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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
3 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
4 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
5 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
Towong Shire Council
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.
6 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
7 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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:
8 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
9 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
10 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
11 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
12 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
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.
13 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
14 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
15 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
16 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
17 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
18 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
19 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Number of dwellings 90
Properties <100m waterway 71
Properties <40m waterway 39
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)
20 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
21 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
22 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=4
Risk (Value x Threat) Wastewater Risk
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
16 16 16 16 8 4 16 16
Protection of Potable
Drinking Water
16 16 16 16 8 4 16 16
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
16 16 16 16 8 4 16 16
Amenity Recreation 9 9 9 9 3 3 9 9
Visual / Odor 16 16 16 16 4 4 16 16
Economic Development
Potential
12 8 8 12 6 3 12 12
Property Values 9 9 9 6 3 3 9 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.
23 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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 properties <2000 m² 19
Number of properties 2000 - 4000 m² 19
Number of properties >4000 m² 25
Number of lots without dwelling 11
Number of lots with dwelling 53
Properties <100m waterway 12
Properties <40m waterway 8
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.
24 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Figure 5 and Table 7:
NELRA Soil Landform Information
TABLE 6:
CUDGEWA AS/NZS 1547/2012 SOIL CATEGORIES AND INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREAS
SOIL PROFILES 1 2
MGA CO-ORDINATES E 569,439
N 5,994,514
E 570,112
N 5,994,973
ELEVATION (M) 325 315
SOIL DEPTH Soil depth greater than 1.0 metres
DEPTH TO WATERTABLE Groundwater not encountered
Limited mottling indicates infrequent saturation
LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON TEXTURE
Light Clay Sandy Clay
LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON STRUCTURE Moderate Moderate
SOIL CATEGORY (AS/NZ1547:2000) 5 5
INDICATIVE DESIGN LOADING AND IRRIGATION RATES
DESIGN LOADING RATE (TRENCHES & BEDS)
(mm/day)
5 Maximum
10 Secondary
5 Maximum
10 Secondary
DESIGN LOADING RATE ETA/ETS (mm/day) 5 5
DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE DRIP AND SPRAY
(mm/week)
3 3
DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE LPED (mm/day) 2.5 2.5
SOIL PERMEABILITY Ksat (m/day) 0.06 - 0.12
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) 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 Code of Practice Onsite Wastewater Management Publication number 891.3
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)
25 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Table 8: Cudgewa 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
3 The whole of Towong Shire is a Declared Open Potable Water Supply Catchment.
Environment Sensitive Receiving
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.
Property Values 3 Ensuring property values are not impacted by wastewater management issues is important for town residents.
Tourism 2 Tourism is not a significant consideration for the town.
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=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
3 3 4 3 2 2 3 4
Protection of
Potable Drinking
Water
2 3 4 4 2 2 3 4
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
2 3 4 4 2 2 3 4
Amenity Recreation 1 3 3 3 1 2 3 3
Visual / Odor 2 3 4 2 1 2 3 4
Economic Development
Potential
3 2 3 4 2 2 2 2
Property Values 3 2 3 4 1 2 3 3
Tourism 1 2 3 3 1 2 2 3
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=4
Figure 6
26 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Risk (Value x Threat) Wastewater Risk
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
12 12 16 12 8 8 12 16
Protection of Potable
Drinking Water
6 9 12 12 6 6 9 12
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
6 9 12 12 6 6 9 12
Amenity Recreation 2 6 6 6 2 4 6 6
Visual / Odor 6 9 12 6 3 3 6 12
Economic Development
Potential
6 4 6 8 4 4 4 4
Property Values 9 6 9 9 3 3 9 12
Tourism 2 4 6 6 2 2 4 6
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
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.
27 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
Possible shallow groundwater
Towong Planning Scheme Zoning & Overlays Township Zone
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
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 1100
Approximate Annual Evaporation (mm) 1200
Number of properties <2000 m² 50
Number of properties 2000 - 4000 m² 15
Number of properties >4000 m² 9
Number of lots without dwelling 17
Number of lots with dwelling 57
Properties <100m waterway 53
Properties <40m waterway 42
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 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.
28 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON TEXTURE
Light Clay Light Clay Light 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 (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
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
29 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
30 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Figure 8
Figure 9
31 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Table 12 Eskdale 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
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.
Environment Sensitive Receiving
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.
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. The Little Snowy Creek is a popular fishing stream.
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=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
3 4 4 4 2 1 3 4
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
3 4 4 4 2 1 3 4
Amenity Recreation 3 3 3 3 1 1 3 3
Visual / Odor 3 4 4 2 1 1 3 4
Economic Development
Potential
3 2 2 4 2 1 3 2
Property Values 3 3 3 3 1 1 3 4
Tourism 2 2 3 3 1 1 2 3
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=4
Risk (Value x Threat) Wastewater Risk
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
16 16 16 16 8 4 12 16
Protection of
Potable Drinking
Water
9 12 12 12 6 3 9 12
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
12 16 16 16 8 4 12 16
Amenity Recreation 6 6 6 6 2 2 6 6
Visual / Odor 8 12 16 8 4 4 12 16
Economic Development
Potential
9 6 6 12 6 3 9 6
Property Values 9 9 9 9 3 3 9 12
Tourism 4 4 6 6 2 2 4 6
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
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.
32 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
Possible shallow groundwater
Towong Planning Scheme Zoning & Overlays Low Density Residential Zone
Restructure Overlay
Future Planning Scheme Changes Possible application of the Rural Living Zone over the parts of
the Cottontree Creek catchment
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 850
Approximate Annual Evaporation (mm) 1350
Number of properties <2000 m² 8
Number of properties 2000 - 4000 m² 8
Number of properties >4000 m² 30
Number of lots without dwelling 65
Properties <100m waterway No properties zoned Low Density Residential Zone
Properties <40m waterway No properties zoned Low Density Residential Zone
Properties in Floodway / Land Subject to Inundation
Overlay
No properties are located within the Land Subject to Inundation
Overlay and Floodway 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 Cottontree Creek Creek and other minor
waterways
Possible shallow groundwater
Potential for additional rural residential development
Small lot sizes in the township with limited provision
for a reserve land application area
Age of systems
33 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
SOIL RISK 1 (Low) 1 (Low)
Figure 10 and Table 14: NELRA Soil landform
Information
34 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
TABLE 15
GRANYA AS/NZS 1547/2012 SOIL CATEGORIES AND INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREAS
SOIL PROFILES 1 2
MGA CO-ORDINATES E 528,635
N 6,004,566
E 528,665
N 6,003,647
ELEVATION (M) 245 275
SOIL DEPTH Soil depth greater than 1.0metres
DEPTH TO WATERTABLE Groundwater not encountered.
Red colour indicates good drainage
Groundwater not encountered.
Red colour indicates good drainage
LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON TEXTURE
Light Clay Sandy Clay
LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON STRUCTURE
Strong Strong
SOIL CATEGORY (AS/NZ1547:2012) 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
DESIGN LOADING RATE ETA/ETS (mm/day) 8 8
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
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
35 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Table 16 Granya 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
3 The whole of Towong Shire is a Declared Open Potable Water Supply Catchment.
Environment Sensitive Receiving
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.
Property Values 3 Ensuring property values are not impacted by wastewater management issues is important for town residents.
Tourism 2 Tourism is not a significant consideration for the town.
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=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
3 3 4 4 2 1 3 4
Protection of
Potable Drinking
Water
2 3 4 4 2 1 3 4
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
2 3 4 4 2 1 3 4
Amenity Recreation 1 3 3 3 1 1 3 3
Visual / Odour 2 3 4 2 1 1 3 4
Economic Development
Potential
3 2 3 4 2 1 2 2
Property Values 3 2 3 4 1 1 3 4
Tourism 1 2 3 3 1 1 2 3
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=4
Risk (Value x Threat) Wastewater Risk
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
12 12 16 16 8 4 12 16
Protection of
Potable Drinking
Water
6 9 12 12 6 3 9 12
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
8 12 16 16 8 4 12 16
Amenity Recreation 3 9 9 9 3 3 9 12
Visual / Odor 6 9 12 6 3 3 9 12
Economic Development
Potential
9 6 9 12 6 3 6 6
Property Values 9 6 9 9 3 3 9 12
Tourism 2 4 6 6 2 2 4 6
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
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.
36 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
Towong Planning Scheme Zoning & Overlays Township Zone
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
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 1100
Approximate Annual Evaporation (mm) 1200
Number of properties <2000 m² 44
Number of properties 2000 - 4000 m² 15
Number of properties >4000 m² 36
Number of lots without dwelling 16
Number of lots with dwelling 79
Properties <100m waterway 55
Properties <40m waterway 24
Properties in Floodway / Land Subject to Inundation
Overlay
One property on Mitta North Road is within Land Subject to
Inundation Overlay and Floodway Overlay
37 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories as identified by land
capability assessments within the town and environs
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
MGA CO-ORDINATES 533,610
5,956,210
533,900
5,956,760
533,690
5,956,540
ELEVATION (M) 280 270 258
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.
LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON TEXTURE
Light 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 (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
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
38 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
(southern part of town)
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)
HSy1
Gentle footslopes
(southern 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
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)
39 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Figure 13
Figure 14
40 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Table 20
Mitta Mitta 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 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.
Environment Sensitive Receiving
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.
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 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.
Property Values 3 Ensuring property values are not impacted by wastewater management issues is important for town residents.
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.
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=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
3 4 4 4 2 3 3 4
Protection of
Potable Drinking
Water
3 4 4 4 2 3 3 4
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
2 4 4 4 2 3 3 4
Amenity Recreation 1 4 4 4 1 2 3 4
Visual / Odor 2 4 4 2 1 1 3 4
Economic Development
Potential
3 2 3 4 2 2 2 2
Property Values 3 3 3 4 1 2 3 4
Tourism 1 4 3 3 1 2 3 3
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=4
Risk (Value x Threat) Wastewater Risk
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
12 16 16 16 8 12 12 16
Protection of
Potable Drinking
Water
12 16 16 16 8 12 12 16
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
8 16 16 16 8 8 12 16
Amenity Recreation 4 16 16 16 4 4 12 16
Visual / Odor 8 16 12 8 4 4 12 16
Economic Development
Potential
9 12 9 12 6 6 6 6
Property Values 9 12 6 12 3 6 6 6
Tourism 4 16 12 12 4 8 12 12
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
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.
41 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 850
Approximate Annual Evaporation (mm) 1300
Number of properties <2000 m² 8
Number of properties 2000 - 4000 m² 5
Number of properties >4000 m² 15
Number of lots without dwelling 80
Number of lots with dwelling 18
Properties <100m waterway 21
Properties <40m waterway 13
Existing Dwellings within 300m Lake Hume FSL 14
Properties in Floodway / Land Subject to Inundation
Overlay
No properties in Land Subject to Inundation Overlay and
Floodway 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 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.
42 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
TABLE 22
OLD TALLANGATTA AS/NZS 1547/2012 SOIL CATEGORIES AND INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREAS
SOIL PROFILES 1 2
MGA CO-ORDINATES 522,922
5,994,724
523,134
5,994,601
ELEVATION (M) 208 202
SOIL DEPTH Soil depth greater than 1.0metres
DEPTH TO WATERTABLE Groundwater not encountered.
Red colour indicates good drainage
Groundwater not encountered.
Red colour indicates good drainage
LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON TEXTURE
Sandy Clay Sandy Clay
LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON STRUCTURE
Strong Strong
SOIL CATEGORY (AS/NZ1547:2012) 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
DESIGN LOADING RATE ETA/ETS (mm/day) 8 8
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
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
43 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Figure 15 and Table 23:
Old Tallangatta NELRA Soil Landform Information
LANDFORM PATTERNS Low hills and undulating terrain
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)
44 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Table 24
Old Tallangatta 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 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.
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
4 Key receiving environments are lake Hume, Dan’s Creek and Georges Creek. Most of the town cannot provide
requisite Code of Practice setbacks.
Amenity Recreation 4 Recreation activities are undertaken on Lake Hume.
Visual / Odor 3 Town amenity is important for residents particularly given the concentration of un-sewered development within the
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.
Property Values 3 Ensuring property values are not impacted by wastewater management issues is important for town residents.
Tourism 2 Tourism is not a significant consideration for the town, though the adjacent Lake Hume is popular with tourists.
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=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
3 3 4 4 2 1 3 4
Protection of
Potable Drinking
Water
2 3 4 4 2 1 3 4
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
2 3 4 4 2 1 3 4
Amenity Recreation 1 3 4 4 1 1 3 4
Visual / Odor 2 3 4 2 1 1 3 4
Economic Development
Potential
3 2 3 4 2 1 2 2
Property Values 3 2 3 4 1 1 3 4
Tourism 1 2 3 3 1 1 2 3
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=4
Figure 16
45 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Risk (Value x Threat) Wastewater Risk
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
12 12 16 16 8 4 12 16
Protection of
Potable Drinking
Water
8 12 16 16 8 4 12 16
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
8 6 16 16 8 4 12 16
Amenity Recreation 4 12 12 12 4 4 12 16
Visual / Odor 6 9 12 6 3 3 9 12
Economic Development
Potential
6 4 6 8 4 2 4 4
Property Values 9 6 9 12 3 3 9 12
Tourism 2 4 6 6 2 2 4 6
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
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.
Towong Planning Scheme Zoning & Overlays Low Density Residential Zone
Restructure Overlay
Future Planning Scheme Changes No scheme changes proposed
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 850
Approximate Annual Evaporation (mm) 1300
Number of properties <2000 m² 8
Number of properties 2000 - 4000 m² 6
Number of properties >4000 m² 13
Number of lots without dwelling 16
Number of lots with dwelling 11
Properties <100m waterway 3
Properties <40m waterway 1
Properties in Floodway / Land Subject to Inundation
Overlay
No properties in Land Subject to Inundation Overlay and
Floodway Overlay
AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories as identified by land
capability assessments within the town and environs
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
46 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
TABLE 26
TINTALDRA AS/NZS 1547/2012 SOIL CATEGORIES AND INDICATIVE LAND APPLICATION AREAS
SOIL PROFILES 1 2
MGA CO-ORDINATES E 583,430
N 6,010,420
E 583,840
N 6,010,220
ELEVATION (M) 235 250
SOIL DEPTH Soil depth greater than 1.0 metres
DEPTH TO WATERTABLE Groundwater not encountered
LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON TEXTURE
Sandy Clay Heavy Clay
LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON STRUCTURE Moderate Moderate
SOIL CATEGORY (AS/NZ1547:2012) 5 6
INDICATIVE DESIGN LOADING AND IRRIGATION RATES
DESIGN LOADING RATE (TRENCHES & BEDS)
(mm/day)
5 Maximum
10 Secondary
N/A
DESIGN LOADING RATE ETA/ETS (mm/day) 5 5
DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE DRIP AND SPRAY
(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
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) 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
47 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
SOIL RISK 1 (Low) 1 (Low)
48 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Table 28 Tintaldra 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
3 The whole of Towong Shire is a Declared Open Potable Water Supply Catchment.
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
3 Key receiving environments are the Murray River and associated floodplain. Most of the town cannot provide
requisite Code of Practice setbacks.
Amenity Recreation 3 Recreation activities are undertaken on The Murray River.
Visual / Odor 3 Town amenity is important for residents particularly given the concentration of un-sewered development within the
town.
Economic Development Potential 2 There is limited demand for future development and no zone changes are proposed.
Property Values 3 Ensuring property values are not impacted by wastewater management issues is important for town residents.
Tourism 2 Tourism is not a significant consideration for the town, though the adjacent Lake Hume is popular with tourists.
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=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
3 3 4 3 2 1 2 4
Protection of
Potable Drinking
Water
2 3 4 3 2 1 2 4
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
2 3 4 3 2 1 3 4
Amenity Recreation 1 3 4 3 2 1 3 4
Visual / Odor 2 3 4 2 2 1 3 4
Economic Development
Potential
3 2 3 3 2 1 2 2
Property Values 3 2 3 3 2 1 3 4
Tourism 1 2 3 3 2 1 2 3
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=4
Risk (Value x Threat) Wastewater Risk
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
12 12 16 12 8 4 8 16
Protection of
Potable Drinking
Water
6 9 12 9 6 3 6 12
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
6 9 12 9 6 3 9 12
Amenity Recreation 3 9 12 9 6 3 9 12
Visual / Odor 6 9 12 6 6 3 9 12
Economic Development
Potential
6 4 6 6 4 2 4 4
Property Values 9 6 9 9 6 3 9 12
Tourism 2 4 6 6 4 2 4 6
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
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.
49 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
Towong Planning Scheme Zoning & Overlays Township Zone
Low Density Residential Zone
Restructure Overlay
Future Planning Scheme Changes Possible Rural Living Zone within the area known as ‘the
common’.
Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 850
Approximate Annual Evaporation (mm) 1300
Number of properties <2000 m² 5
Number of properties 2000 - 4000 m² 18
Number of properties >4000 m² 46
Number of lots without dwelling 23
Number of lots with dwelling 46
Properties <100m waterway 19
Properties <40m waterway 12
Properties in Floodway / Land Subject to Inundation
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.
AS/NZS 1547/2012 Soil Categories as identified by land
capability assessments within the town and environs
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
50 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
LANDFORM PATTERNS Low hills and undulating terrain
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
51 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
SOIL DEPTH Soil depth greater than 1.0metres
DEPTH TO WATERTABLE Groundwater not encountered.
Groundwater not encountered.
LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON TEXTURE
Sandy Clay Sandy Clay
LIMITING SUBSOIL HORIZON STRUCTURE
Moderate Moderate
SOIL CATEGORY (AS/NZ1547:2012) 5 5
INDICATIVE DESIGN LOADING AND IRRIGATION RATES
DESIGN LOADING RATE (TRENCHES &
BEDS) (mm/day)
5 Maximum
10 Secondary
5 Maximum
10 Secondary
DESIGN LOADING RATE ETA/ETS (mm/day) 5 5
DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE DRIP AND SPRAY
(mm/week)
3 3
DESIGN IRRIGATION RATE LPED (mm/day) 2.5 2.5
SOIL PERMEABILITY Ksat (m/day) 0.06 - 0.12
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) 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 Code of Practice Onsite Wastewater Management Publication number 891.3
methodology
Figure 20
52 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Table 32 Towong 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
3 The whole of Towong Shire is a Declared Open Potable Water Supply Catchment.
Environment Sensitive Receiving
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.
Property Values 3 Ensuring property values are not impacted by wastewater management issues is important for town residents.
Tourism 3 Tourism is not a significant consideration for the town, though the adjacent Lake Hume is popular with tourists.
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=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
3 3 4 3 2 2 2 3
Protection of
Potable Drinking
Water
2 3 4 3 2 2 2 3
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
2 3 4 3 2 2 2 3
Amenity Recreation 2 3 4 3 2 2 2 3
Visual / Odor 2 3 4 2 2 2 2 3
Economic Development
Potential
3 3 4 3 2 2 2 2
Property Values 3 3 4 3 2 2 3 3
Tourism 2 3 4 3 2 2 2 3
Low Value=1, Medium Value=2, High Value=3, Very High Value=4
Risk (Value x Threat) Wastewater Risk
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
12 12 12 12 8 8 8 12
Protection of
Potable Drinking
Water
6 12 12 9 6 6 6 9
Environment Sensitive Receiving
Environments
6 9 12 9 6 6 6 9
Amenity Recreation 6 9 12 9 6 6 6 9
Visual / Odor 6 9 12 6 6 6 6 9
Economic Development
Potential
9 9 12 9 6 6 6 6
Property Values 9 9 12 9 6 6 9 9
Tourism 6 9 12 9 6 6 6 9
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
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.
53 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
54 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
55 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
56 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Figure 23
Figure 24
57 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
58 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Figure 26
Figure 25
59 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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;
60 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
61 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
62 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
63 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
64 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
65 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
66 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
Hills on Gneiss (HGn)
Component 2
(Moderate Slopes 10-20%)
Brown Kurosol 2 B22 Light Clay
Strong
5
0.12-
0.5
5 8 12 2.5
8
Hills on Gneiss (HGn)
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
Colluvium derived from
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
Colluvium derived from
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
Colluvium derived from
Granite (Type 2) (CLG2)
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
Colluvium derived from
Granite (Type 2) (CLG2)
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
Colluvium derived from
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
Colluvium derived from
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
67 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
68 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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.
69 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
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
70 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Appendix 1: NELRA Land Elements Proposed Bethanga Rural Living Area
71 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Appendix 2: NELRA Land Elements Proposed Lakeside Rural Living Area
72 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Appendix 3: NELRA Land Elements Proposed Old Tallangatta Rural Living Area
73 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Appendix 4: NELRA Land Elements Proposed Talgarno Rural Living Area
74 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Appendix 5: NELRA Land Elements Proposed Tallangatta South East Rural
Living Area
75 | Towong Shire Council Domestic Wastewater Management Plan – Background Paper
Appendix 6: NELRA Land Elements Proposed Tallangatta West Rural Living Area
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