environments are Cudgewa Creek and other minor waterways and groundwater

Amenity Recreation 2 Recreation activities are focused on the sports ground to the north of the town.

Visual / Odor 3 Town amenity is important for residents within the town.

Economic Development Potential 2 There is limited demand for additional development within the town.


Tourism 2 Tourism is not a significant consideration for the town.



Receiving Values Small Lots Systems

>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive

receiving

environments

Soil Type Flooding Concentration of

Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

3 3 4 3 2 2 3 4

Protection of

Potable Drinking

Water

2 3 4 4 2 2 3 4


Environments

2 3 4 4 2 2 3 4


Visual / Odor 2 3 4 2 1 2 3 4


Potential

3 2 3 4 2 2 2 2


Tourism 1 2 3 3 1 2 2 3


Figure 6




Lots

Systems

>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive receiving

environments

Soil

Type


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

12 12 16 12 8 8 12 16


Drinking Water

6 9 12 12 6 6 9 12


Environments

6 9 12 12 6 6 9 12


Visual / Odor 6 9 12 6 3 3 6 12


Potential

6 4 6 8 4 4 4 4


Tourism 2 4 6 6 2 2 4 6


Summary of Risks

The key domestic wastewater management risks at Cudgewa are:

Environmental and Public health risks caused by small lots, ageing and failing systems,

proximity to sensitive environments, and undetected offsite discharges; and

Provision of reticulated water supply causing increased wastewater volumes.

Eskdale

The Eskdale township is a low density residential village that contains approximately 60 dwellings. The

town form consists of a cluster of lots around the intersection of the Omeo Highway and Little Snowy

Creek Road.

There is a reticulated town water supply for dwellings in Eskdale and the off-take point for this supply

is on the Mitta Mitta River, upstream from the town. There are approximately 16 groundwater bores

located within a 2km radius of the township, however there is a low reliance on groundwater.

The township has a relatively high density of wastewater disposal systems and lot sizes are typically

small with a large proportion of lots less than 1500m².

There is little demand for additional residential development within the town and the proximity of the

Little Snowy Creek and the floodplain of the Mitta Mitta River are impediments to further urban

growth.

Many domestic wastewater systems in Eskdale are split systems where grey water is discharged to the

stormwater system, with black water retained on-site. Parts of the stormwater system at Eskdale are

used to convey grey water directly to the Little Snowy Creek or its floodplain. In the past, elevated

levels of E.coli have been recorded in the Little Snowy Creek, though the source has not been

established.


Table 9:

Eskdale Wastewater Management Profile

Water Supply Reticulated water supply

Significant Environmental Features Eskdale is located adjacent to the Little Snowy Creek

The Mitta Mitta River is located 600m to the north of the town

The floodplain for the Mitta Mitta River abuts the northern

boundary of the town



Restructure Overlay

Future Planning Scheme Changes No zone changes to extent of Township Zone

Possible Rural Living Zone at western entrance to the town and

south east of Parkhill Road

Approximate Average Age of Waste Water Systems 42 years











Overlay

None

AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories as identified by

land capability assessments within the town and

environs

Category 5

Summary of Key Wastewater Issues Reticulated water supply enhancing wastewater

discharges,

Proximity of Little Snowy Creek,

Concentration of wastewater systems,

Small lot sizes with many lots having limited provision for

a reserve land application area,

Split systems that discharge greywater directly to the

stormwater, and

Age of systems.


TABLE 10

ESKDALE AS/NZS 1547/2012 SOIL CATEGORIES AND INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREAS

SOIL PROFILES 1 2 3

MGA CO-ORDINATES 522,566

5,964,269

522,394

5,964,336

522,702

5,964,519

ELEVATION (M) 257 249 255

SOIL DEPTH Soil depth greater than 1.0metres

DEPTH TO WATERTABLE Groundwater not

encountered.

Red colour indicates

good drainage

Groundwater not

encountered.

Pale colour indicates

possible periodic

water logging.

Groundwater not

encountered.


Light Clay Light Clay Light Clay

LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON STRUCTURE Strong Strong Strong



DESIGN LOADING RATE (TRENCHES &

BEDS) (mm/day)

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary

DESIGN LOADING RATE ETA/ETS

(mm/day)

8 8 8

DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE (mm/week) 3 3 3

LPED Irrigation (mm/day) 2.5 2.5 2.5

SOIL PERMEABILITY AND DESIGN

LOADING RATES (KSAT) (m/day)

0.12 – 0.5


TRENCHES & BEDS

(PRIMARY)

TRENCHES & BEDS

(SECONDARY)



288 435 120 180 180 270 576 864

⁺ Assumes a three bedroom dwelling with sizing calculated using AS/NZS 1547/2012 and Code of Practice Onsite Wastewater Management Publication

number 891.3 methodology


LANDFORM PATTERNS Rises, Low hills (eastern part of town)

Floodplain, terraces (northern part of town)

Hills with crests, steep to moderate hill slopes and gentle footslopes

(southern part of town)

GEOMORPHIC UNITS 1.3.4 Eastern Uplands; Ridges, Valleys and Hills; Enclosed Low Hills

(eastern part of town)

1.3.5 Eastern Uplands; Ridges, Valleys and Hills; Valleys, Terraces and

Floodplains

4.1.1 Riverine Plain; Modern Floodplains; Meander Belt Below Plain Level

(northern part of town)

GEOLOGY Colluvium and alluvium from associated Ordovician sediments (eastern

part of town)

Alluvium derived from Palaeozoic sediments, metasediments and igneous

rocks (northern part of town)

NELRA LAND UNIT CLSy5; Colluvium derived from Ordovician sediments, type 5 (eastern part

of town)

FLP3; Floodplain, type 3 (northern part of town)

MAJOR SOIL TYPE FOR EACH NELRA LAND UNIT CLSy5

Brown and red texture contrast

soils, hard-setting, brown

gradational soils

FLP3

Friable brown loams and gradational

soils

AUSTRALIAN SOIL CATEGORY Red Dermosol Brown Dermosol

SOIL RISK 1 (Low) 1 (Low)

FLP3

Figure 7 and Table 11: NELRA Soil Landform Information


Figure 8

Figure 9


Table 12 Eskdale Risk Assessment Values



Transmission



Drinking Water

3 Whilst dwellings in Eskdale rely on reticulated water, the off-take point is on the Mitta Mitta River upstream from the

town. The whole of Towong Shire is a Declared Open Potable Water Supply Catchment.


Environments

4 Key receiving environments are the Little Snowy Creek, associated and groundwater. Parts of the town cannot provide

requisite Code of Practice setbacks.

Amenity Recreation 2 Recreation activities are focused at the Eskdale Recreation Reserve to the north west of the town and the small

camping ground within town. Some fishing occurs in Little Snowy Creek.

Visual / Odor 4 Town amenity is important for residents particularly given the concentration of un-sewered development within the

town. A 2009 assessment of systems within the town suggested that approximately 20% of systems were in a poor

condition.

Economic Development Potential 3 Development within the town will be constrained by existing small lot sizes and waterway proximity. There are no

plans to augment the existing residentially zoned area to expand the town, however rural residential development is

to be encouraged at the town margins.


Tourism 2 There are limited tourism activities within the town. The Little Snowy Creek is a popular fishing stream.




Lots

Systems

>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive receiving

environments

Soil

Type


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

4 4 4 4 2 1 3 4


Drinking Water

3 4 4 4 2 1 3 4


Environments

3 4 4 4 2 1 3 4


Visual / Odor 3 4 4 2 1 1 3 4


Potential

3 2 2 4 2 1 3 2


Tourism 2 2 3 3 1 1 2 3




>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive

receiving

environments


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

16 16 16 16 8 4 12 16

Protection of

Potable Drinking

Water

9 12 12 12 6 3 9 12


Environments

12 16 16 16 8 4 12 16


Visual / Odor 8 12 16 8 4 4 12 16


Potential

9 6 6 12 6 3 9 6


Tourism 4 4 6 6 2 2 4 6


Summary of Risks

The risk assessment process ranks Eskdale as one of the highest risk settlements in Towong Shire

behind only Bethanga and Mitta Mitta. The elevated environmental and public health risks at Eskdale

are a product of:

A high proportion of ageing and potentially failing systems;

Small lot sizes;

Proximity to sensitive environments (particularly the Little Snowy Creek);

Discharges of grey water to the stormwater system;

Possible undetected offsite discharges; and

The availability of reticulated water supply resulting in increased wastewater

discharges.


Granya

Granya is a former gold mining settlement that is located between the Mt. Granya State Park and the

Mt. Lawson State Park. Granya is inside an hour travel time from Albury-Wodonga, and its attractive

setting provides some potential for future rural residential development.

The settlement consists of approximately 20 dwellings clustered around Carlysle Street with additional

dwellings along nearby Macfarlane’s Lane and Webb Lane. Many of the lots within the township are

small and this makes them problematic for managing domestic wastewater.

Cottontree Creek is located around 800 metres west of the township and other minor waterways and

drainage lines are in close proximity to the township. Lake Hume is located approximately two

kilometres north of the township.

There are five groundwater bores in the town environs, and the water table is reported as likely to be

shallow given the occurrence of spring-fed dams, prolific hydrophyllic plants and groundwater

discharge points within the Granya environs.

Table 13: Granya Wastewater Management Profile

Water Supply Dwellings rely on on-site rainwater collection for potable water.

Significant Environmental Features Cottontree Creek is located 80m west of the township

Various minor waterways and drainage lines in close proximity

to the township

Lake Hume FSL frames the southern boundary of the settlement



Restructure Overlay

Future Planning Scheme Changes Possible application of the Rural Living Zone over the parts of

the Cottontree Creek catchment







Properties <100m waterway No properties zoned Low Density Residential Zone

Properties <40m waterway No properties zoned Low Density Residential Zone


Overlay

No properties are located within the Land Subject to Inundation

Overlay and Floodway Overlay



Category 5

Summary of Key Wastewater Issues Proximity of Cottontree Creek Creek and other minor

waterways


Potential for additional rural residential development

Small lot sizes in the township with limited provision

for a reserve land application area

Age of systems


LANDFORM PATTERNS Low hills and undulating terrain

GEOMORPHIC UNITS 1.3.4 Eastern Uplands; Ridges, Valleys and Hills; Enclosed Low Hills

(eastern part of town)

GEOLOGY Ordovician - Silurian - Devonian granite and granodiorite minor

metamorphics and derived colluvium and alluvium

NELRA LAND UNIT CLG2; Colluvium derived from granite, type 2, Upper Murray

LHG2: Low hills on granite, type 2,

MAJOR SOIL TYPE FOR EACH NELRA

LAND UNIT

CLG2

Very dark grey to black texture

contrast soils

LHG2

Gritty, red gradational soil, friable

AUSTRALIAN SOIL CATEGORY Grey Chromosols Red Dermosol


Figure 10 and Table 14: NELRA Soil landform

Information


TABLE 15

GRANYA AS/NZS 1547/2012 SOIL CATEGORIES AND INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREAS

SOIL PROFILES 1 2


N 6,004,566

E 528,665

N 6,003,647



DEPTH TO WATERTABLE Groundwater not encountered.

Red colour indicates good drainage

Groundwater not encountered.



Light Clay Sandy Clay

LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON STRUCTURE

Strong Strong




(mm/day)

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary


DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE (mm/week) 3 3

LPED Irrigation (mm/day) 2.5 2.5

SOIL PERMEABILITY AND DESIGN LOADING

RATES (KSAT) (m/day)

0.12 – 0.5


TRENCHES & BEDS

(PRIMARY)

TRENCHES & BEDS

(SECONDARY)



288 435 120 180 180 270 576 864


methodology


Table 16 Granya Risk Assessment Values



Transmission



Drinking Water



Environments

4 Key receiving environments are Cottontree Creek, various minor waterways, groundwater and the nearby Lake Hume.

Amenity Recreation 3 Recreation activities are focussed on the Cottontree Creek picnic area south west of the town.

Visual / Odour 3 Town amenity is important for residents within the town.

Economic Development Potential 3 Development within the town will be constrained by existing small lot sizes however it is anticipated that there will be

additional rural residential development in the Cottontree Creek catchment.


Tourism 2 Tourism is not a significant consideration for the town.




>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive

receiving

environments


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

3 3 4 4 2 1 3 4

Protection of

Potable Drinking

Water

2 3 4 4 2 1 3 4


Environments

2 3 4 4 2 1 3 4


Visual / Odour 2 3 4 2 1 1 3 4


Potential

3 2 3 4 2 1 2 2


Tourism 1 2 3 3 1 1 2 3




>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive

receiving

environments


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

12 12 16 16 8 4 12 16

Protection of

Potable Drinking

Water

6 9 12 12 6 3 9 12


Environments

8 12 16 16 8 4 12 16


Visual / Odor 6 9 12 6 3 3 9 12


Potential

9 6 9 12 6 3 6 6


Tourism 2 4 6 6 2 2 4 6


Summary of Risks

The township risk assessment process ranks Granya as mid-range risk settlement with public and

environmental health risks caused by a combination of:

Small lots;

Ageing and potentially failing systems;

Proximity to sensitive environments particularly shallow groundwater;

Possible undetected offsite discharges; and

Possibility of some additional rural residential development in the Granya environs.


Mitta Mitta

Mitta Mitta is situated at the confluence of the Snowy Creek and the Mitta Mitta River. The Mitta Mitta

township has been laid out in two main portions around the foot of Mount Misery, in a manner to

accommodate the meandering form of the Mitta Mitta River and Snowy Creek.

There are approximately 80 dwellings within Mitta Mitta with a large proportion being located within

the prescribed Code of Practice setbacks. The dwelling density is high and lot sizes are generally small,

particularly in the central part of the township where lots less than 1000m² are common.

The scenic setting of the town attracts many visitors, and it is a base for four wheel driving, gold

fossicking and water based recreation activities. It is also a popular stop along the Omeo Highway

touring route. Both waterways that run through the township are actively used by locals and tourists.

The Magorra Caravan Park is located in a bend of the Mitta Mitta River and there is a popular

swimming hole in the Snowy Creek which attracts large numbers of tourists and locals. Given the

recreation usage of the main waterways, there is potential for contact with wastewater.

Mitta Mitta has a private water supply arrangement for some lots drawn from the nearby waterways,

though there is no formal reticulated supply within the town. There are approximately 10

groundwater bores in the town environs, though these are mainly located in the elevated terrain

above the town and it is thought that the town has a low reliance on groundwater. Shallow

groundwater is likely adjacent to the main waterways.

Grey water is discharged to some street kerbs, where it is collected in the stormwater system

alongside roads. There is potential for disease spread through contact with grey water and

recreational contact with contaminated water in the Mitta Mitta River and Snowy Creek.

Contamination of the Mitta Mitta River and the Snowy Creek through inadequately treated effluent

reaching the waterways is a significant issue at Mitta Mitta.

Table 17 Mitta Mitta Wastewater Management Profile

Water Supply Some dwellings pump water from the Snowy Creek and Mitta

Mitta River. Most dwellings use on-site rainwater collection for

potable water.

Significant Environmental Features Mitta Mitta is located on the confluence of the Snowy Creek

and Mitta Mitta River. The Mitta Mitta River has highly modified

flows while the Snowy Creek retains a very high environmental

condition. There is likely to be shallow groundwater in the

immediate Mitta Mitta environs.


Restructure Overlay

Bushfire Management Overlay

Future Planning Scheme Changes No zone changes to extent of Township Zone

Possible additional Rural Living Zone at O’Connell’s Road near

the Mitta Mitta River

Approximate Average Age of Waste Water Systems 44 years











Overlay

One property on Mitta North Road is within Land Subject to

Inundation Overlay and Floodway Overlay




Categories 3-5

Summary of Key Wastewater Issues Some dwellings obtaining water supply from adjacent

waterways enhancing wastewater discharges

Proximity of Snowy Creek and Mitta Mitta River

Concentration of wastewater systems

Small lot sizes with many lots having limited

provision for a reserve land application area

Age of systems

High rainfall

TABLE 18

MITTA MITTA AS/NZS 1547/2012 SOIL CATEGORIES AND INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREAS

SOIL PROFILES 1 2 3


5,956,210

533,900

5,956,760

533,690

5,956,540

ELEVATION (M) 280 270 258


DEPTH TO WATERTABLE Groundwater not

encountered.

Red colour indicates

good drainage

Groundwater not

encountered.

Pale colour indicates

possible periodic water

logging.

Groundwater not

encountered.


Light Clay Light Clay Sandy Clay

LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON STRUCTURE Strong Strong Strong




(mm/day)

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary

DESIGN LOADING RATE ETA/ETS (mm/day) 8 8 8

DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE (mm/week) 3 3 3

LPED Irrigation (mm/day) 2.5 2.5 2.5



0.12 – 0.5


TRENCHES & BEDS

(PRIMARY)

TRENCHES & BEDS

(SECONDARY)



288 435 120 180 180 270 576 864


methodology


Figure 12 and Table 19

LANDFORM PATTERNS Rises, Low hills (eastern part of town)

Floodplain, terraces (northern part of town)

Hills with crests, steep to moderate hill slopes and gentle footslopes (southern

part of town)

GEOMORPHIC UNITS 1.3.4 Eastern Uplands; Ridges, Valleys and Hills; Enclosed Low Hills (eastern part of

town)

1.3.5 Eastern Uplands; Ridges, Valleys and Hills; Valleys, Terraces and Floodplains


4.1.1 Riverine Plain; Modern Floodplains; Meander Belt Below Plain Level


GEOLOGY Colluvium and alluvium from associated Ordovician sediments (eastern part of

town)

Alluvium derived from Palaeozoic sediments, metasediments and igneous rocks


NELRA LAND UNIT CLSy5

Colluvium derived from

Ordovician sediments,

type 5 (eastern part of

town)

FLP3

Floodplain, type 3


HSy1

Gentle footslopes


MAJOR SOIL TYPE FOR EACH

NELRA LAND UNIT

CLSy5

Brown and red texture

contrast soils, hard-

setting, brown

gradational soils

FLP3

Friable brown loams and

gradational soils

HSy1

Red and yellowish brown

texture

contrast soils

AUSTRALIAN SOIL CATEGORY Red Dermosol Brown Dermosol Red Kurosol

SOIL RISK 1 (Low) 1 (Low) 2 (Medium)


Figure 13

Figure 14


Table 20

Mitta Mitta Risk Assessment Values



Transmission



Drinking Water

4 Some dwellings in Mitta Mitta rely on water pumped from nearby waterways with the off-take point downstream of

some development. The whole of Towong Shire is a Declared Open Potable Water Supply Catchment.


Environments

4 Key receiving environments are the Mitta Mitta River and Snowy Creek, associated and groundwater. Most of the

town cannot provide requisite Code of Practice setbacks.

Amenity Recreation 4 Recreation activities are focused at the Mogorra Park Camping and Recreation Reserve and the picnic ground within

town. Both streams are popular for fishing and water based recreation.


town. A 2009 assessment of systems within the town suggested that the condition of approximately 25% of systems

were either poor or unknown.

Economic Development Potential 3 Development within the town will be constrained by existing small lot sizes and waterway proximity. There are no

plans to augment the existing residentially zoned area to expand the town, however rural residential development is

to be encouraged along O’Connells Road.


Tourism 4 Tourism is important for the town with the town being a popular stopping point on the Omeo Highway that links

north east Victoria with East Gippsland.




>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive

receiving

environments


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

3 4 4 4 2 3 3 4

Protection of

Potable Drinking

Water

3 4 4 4 2 3 3 4


Environments

2 4 4 4 2 3 3 4


Visual / Odor 2 4 4 2 1 1 3 4


Potential

3 2 3 4 2 2 2 2


Tourism 1 4 3 3 1 2 3 3




>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive

receiving

environments


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

12 16 16 16 8 12 12 16

Protection of

Potable Drinking

Water

12 16 16 16 8 12 12 16


Environments

8 16 16 16 8 8 12 16


Visual / Odor 8 16 12 8 4 4 12 16


Potential

9 12 9 12 6 6 6 6


Tourism 4 16 12 12 4 8 12 12


Summary of Risks

The risk assessment process suggests that Mitta Mitta is the second highest risk settlement within

Towong Shire. The risks at Mitta Mitta are driven by:

The proximity and concentration of existing development to the Snowy Creek and Mitta Mitta

River;

Lots that are often of insufficient size to manage waste water in accordance with statutory

requirements;

Untreated grey water discharge to the stormwater system;

The high level of recreation usage of both the Snowy Creek and the Mitta Mitta River;

A high proportion of ageing and potentially failing systems; and

A climate characterised by higher rainfall and lower evaporation relative to many other

Towong Shire settlements.


Old Tallangatta

Old Tallangatta is the remnant of the former town that was moved in the 1950’s. It is a loose collection

of approximately eighteen dwellings. The township is located on the banks of Lake Hume and most of

the township is located within 300m of the Lake Hume full supply level and cannot provide the

prescribed Code of Practice setbacks. Three groundwater bores are recorded in the township environs.

Table 21 Old Tallangatta Wastewater Management Profile

Water Supply Dwellings rely on on-site rainwater collection for potable water.

Significant Environmental Features Lake Hume Full Supply Level (FSL) frames the southern

boundary of the settlement. Tallangatta Creek is located 40-

80m south of the township but is submerged when Lake Hume

approaches capacity. The intermittent waterway know as Dan’s

Creek drains through Old Tallangatta.

Towong Planning Scheme Zoning & Overlays Rural Activity Zone

Restructure Overlay

Significant Landscape Overlay- Schedule 1

Future Planning Scheme Changes Possible application of the Rural Living Zone over the

developed part of the town and vacant land adjacent to Old

Jarvis Creek Road.










Existing Dwellings within 300m Lake Hume FSL 14


Overlay

No properties in Land Subject to Inundation Overlay and

Floodway Overlay



Category 5

Summary of Key Wastewater Issues Proximity of Lake Hume Full Supply Level (FSL) and

inability to provide Code of Practice setbacks;

Proximity of Dan’s Creek and Tallangatta Creek;

Concentration of wastewater systems;

Small lot sizes;

Age of systems; and

Many lots have limited provision for a reserve land

application area.


TABLE 22

OLD TALLANGATTA AS/NZS 1547/2012 SOIL CATEGORIES AND INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREAS

SOIL PROFILES 1 2


5,994,724

523,134

5,994,601








Sandy Clay Sandy Clay


Strong Strong




(mm/day)

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary

5 Conservative

8 Maximum

12 Secondary


DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE (mm/week) 3 3

LPED Irrigation (mm/day) 2.5 2.5



0.12 – 0.5


TRENCHES & BEDS

(PRIMARY)

TRENCHES & BEDS

(SECONDARY)



288 435 120 180 180 270 576 864

⁺Assumes a three bedroom dwelling with sizing calculated using AS/NZS 1547/2012 and Code of Practice Onsite Wastewater Management Publication number 891.3

methodology



Old Tallangatta NELRA Soil Landform Information


GEOMORPHIC UNITS 1.3.1 Eastern Uplands; Ridges, Valleys and Hills; High Dissected Ridges and Valley Relief

1.3.4 Eastern Uplands; Ridges, Valleys and Hills; Enclosed Low Hills

GEOLOGY Ordovician - Silurian - Devonian granite and granodiorite minor metamorphics and derived

colluvium and alluvium

Ordovician gneiss and gneissic pegmatite

NELRA LAND UNIT CLG2; Colluvium derived from granite, type 2, Upper Murray

HGn; Hills on gneiss

MAJOR SOIL TYPE FOR

EACH NELRA LAND UNIT

CLG2

Very dark grey to black texture contrast

soils

HGn

Brown loam gradational soils and reddish

texture contrast soils

AUSTRALIAN SOIL

CATEGORY

Grey Chromosols Brown Kurosols and Red Chromosols

SOIL RISK 1 (Low) 1-2 (Low – Medium)


Table 24

Old Tallangatta Risk Assessment

Values



Transmission



Drinking Water

4 The location of the township on the margins of Lake Hume is potentially problematic.

The whole of Towong Shire is a Declared Open Potable Water Supply Catchment.


Environments

4 Key receiving environments are lake Hume, Dan’s Creek and Georges Creek. Most of the town cannot provide


Amenity Recreation 4 Recreation activities are undertaken on Lake Hume.


town.

Economic Development Potential 2 Development within the town will be constrained by existing small lot sizes and particularly the proximity of Lake

Hume. Whilst there are plans to change the zoning to reflect the prevailing land use, there will only be limited scope

for future development because of the proximity of Lake Hume.


Tourism 2 Tourism is not a significant consideration for the town, though the adjacent Lake Hume is popular with tourists.




>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive

receiving

environments


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

3 3 4 4 2 1 3 4

Protection of

Potable Drinking

Water

2 3 4 4 2 1 3 4


Environments

2 3 4 4 2 1 3 4


Visual / Odor 2 3 4 2 1 1 3 4


Potential

3 2 3 4 2 1 2 2


Tourism 1 2 3 3 1 1 2 3


Figure 16




>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive

receiving

environments


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

12 12 16 16 8 4 12 16

Protection of

Potable Drinking

Water

8 12 16 16 8 4 12 16


Environments

8 6 16 16 8 4 12 16


Visual / Odor 6 9 12 6 3 3 9 12


Potential

6 4 6 8 4 2 4 4


Tourism 2 4 6 6 2 2 4 6


Summary of Risks

Whilst a zone change to Rural Living Zone is proposed, Old Tallangatta is not likely to experience

pressure for additional development and the risks at Old Tallangatta are driven principally by the

proximity of existing development to Lake Hume. Other risk factors for Old Tallangatta include:

Small lots;

A high proportion of ageing and potentially failing systems; and

Possible undetected offsite discharges.

Tintalrda

Tintaldra is a small settlement approximately two kilometers east of the confluence of the Cudgewa

Creek and the Murray River. It is a loose collection of approximately ten dwellings, a hotel and a small

caravan park. Most of the township consists of lot sizes in the order of 2000m².

Table 25 Tintaldra Wastewater Management Profile

Water Supply Dwellings rely on on-site rainwater collection for potable

water.

Significant Environmental Features The Murray River and associated floodplain frames the

northern boundary of the settlement, though most of the

township can provide requisite Code of Practice setbacks.


Restructure Overlay

Future Planning Scheme Changes No scheme changes proposed











Overlay

No properties in Land Subject to Inundation Overlay and

Floodway Overlay



Category 5-6

Summary of Key Wastewater Issues Proximity of Murray River and associate floodplain

Small lot sizes, though in many cases there is scope

for consolidation with abutting allotments in

common ownership

Age of systems


TABLE 26

TINTALDRA AS/NZS 1547/2012 SOIL CATEGORIES AND INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREAS

SOIL PROFILES 1 2


N 6,010,420

E 583,840

N 6,010,220





Sandy Clay Heavy Clay

LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON STRUCTURE Moderate Moderate




(mm/day)

5 Maximum

10 Secondary

N/A



(mm/week)

3 2

DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE LPED (mm/day) 2.5 N/A

SOIL PERMEABILITY Ksat (m/day) 0.06 - 0.12 <0.6


TRENCHES & BEDS

(PRIMARY)

TRENCHES & BEDS

(SECONDARY)


LENGTH AREA (m²) LENGTH AREA (m²) LENGTH AREA (m²) LENGTH AREA (m²) No dimensions provided pursuant to

Notes 2 and 3 of Table L1 of

AS/NZS 1547/2012

144 216 288 432 576 864

⁺ Assumes a three bedroom dwelling with sizing calculated using AS/NZS 1547/2012 and C)ode of Practice Onsite Wastewater Management

Publication number 891.3 methodology with Category 5 Soils

Category 6 soils that may be present at Tintaldra may not be suitable for some land application methods pursuant to Table 5.2 of AS/NZ1547:2012

Figure 17


Figure 18 and Table 27

Tintaldra NELRA Soil landform Information

LANDFORM PATTERN Hills, low hills and undulating terrain

GEOMORPHIC UNIT 1.3.4 Eastern Uplands; Ridges, Valleys and Hills; Enclosed Low Hills and Valleys

GEOLOGY Ordovician - Silurian - Devonian granite and granodiorite

NELRA LAND UNITS HG2; Hills on granite, type 2,

CLG2; Colluvium derived from granite, type 2, Upper Murray

MAJOR SOIL TYPE CLG2

Yellowish brown gradational soil and pale

brown to brownish yellow texture

contrast soils

HG2

Brown loam to clay gradational soils

AUSTRALIAN SOIL CATEGORY Yellow Chromosol Yellow Dermosol



Table 28 Tintaldra Risk Assessment Values



Transmission



Drinking Water



Environments

3 Key receiving environments are the Murray River and associated floodplain. Most of the town cannot provide


Amenity Recreation 3 Recreation activities are undertaken on The Murray River.


town.

Economic Development Potential 2 There is limited demand for future development and no zone changes are proposed.






>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive

receiving

environments


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

3 3 4 3 2 1 2 4

Protection of

Potable Drinking

Water

2 3 4 3 2 1 2 4


Environments

2 3 4 3 2 1 3 4


Visual / Odor 2 3 4 2 2 1 3 4


Potential

3 2 3 3 2 1 2 2


Tourism 1 2 3 3 2 1 2 3




>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive

receiving

environments


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

12 12 16 12 8 4 8 16

Protection of

Potable Drinking

Water

6 9 12 9 6 3 6 12


Environments

6 9 12 9 6 3 9 12


Visual / Odor 6 9 12 6 6 3 9 12


Potential

6 4 6 6 4 2 4 4


Tourism 2 4 6 6 4 2 4 6


Summary of Risks

Tintaldra is considered to be a low risk settlement with the key domestic wastewater management

risks attributed to:

Small lots, though many have scope for consolidation with abutting lots in common

ownership;

Ageing and potentially failing existing systems;

Proximity to sensitive environments (Murray River); and

Possible AS/NZ1547:2012 Category 6 (low permeability) soils.


Towong

The township of Towong is located 10 kilometres north east of Corryong near the southern bank of

the Murray River. The elevated ridge above the town affords some of the most spectacular landscape

vistas in the country with views across the Murray River to the Snowy Mountains. The outstanding

amenity has contributed to the popularity of the location as a residential destination.

There are two main parts to the town - the lower area adjacent to Murray River Road and a ribbon of

residential development along the ridgeline above the river. Together they form a ‘horseshoe’ around

a central area of Crown land that contains a grid network of road reserves that was originally set aside

for the town.

There are approximately 40 dwellings at Towong and there continues to be some on-going interest

for the development of low-density residential type allotments.

The water supply for much of the town is derived from the nearby Murray River by private

arrangement, though there is no reticulated sewerage. There are no commercial facilities at Towong,

though there is a community hall and tennis courts. The nearby Murray River offers water-based

recreation opportunities. Table 29: Towong Wastewater Management Profile

Water Supply Most dwellings rely on on-site rainwater collection for potable

water.

Some dwellings derive water from the nearby Murray River.

Significant Environmental Features The Murray River and associated floodplain frames the

northern boundary of the settlement, though most of the

township can provide requisite Code of Practice setbacks.


Low Density Residential Zone

Restructure Overlay

Future Planning Scheme Changes Possible Rural Living Zone within the area known as ‘the

common’.











Overlay

Some properties in the northern part of the town are located

within Land Subject to Inundation Overlay and Floodway

Overlay however given the site topography these overlays

appear to be incorrectly applied.



Category 4 -5

Summary of Key Wastewater Issues Proximity of Murray River and associated floodplain,

Potential for additional future development, and

Small lot sizes particularly along ridge



Alluvial plain and terraced land

GEOMORPHIC UNITS 1.3.4 Eastern Uplands; Ridges, Valleys and Hills; Enclosed Low Hills (eastern

part of township)

1.3.5 Eastern Uplands; Ridges, Valleys and Hills; Valleys, Terraces and

Floodplains (north western part of township)

GEOLOGY Ordovician - Silurian - Devonian granite and granodiorite minor

metamorphics and derived colluvium and alluvium

Quaternary alluvium

NELRA LAND UNIT CLG2: Colluvium derived from granite, type 2, Upper Murray

LHG2: Low hills on granite, type 2,

ALP 3: Alluvial plain, type 3, broad river valleys

MAJOR SOIL TYPE FOR EACH NELRA

LAND UNIT

CLG2

Very dark grey to

black texture contrast

soils

LHG2

Gritty, red gradational

soil, friable

ALP3

Yellowish brown

gradational soil

AUSTRALIAN SOIL CATEGORY Grey Chromosols Red Dermosol Brown Dermosol

SOIL RISK 1 (Low) 1 (Low) 1 (Low)

Figure 19 and Table 30 Towong Soil Landform Information


TABLE 31:

TOWONG AS/NZS 1547/2012 SOIL CATEGORIES AND INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREAS

SOIL PROFILES 1 2

MGA CO-ORDINATES 588,947 589,444

ELEVATION (M) 6,001,697 6,001,143





Sandy Clay Sandy Clay


Moderate Moderate



DESIGN LOADING RATE (TRENCHES &

BEDS) (mm/day)

5 Maximum

10 Secondary

5 Maximum

10 Secondary



(mm/week)

3 3

DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE LPED (mm/day) 2.5 2.5

SOIL PERMEABILITY Ksat (m/day) 0.06 - 0.12


TRENCHES & BEDS

(PRIMARY)

TRENCHES & BEDS

(SECONDARY)


LENGTH AREA (m²) LENGTH AREA (m²) LENGTH AREA (m²) LENGTH AREA (m²) No dimensions provided pursuant

to Notes 2 and 3 of Table L1 of

AS/NZS 1547/2012

144 216 288 432 576 864


methodology

Figure 20


Table 32 Towong Risk Assessment Values



Transmission



Drinking Water



Environments

3 Key receiving environments are the Murray River and associated floodplain. Most of the town can provide requisite

Code of Practice setbacks.

Amenity Recreation 3 Recreation activities are undertaken on The Murray River.

Visual / Odor 2 Town amenity is important for residents.

Economic Development Potential 3 There is some demand for future development.






>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive

receiving

environments


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

3 3 4 3 2 2 2 3

Protection of

Potable Drinking

Water

2 3 4 3 2 2 2 3


Environments

2 3 4 3 2 2 2 3


Visual / Odor 2 3 4 2 2 2 2 3


Potential

3 3 4 3 2 2 2 2


Tourism 2 3 4 3 2 2 2 3




>25yo

Failing

Systems

Proximity to

sensitive

receiving

environments


Systems

Offsite

Discharges



Transmission

12 12 12 12 8 8 8 12

Protection of

Potable Drinking

Water

6 12 12 9 6 6 6 9


Environments

6 9 12 9 6 6 6 9


Visual / Odor 6 9 12 6 6 6 6 9


Potential

9 9 12 9 6 6 6 6


Tourism 6 9 12 9 6 6 6 9


Summary of Risks

Towong is considered to be a lower risk settlement with the main risks arising from:

Proximity to sensitive environments (Murray River);

Recreational use of the Murray River;

Ageing systems, particularly in the lower part of the settlement; and

Small lot sizes.


Township Risk Summary

The DWMP risk assessment of each un-sewered settlement is based on wastewater threats and values

at each location. It enables the priority ranking of these settlements according to the inherent risks at

each (Table 33).

Whilst each settlement has its own set of wastewater threats and values, some risk themes are

universal to all un-sewered Towong Shire townships. These include:

Ubiquitous small lots which typically offer inadequate space for a land application

area sized according to present day best practice and insufficient space for a

commensurately sized reserve area;

A high proportion of ageing systems;

A high proportion of split systems with grey water discharged to stormwater; and

Proximity to sensitive receiving environments.

The risk assessment process suggests that the three highest risk settlements in Towong Shire are:

Bethanga;

Mitta Mitta; and

Eskdale.

In these towns the interplay of multiple risk factors elevates the risk to environmental and public

health. For this reason, the DWMP strategy needs to be framed around giving priority to specific

actions within these higher risk settlements.

Table 33:

Priority Ranking of Settlements

Settlement Average Risk

Assessment Score

Settlement Risk

Ranking

DWMP Strategy

Priority

Bethanga 11 1 High

Mitta Mitta 11 2 High

Eskdale 9 3 High

Granya 8 4 Medium

Old Tallangatta 8 5 Medium

Towong 8 6 Medium

Cudgewa 7 7 Low

Tintaldra 7 8 Low


6. Towong Shire Catchments

Towong Shire is wholly located within the Upper Murray River Basin which forms the catchment of

Hume Reservoir. Apart from Mitta Mitta River and the Murray River downstream from the Swampy

Plains River confluence, all other waterways within Towong Shire are unregulated. The main

unregulated waterways include the Thowgla, Nariel / Corryong, Cudgewa, Koetong, Tallangatta,

Snowy and Little Snowy Creeks.

A total of 15 catchments (Figure 21) within Towong Shire have been assessed by the DWMP to

understand threat factors, key catchment value types and the subsequent wastewater management

risks.

Existing Land Use and Dwelling Density

Towong Shire has an overall on-site wastewater system density of one system per 363 hectares. Apart

from the Bethanga Creek catchment, all Towong Shire catchments currently have on-site wastewater

system densities substantially less than 1:40ha the risk threshold provided by 2012 Ministerial

Guidelines for Planning Permit Applications in Open Potable Water Supply Catchment Areas (Figure 23

and Table 34).

For Towong Shire to approach the 1:40 density that is considered to be a risk threshold by the 2012

Ministerial Guidelines for Planning Permit Applications in Open Potable Water Supply Catchment Areas,

there would need to be an additional 14700 on-site systems installed throughout the municipality.

Clearly on this basis there is significant ‘freeboard’ for additional un-sewered development within the

municipality based on the 1:40 ha dwelling density risk threshold.

Figure 21


Of all the catchments, Bethanga Creek catchment has the highest dwelling densities at 1 dwelling per

11 ha. The Mitta Mitta valley has low overall dwelling densities however it has two un-sewered towns,

Eskdale and Mitta Mitta that are located close to important waterways which are significant but

localized ‘focal points’ for on-site wastewater disposal within the broader catchment context.

Around two thirds of Towong Shire is comprised of Crown Land and cannot be developed.

Catchments such as Mitta Mitta River, Upper Murray River, Cudgewa Creek, Thowgla Creek, Koetong

Creek and Nariel Creek all contain large proportions of Crown land (Figures 23 and 24) where there is

little prospect of additional un-sewered development that could provide significantly greater dwelling

densities.

Figure 22


Figure 23

Figure 24


The large proportion of Crown Land coupled with the overall lack of pressure for land use change in

large parts of Towong Shire means that for most of the municipality, the majority of the risk

associated with on-site wastewater management stems from existing systems already in the

landscape, particularly those that are sited in locations that do not comply with present standards. In

this regard, across the municipality there are:

732 systems that potentially do not comply with current Code of Practice waterway setbacks

(Figure 25). This represents about 40% of on-site systems within the municipality; and

153 or approximately 8% of all Towong on-site systems located within the Towong Planning

Scheme Floodway and Land Subject to Inundation Overlays (Figure 26) where occasional

periods of inundation may be problematic for on-site wastewater management.

Table 34:

Catchment dwelling density, Proportion of Crown land and potential for land use

change

Catchment

Dwelling Density

(ha/on-site

system)

Proportion of

Crown Land

Potential for Land

Use Change With

Increased Dwelling

Densities

Mitta Mitta River 487 75% No

Nariel / Corryong Creek 350 51% No

Thowgla Creek 484 56% No

Upper Murray River 1483 78% No

Murray River Environs 352 32% No

Cudgewa Creek 379 63% No

Walwa and Sandy Creeks 333 5% No

Burrowye Creek 633 39% No

Koetong Creek 819 73% No

Georges Creek 167 11% No

Tallangatta Creek 418 38% No

Dry Forest Creek 429 39% No

Cottontree Creek 117 38% No

Bethanga Creek 11 14% Yes

Lake Hume Environs 126 13% Yes


Figure 26

Figure 25


Climate

Rainfall deficit/excess is important for the sizing of domestic wastewater systems. Within Towong

Shire there is an environmental gradient whereby there is trend for evaporation to increase from the

south-east to the north-west of the municipality, with the converse applying to rainfall.

In the southern parts of the municipality, such as at Mitta Mitta, it is likely that rainfall will exceed

evaporation between May and October whilst in the northwest around Bethanga this period of rainfall

excess would be confined to a shorter period, typically from May to September. In addition, in the

southern and eastern parts of the municipality, lower winter temperatures are likely to inhibit plant

growth and hence transpiration and nutrient take up rates. It is likely that on-site wastewater systems

in the cooler and wetter southern and eastern parts of the municipality will need to rely to a greater

extent on soil permeability for proper system functioning.

Overall, the catchments in the north-west of the municipality such as the Lake Hume environs and

Bethanga Creek catchment have the most favorable climatic conditions for on-site wastewater

management because of their relatively lower rainfall and higher evaporation rates.

Proximity to Sensitive Receiving Environments and Direct Township Potable Water Extraction

For Towong Shire, the key sensitive receiving environment is Lake Hume, although only a small

fraction of Lake Hume water is used directly for drinking water consumption. Other important areas

for the protection of potable town water include the Mitta Mitta River upstream of the Eskdale town

water supply off-take and the Nariel Creek upstream from the Corryong town water supply off-take

point.

Land Use Change

For most catchments, there is unlikely to be significant changes to existing dwelling densities over the

life of the DWMP. Beyond the 40 minute travel contour from Albury – Wodonga there is little pressure

for land use change and within Towong Statistical Local Area ‘B’ there has been an overall decline in

the rural balance population. The declining rural balance population in SLA ‘B” suggests that in a large

part of the municipality, less domestic wastewater is being generated than in the past.

The only catchments where re-zonings are proposed that could change dwelling densities are:

o Bethanga Creek catchment, and

o Lake Hume Environs.

In each instance, the Towong Shire Rural Land Use Study and Settlement Strategy promulgates

additional Rural Living Zone with minimum sub-division sizes in the range of 2-8ha. There is little

likelihood for land use change that might cause an increase in the number of on-site systems in all

catchments apart from these two catchments.

Catchment Risk Assessment

The DWMP catchment risk profile process is intended to identify which catchments present the

greatest risk in relation to wastewater management so as to inform where DWMP strategy should be

directed. The approach employed by the DWMP uses a threat and consequence matrix with the

following criteria used to assess risk and ultimately derive a risk rating for each catchment:

Existing dwelling density;

Proportion of Crown land;

Climate (Rainfall / Evapo-transpiration);

Proximity of sensitive receiving environments to existing and proposed development;

Proximity to direct township potable water extraction;


Age of systems;

Proportion of Dwellings in Risky Context (such proximity to waterways or location

within Floodway or Land Subject to Inundation Overlays)

Existing small lots and potential for offsite discharges;

Presence of un-sewered townships; and

Scope for land use change and potential for increased dwelling density.

This risk assessment process indicates that the catchments with the highest risk ratings are (Table 35):

o Bethanga Creek, and

o Lake Hume Environs

The Bethanga Creek catchment has a higher risk rating because of:

Existing dwelling densities,

The location of the township of Bethanga within the catchment providing a high

concentration of systems within a relatively small area,

The likely poor existing wastewater management practices,

Proximity of sensitive receiving environments and the direct risk of contamination to ground

and surface waters,

Small lot sizes within Bethanga, and

The potential for additional un-sewered development in the future which could enhance

public health and environmental risks.

The Lake Hume Environs catchment has a relatively low overall dwelling density, but has a higher risk

rating because of:

The proximity to an important sensitive receiving environment (Lake Hume); and

The scope for additional rural living development and likely increased on-site wastewater

disposal in the landscape immediately adjacent to the Lake.

Across the high risk Bethanga Creek and Lake Hume Environs catchments there are a total of 432 un-

sewered dwellings (Figure 27). This represents approximately 24% of all Towong Shire on-site systems.

Most other catchments have only moderate overall risk levels. The Nariel catchment has an elevated

risk rating because of the Corryong water supply off-take as has the Mitta Mitta catchment because of

the Eskdale water supply off-take together with the proximity of the townships of Eskdale and Mitta

Mitta to key catchment waterways.

Figure 28

Figure 27


Table 35:

Catchment Risk Analysis

Ind

i (U

pp

er

Mu

rraay R

iver)

Th

ow

gla

Ck

Nari

el /

Co

rryo

ng

Ck

Cu

dg

ew

a C

k

Walw

a /

San

dy C

k

Ko

eto

ng

Ck

Co

tto

ntr

ee C

k

Dry

Fo

rest

Ck

Geo

rges

Ck

Beth

an

ga C

k

Lake H

um

e

En

vir

on

s

Mit

ta M

itta

Tallan

gatt

a C

k

Mu

rray R

iver

en

vir

on

s

(up

stre

am

of

Lake H

um

e)

Bu

rro

wye C

k

Likelihood - Threat Factors

Existing Dwelling Density 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 4 2 1 1 1 1

Existing Small lots and potential for offsite

Discharges

1 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 4 2 2 1 1 1

Flooding / Inundation

Risk to Existing Development

2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 2 1

Direct Township Potable water extraction 2 2 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 4 5 2 3 1

Un-sewered Townships 1 1 1 2 1 1 3 1 1 4 3 4 2 2 1

Proportion of Dwellings in Risky Context 1 3 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 5 4 3 1 2 1

Systems >25yo 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 4

Land Use Change – Potential for Increased

Dwelling Density

1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 2 5 4 2 2 1 1

Proximity of Sensitive Receiving

Environments to Existing and Proposed

Development

1 3 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 5 4 4 2 3 2

Climate (Rainfall / Evapo-transpiration) 4 4 4 4 3 4 2 2 2 2 2 4 3 2 2

Proportion of Crown Land 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 1 2 2 2

AVERAGE SCORE (ROUNDED) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 3 3 2 2 2

Consequence – Value Types

Public Health Protection Including

Protection of Potable Drinking Water

4 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 4 4 4

Amenity 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 4 3 2 3 2

Protection of Sensitive Receiving

Environments

3 3 5 3 2 2 3 2 2 5 5 5 2 3 2

Recreation / Tourism 4 2 4 2 1 2 2 1 1 4 4 4 2 3 2

AVERAGE SCORE (ROUNDED) 3 3 4 3 2 2 3 2 2 5 5 4 2 3 2

Risk Rating

R3

R3

R2

R3

R3

R3

R3

R3

R3

R1

R1

R2

R3

R3

R3


Risk Matrix

Likelihood (Frequency) F5 Almost certain – expected to occur

F4 Likely – will probably occur at some time

F3 Possible – could occur at some time

F2 Unlikely – not expected to occur

F1 Rare – exceptional circumstances

Consequence S5 Severe – severe and long term economic, public health or environmental impacts

S4 Major – significant economic, public health or environmental impacts

S3 Moderate – economic, public health or environmental impacts

S2 Minor – some economic, public health or environmental impacts

S1 Negligible – little or no economic, public health or environmental impacts

Risk Classification Consequence

1 2 3 4 5

Likelihood

5 R3 R2 R2 R1 R1

4 R3 R2 R2 R1 R1

3 R4 R3 R2 R2 R1

2 R4 R3 R3 R3 R2

1 R4 R4 R3 R3 R3

Risk Prioritisation

Risk Rating Risk Control

R1 – Very High Risk Implement intervention and improvement actions

R2 – High Risk Identify, prioritise and implement intervention and improvement actions

R3 – Moderate Risk Implement improvement actions as needed

R4 - Low Risk Manage through routine procedures


7. Future Rural Residential Development Within the Lake Hume Environs

Rationale for Proposed Rezonings

The Towong Shire Settlement Strategy 2010 and Towong Shire Rural Land Use Study propose changes

to the Towong Planning Scheme to allow rural residential development to be undertaken in discrete

areas in the Lake Hume environs. The areas proposed for rural living are relatively close to existing

settlements in locations that are not strategically important for agriculture and that are largely away

from identified natural hazards. The areas recommended for rezoning are shown in Figure 28.

Figure 28:

Proposed rural living areas (hatched)

within the Lake Hume environs

The western part of Towong Shire adjacent to Lake Hume is an area which is strongly connected to

Albury / Wodonga through proximity and accessibility. It is an ‘amenity’ landscape located within ‘peri

urban’ hinterland of Albury / Wodonga where the areas proposed for rezoning are characterised by:

An absence of high quality agricultural land;

An absence of agriculture as a land use;

A highly desirable rural residential environment characterised by high levels of residential

amenity afforded by the Lake Hume environs and varied topography;

High rates of residents commuting to Albury / Wodonga;

Being closer to the central business districts of Albury and Wodonga than established the

Albury-Wodonga commuter towns of Barnawartha, Chiltern, Howlong, Rutherglen,

Yackandandah and Beechworth;

Heavy fragmentation of rural land holdings; and

Strong demand for rural residential development evidenced by:

o Almost half of all Towong Shire dwelling and subdivision planning applications

between 1999-2010 being located within 40 minutes commuting time from

Albury/Wodonga; and

o The market value of land being a function of its ‘amenity’ value rather than

‘productive’ value.

These areas are characterised by rural residential development and contain few, if any viable

agricultural enterprises. Parts of the Bethanga Peninsular have been recommended for rezoning to


enable rural residential development by planning strategies dating back to the late 1970’s. Formal

implementation of a zoning regime that gives primacy to rural residential development instead of

agriculture in these areas is long overdue and will provide a broader range of options to the

residential land market in a structured and less ‘ad hoc’ manner that has occurred in the past.

The rezoning of these areas will formalise within the Towong Planning Scheme existing areas of

de-facto rural living and to provide a coordinated approach to future rural residential

development.

Soil-Landform Analysis of Areas to be Rezoned

Whilst a landscape scale land capability assessment for each area will be required at the rezoning

stage a desktop analysis of the soils in each area proposed for rezoning using published soil

landform information has been provided in this DWMP to provide general guidance around the

appropriateness of the rezoning proposals in response to anticipated edaphic conditions.

The data used for this purpose is the land resource data derived by the North East Land Resource

Assessment (NELRA) project which is essentially a 1:100,000 soil-landform unit dataset that is based

upon geological mapping, landform mapping and soil information. The base information within

the NELRA (soils, geology, slope, aspect, climate) is intended to be used to determine the broad

capability of the landscape to support different land uses and the land resource information is

intended to help to discriminate areas within the landscape that are inherently suitable for different

land uses.

Through mapping of individual land elements as defined from the NELRA, it is possible to provide

inferred Australian Standard AS/NZS 1547:2012 limiting subsoil (B Horizon) soil category (Ksat

permeability) data for each mapped land element within each study area, through use of the

NELRA land element major soil type subsoil information (soil drainage, structure, texture, and

indicative soil permeability of the soil with particular reference to Table 5.2 of AS/NZS 1547:2012).

This information can in turn provides the basis for subsequent indicative domestic wastewater land

application area calculations for each land element, thereby providing general guidance around

appropriate lot sizes and wastewater land application area sizes.

Using the base NELRA soil-landform unit spatial data as a platform for detailed land element

mapping, the DWMP has identified the occurrence of twelve NELRA defined land elements across

the areas to be rezoned in the Lake Hume environs. These are shown in Table 36 and Appendices 1

to 6.

Whilst the NELRA land element mapping suggests that Category 6 AS/NZS 1547:2012 soils may be

present within each area, the experience with existing systems operating in these areas and the

results from land capability assessments based on actual site conditions in these areas suggests

that this is likely to be conservative representation of soil permeability and the actual inherent

permeability will be greater than 0.06 m/day.

Based on the identified NELRA land elements in each study area:

Texture contrast (duplex) soils with clay-rich subsoils (B horizons) are likely to be

typical throughout;

AS/NZS 1547:2012 Category 5 soils are likely to be ubiquitous across the areas to be

rezoned;

Category 6 subsoils are associated with some of the mapped NELRA land elements,

though the experience with existing development and previous land capability

assessments within the study areas suggests that this is likely to be a conservative


representation of limiting horizon permeability and that actual permeability within

these areas will often be greater;

Soils within the proposed study areas are likely to contain a high proportion of

Chromosols, Dermosols, Kurosols and Kandasols (Table 36) which according to

‘Approaches for Risk Analysis of Development with On-site Wastewater Disposal in

Open Potable Water Catchments’ (2014) by Dr. R Edis are amongst the most

favourable soil types for attenuating risk associated with on-site waste water disposal

without facility failure leading to concentration flow and / or surface expression.

According to this publication, Chromosols, Dermosols and Kandosols are potentially

suitable for higher density development;

Overall subsoils in the Lake Hume environs are likely to have inherent permeability

(Ksat) in the order of <0.06 – 0.5 m/day;

Indicative land application areas for a standard three bedroom dwelling in most

areas containing Category 5 AS/NZS 1547:2012 subsoils are likely to be:

o <300m² for trenches and beds (Primary conservative and secondary treated)

and ETA/ETS systems); and

o <1000m² for Low Pressure Effluent Distribution

This suggests that the proposed minimum lot size of 2-4 hectares should in most

cases offer sufficient area for a domestic wastewater land application area and

commensurate reserve area sized in accordance with AS/NZS 1547:2012.


TABLE 36:

NELRA Defined Land Element within Proposed Lake Hume Environs Rural Living Areas –

Major Soil Type Soil Information (Australian Standard AS/NZS 1547:2012 Soil Categories and Design Loading Rates (DLR) / Design Irrigation

Rates (DIR))

NELR

A

Lan

d E

lem

en

t

Au

stra

lian

So

il C

lass

ific

ati

on

So

il T

yp

e Q

uali

tati

ve S

uit

ab

ilit

y

Rati

ng

*

Rele

van

t N

ELR

A S

ub

soil

Ho

rizo

n

Ho

rizo

n

15

47

:20

12

NELR

A M

ajo

r So

il T

yp

e

Su

bso

il T

ex

ture

NELR

A M

ajo

r So

il T

yp

e

Su

bso

il S

tru

ctu

re

AS

/NZ

S 1

54

7:2

01

2 S

oil

Cate

go

ry

So

il P

erm

eab

ilit

y (

Ksa

t) (

m/d

ay)

Ind

icati

ve D

esi

gn

Lo

ad

ing

Rate

s

(DLR

) T

ren

ch

es

an

d B

ed

s

(M/d

ay)

Co

nse

rvati

ve

Ind

icati

ve D

esi

gn

Lo

ad

ing

Rate

s

(DLR

) T

ren

ch

es

an

d B

ed

s

(M/d

ay)

Max

imu

m

Ind

icati

ve D

esi

gn

Lo

ad

ing

Rate

s

(DLR

) T

ren

ch

es

an

d B

ed

s

(M/d

ay)

Seco

nd

ary

Ind

icati

ve D

esi

gn

Irr

igati

on

Rate

(DIR

) LP

ED

Ind

icati

ve D

esi

gn

Lo

ad

ing

Rate

s

(DLR

)

ET

A /

ET

S

(mm

/day)

Hills on Gneiss (HGn)

Component 1 (Upper

Slopes 10-20)%)

Brown Dermosol 1 B2

Clay

Loam

Moderate

4

0.5-1.5

10 15 30 3

12


Component 2

(Moderate Slopes 10-20%)

Brown Kurosol 2 B22 Light Clay

Strong

5

0.12-

0.5

5 8 12 2.5

8


Component 3

(Gentle Foot Slopes 3-10%)

Red Chromosol 1 B21 Medium

Clay

Strong

6

0.06-

0.5

N/A N/A N/A N/A

5


Schist (CLSs)

Component 2

(Lower slopes)

Grey / Brown

Sodosols

2-3 B21 Heavy

Clay

Strong

6

0.06-

0.5

N/A N/A N/A N/A

8


Granite (Type 2) (CLG2)

Component 1

(Moderate slopes on

colluviums 10-20%)

Yellow

Chromosol

1 B2 Light Clay Strong 5 0.12-

0.5

5 8 12 2.5

8



Component 2

(Gentle slopes on

colluviums Slopes 1-10%)

Yellow

Chromosol

1 B22 Light Clay

Weak

6 <0.06 N/A N/A 8 2.5

5



Component 3

Minor depressions, drainage

lines and seeps on

Grey Chromosol 1 B23 Heavy

Clay

Massive 6 <0.06 N/A N/A N/A N/A 5


metamorphic gneiss

(CLGn) Component 1

Upper slopes

Red Kandosol

and

Red Chromosols

1 - 2 B1 Sandy

Clay

Weak 5 <0.06 N/A N/A 8 2.5 5


metamorphic gneiss

(CLGn) Component 2

Lower slopes

Red Dermosol 1 B1 Light Clay Massive 5 <0.06 N/A N/A 8 2.5 5

Mountains on gneiss

(MGn)

Component 1

Crests and side slopes

Brown Kurosol 2 B2 Light Clay Strong 5 0.12-

0.5

5 8 12 2.5 8

Mountains on Granite,

(MG)

Component: 3

Moderate to steep slopes

with duplex soils

Brown Kurosol 2 B2 Light Clay Strong 5 0.12-

0.5

5 8 12 2.5 5

Mountains on Granite,

(MG)

Component: 4

Moderate slopes in lower

landscape positions

Brown Kurosol 2 B2 Sandy

Clay

Moderate 5 0.06-

0.12

N/A 5 10 2.5 5

⁺ Soil permeability and DLR/DIR have been inferred from NELRA land element major soil type soil data with reference to Tables 5.2 of AS/NZS 1547:2012.

*Based on the ‘Qualitative Suitability Rating’ from Approaches for Risk Analysis of Development with On-site Wastewater Disposal in Open Potable Water Catchments (2014) Dr. R

Edis


Merits of the Rezonings

The rural residential development facilitated by the proposed rezonings will result in increased

residential development and associated on-site wastewater disposal within the immediate environs of

Lake Hume, accordingly it is important to ensure that future un-sewered rural residential development

within each proposed rural living area only proceeds on land that has an acceptable capacity for on-

site waste water management and that sensitive receiving environments will not be impacted.

EPA publication 746.1 Land Capability Assessment for On-site Domestic Wastewater Management

provides a decision making framework for determining the merits of the rezoning proposals from an

environmental and public health perspective. Key decision points within the framework are:

Whether the on-site wastewater will contaminate ground and surface waters; and

Whether the site is suitable for on-site wastewater management (based on land

capability rating and an assessment of inherent constraints).

The merits of the rezoning of these areas pursuant to the requirements of EPA publication 746.1 Land

Capability Assessment for On-site Domestic Wastewater Management will need to be investigated as

part of the planning scheme amendment process, however it is likely that each area will contain large

areas that provide scope for on-site wastewater management that is compliant with statutory

requirements with acceptable residual environmental and public health risk. The rationale for this is

that:

Surface and ground waters should not be impacted if Code of Practice setbacks are

applied and if site-specific land capability analysis based on actual observed site

characteristics are a mandatory part of the statutory land use planning approvals

process. The Code of Practice statutory setbacks contain considerable redundancy, so if

surface and groundwater features are appropriately identified at the rezoning stage by

a landscape scale land capability assessment and subsequent site specific assessments

based on actual site conditions, the key test in the framework provided by EPA

publication 746.1 Land Capability Assessment for On-site Domestic Wastewater

Management is likely to be satisfied;

The proposed minimum lot size of 2-4 hectares is substantially larger than the

indicative land application area sizing calculated using NELRA soil information, thereby

supporting the notion that all wastewater should be able to be treated and retained

within the bounds of each created lot;

Wastewater management is occurring successfully within each study area at present;

The area has the lowest rainfall and highest evaporation rates within the municipality

suggesting that it has the most favourable climate for on-site wastewater management

within the Towong Shire;

Not all of each proposed rural living area is constrained and significant parts of each

area are likely to be sufficiently clear of constraints to assume successful on-site

domestic wastewater management;

In constrained areas, the merits of on-site waste water disposal will only be considered

after further investigation by site-specific land capability analysis based on actual

observed site and soil properties. This process provides a ‘sieving’ process that


progressively identifies constrained areas at a finer scale, thereby enabling more

specific deployment of risk management measures;

Each study area is likely to contain a high proportion of low to medium risk soils

pursuant to the ‘Qualitative Suitability Rating’ promulgated by the paper Approaches for

Risk Analysis of Development with On-site Wastewater Disposal in Open Potable Water

Catchments (2014) by Dr. R Edis; and

AS/NZS 1547:2012 provides system selection and design modifications that caters for

specific site constraints and which serve to reduce risk to an acceptable level in such

situations. Many inherent site limitations may be overcome by applying AS/NZS

1547:2012 system selection and design advice through the use of Land Capability

Assessments as system design documents.


APPENDICES

North East Land Resource Assessment (NELRA) Land Elements within

Proposed Rural Living Areas

Appendix 1: Proposed Bethanga Rural Living Area

Appendix 2: Proposed Lakeside Rural Living Area

Appendix 3: Proposed Old Tallangatta Rural Living Area

Appendix 4: Proposed Talgarno Rural Living Area

Appendix 5: Proposed Tallangatta South East Rural Living Area

Appendix 6: Proposed Tallangatta West Rural Living Area


Appendix 1: NELRA Land Elements Proposed Bethanga Rural Living Area


Appendix 2: NELRA Land Elements Proposed Lakeside Rural Living Area


Appendix 3: NELRA Land Elements Proposed Old Tallangatta Rural Living Area


Appendix 4: NELRA Land Elements Proposed Talgarno Rural Living Area


Appendix 5: NELRA Land Elements Proposed Tallangatta South East Rural

Living Area


Appendix 6: NELRA Land Elements Proposed Tallangatta West Rural Living Area

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