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View of the Myall Lake

Water Quality Improvement Plan (WQIP)

The Great Lakes Water Quality Improvement Plan outlines the water quality improvement actions required to protect and rehabilitate Wallis, Smiths and Myall Lakes. 

The plan draws on new research, catchment and estuarine modeling and community engagement to identify a range of rehabilitation, protection and management support actions to protect and restore the ecological health of these systems.   The Water Quality Improvement Plan has been developed for practitioners and catchment and estuary management groups, the plan is divided into three parts: 

·         PART 1: CCI planning process

Provides a background to the Coastal Catchments Initiative and the process of developing the WQIP 

·         PART 2: Individual lake Water Quality Improvement Plan actions (Wallis Lake, Smiths Lake and Myall Lakes)

 This section in the plan for each of the lakes outlines the:

• current condition of the lakes
• communities vision for the lakes (ecological targets)
• summary of water quality improvement actions
• costs of the actions 

·         PART 3: Implementation framework

Part 3 of the plan provides the detail on how to put the water quality improvement actions into practice. It covers rural land, rural residential, urban land and on lake activities.

The plan also details how Local and State Government can improve pollution management and provides a guide for adaptive management of the lakes.

How is the Water Quality Improvement Plan being implemented? 

The Water Quality Improvement Plan will be guided by Great Lakes Councils Estuary and Coast Committee and Catchment Committee.

A water quality sub committee has been established to ensure there is a committment to the actions outlined in the plan by each of the organisations identified.

Great Lakes Council and its partners have been seeking funding to implement the actions identified in the plan. Projects to implement the Water Quality Improvement Plan are underway. These include:

• Constructing Water Quality Improvement devices in the Pipers Creek Catchment
• Sustainable Grazing Program across the Myall and Wallis Lake Catchments
• Investigating protection options for sea sponge beds in Southern Wallis Lake
• Improving institutional arrangements for Water Sensitive Urban Design and Development

 This project was delivered in partnership with the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) and was guided by an Advisory Committee of community, industry and agency representatives.

The Water Quality Improvement Plan was primarily funded by the Australian Government through the Natural Heritage Trust under the Coastal Catchments Initiative.

WQIP Full Report (broadband download) (pdf 8 Mb )

The Water Quality Improvement Plan and Appendices have been broken down into smaller file sizes for people with slow internet connections (ie dial up) and can be downloaded here.

A CD of the plan is available at a cost of $10. Please use the contact details below to arrange a copy.

Contact details
Coastal Catchments Initiative Co-ordinator
02 6591 7222 (ph)
02 6591 7200 (fax)
council@greatlakes.nsw.gov.au

© 2008 Great Lakes Council
This page: http://www.greatlakes.local-e.nsw.gov.au/environment/71604/74339.html