By Tyler Wright
Yarra Ranges councillors moved to appoint contractors to the shire’s Water Tank Infrastructure Specialists panel at a meeting on Tuesday 24 October as part of the Monbulk Creek Smart Water Network (MCSWN) project.
Councillors unanimously agreed to appoint BPC Projects Pty Ltd, Plumbtrax Pty Ltd, ODM Plumbing Pty Ltd. and EJ’s Plumbing Pty Ltd to the panel; helping the council meet its potable water use reduction targets.
The panel is set to help install residential and non residential rainwater tanks as part of the MCSWN.
The MCSWN is expected to support vulnerable platypus populations in the Monbulk Creek by regulating the water levels and reducing the impacts of peak high and low stormwater events on the aquatic ecology.
The council will also invite local residents to show an expression of interest in joining the project as part of the residential and non-residential tank delivery portion of the MCSWN project.
Eligible residents will receive a rainwater tank that is linked to their domestic plumbing, in exchange for remote accesses to release 50 per cent or greater, of the stored water, into the Monbulk Creek for the purpose of strategic environmental flows.
Executive officer of climate and nature at Yarra Ranges Council, Sarah Bond, told councillors at the meeting that the goal is to install 100 water tanks along Monbulk Creek as part of the project.
“Tanks will be used for supplying toilet water in some cases,“ Ms Bond said.
“It’s very variable, but it’s part of our commitment to reducing our potable water usage through our environment strategy.“
The environmental flows will be regulated using remote technology and real-time monitoring controlling release from rainwater tanks and the Belgrave Lake and Birdsland Lake reservoirs.
Lyster Ward councillor Johanna Skelton said she was “very excited“ about the project.
“I was at the Platypus Festival on the weekend [Sunday 22 October] and there were a number of residents that came down knowing that Melbourne Water and that project team were going to be there and they were saying ’can you please put my name down? I live near Monbulk Creek,’“ Cr Skelton said.
“It was really exciting to see that people are looking for ways that they can support the platypus but also just the creek health and reduce runoff and flooding.“
“The residents are going to get half of that tank for use at home; they’ll be able to flush their toilets and reduce their potable water use, and for the ecology; we will have all this that benefit from storm water.
“We know that all around Australia, people and communities are worried about increasing flash flooding, and we’ve certainly seen last October the effects of that crazy flash flood that we had, and if there’s incremental ways that we can improve our preparedness for that by having the rainwater from roofs collected in these tanks and stored and then slowly released or released when it’s particularly dry and those animals need it most in the creeks, there’s just going to be so many benefits.“
The project is a collaboration between Melbourne Water, University of Melbourne, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), Yarra Ranges Council, South East Water and the Australian Research Council.
The tanks supplied under the MCSWN will be grant funded but facilitated through council.
The need for the Water Tank Infrastructure Specialist Panel was triggered by the expenditure of the MCSWN prokect and future tank installations.
The council’s financial input to the project was about $35,000, Cr Skelton said.
“I’m just so happy that that we were chosen and able to trial this,“ she said.
“I think it’s going to be something that once that does put together other communities will be wanting as well,
“I hope of that we can save the remnant platypus population.“
Cr Skelton also said she is in favour of having a panel in charge of the tank contracts and being able to draw on people with different skills.
“It’s good that we’ve been able to take that time upfront to get the right companies for the job, and I’m confident that the process of procurement that they went through was thorough and that we’ve got some good people on board.“
Chandler Ward councillor David Eastham said it would be great to see a project like the MCSWN rolled out across the Yarra Ranges as well as the rest of the state.
“All of this great work helps us; whether it is flash floods on one extreme or whether it’s the drier environments as well,“ Cr Eastham said.
“We do talk about the platypus and the creek health….there are so many other species that will benefit from this piece of work.“
Cr Eastham said it is “great“ the council can deliver something like this within the municipality.
“The benefits are just phenomenal,“ he said.
“I’m sure that we’ve got the right experts involved to deliver an incredible outcome for the community and also the environment.“
The motion was carried unanimously.
