MEETING OPENED by Andrew Marshall at 7.30 pm.

1. Welcome:

   A welcome was extended to Jude Allen, Regional Planner, CALM.

2. Attendance:

   Present:

   Andrew Marshall (President), Graham Heighton (Treasurer), Maurice McCormick (Vice-President), Ronald Master (Dept of Ag), John Blaney-Murphy, Peter Collins (CALM), Jude Allen (CALM), Graham Wright (Water Corporation), Julie Pech (DOE), Phil Mellon, Phillip Marshall

   Apologies:

   Louise Duxbury, Bart Downe, Pat Walker, Chris Westcott, Monty Walker, Dale Holley, Noel Bignell and Terri and Tim Harwood

3. Minutes of Previous Meeting:

   The minutes of the previous meeting (held on 9th June 2004) were accepted as a correct record by Maurice McCormick and seconded by Andrew Marshall

   Matters Arising from Previous Minutes
   Julie Pech advised that the river restoration plan tender has been advertised. Three information packs were posted out, with the closing date being Friday 16th July 2004. Only one application has been returned.

   Correspondence: (inwards)

   • Letter from Bird group reporting on bird species seen at bird hide on Lake Powell.
   • Letter from Albany city council regarding road intersection

4. Treasurers Report:

   4.1 - Financial report attached

   4.2 - Membership renewals - the agenda for the next meeting to have a tear-off slip at the bottom of the page as a reminder for people to pay membership fees. Slip to have space for name and address details of respondent, and TCG postal details i.e. members to post their fees $5 annual membership fee to The Treasurer, Torbay Catchment Group, PO Box 1900, Albany 6331.

5. GENERAL BUSINESS:

   5.1 Albany Coastal Reserves Plan - Jude Allen, Regional Planner, CALM

   Jude provided an overview of prioritisation and development of management plans for the region's CALM reserves. The South Coast Management Plan is a broad Regional Management Plan. Planning then telescopes down to more localised management plans, eg. that for West Cape Howe National Park (Jude provided a copy for the TCG). These plans are available on CALM's "NatureBase" internet site.

   The Management Plans contain implementation plans which are looked at every year. The management plans must be clear and have community support.

   Next intended is the Albany Coastal Reserves Management Plan (CRMP) which will cover reserves within the Albany Local Government Area. It will look at the spectrum of use within the LGA.

   Steps in developing the management plan

   • The first step in developing the Albany coastal reserves management plan is obtaining input from the public. This is done via workshops run by the planning team, coordinated by Jude.
   • This community input is developed into an issues paper, which then goes out to public consultation and is reviewed by the community planning advisory group.
   • The draft management plan then developed is a practical document that land managers can use. The draft plan then goes out for public comment.
   • Jude strongly encouraged people to provide feedback, and stressed how important it is to write in with negative AND positive comment on the plan.
   • There is a is a "have your say" brochure on the CALM Naturebase website. Jude encouraged the TCG to access this and write in to have their say about what the group and community is concerned about.
   • Public submissions on the draft document are then analysed in a specific way.
   • The draft plan will typically cover a range of issues including weeds, access, water level control, feral animals, nutrients from the catchment etc.

   Lake Powell
   CALM staff were asked what the desired water levels are for Lake Powell. CALM has very little control over Lake Powell water levels as these are governed by the requirements of other stakeholders. CALM's area of management is the actual physical area of the nature reserve, but not the water that flows through it and the nutrients that flow into the lake and reserve from catchment landuses.

   SCRIPT Regional Natural Resource Management Strategy
   The CALM management plans are backed up by SCRIPT's regional NRM strategy. In the same way, the NRM strategy backs up and supports the restoration strategy being prepared for Torbay Catchment under the Watershed Torbay project. The NRM strategy and CALM management plans will be extremely important in providing the justification for implementation funds for Torbay Catchment restoration, and it is necessary for the Torbay Catchment plans to tie in with the regional plans.

   Workshops
   Greg Freebury and Sarah Comer (CALM) will be running workshops to build up a list over the next twelve months of those issues identified by the community as affecting our coastal reserves. A workshop will be held at the next TCG meeting to generate ideas for the Lake Powell nature reserve

   5.2 Summary of Green Corp activities in the catchment

   Andrew advised that Kevin Hopkinson's work in the catchment allocating funds has finished. Bob Gretton has been recommended as the person to continue on with this work 1 day per week in the catchment, through a contract with Green Skills and the TCG. Members endorsed that Green Skills employ Bob to do this work. Andrew and Maurice will be meeting with Bob Gretton, Basil Schur and Kevin Hopkinson in the week following this meeting. Bob has a lot of relevant experience, as well as a knowledge of the catchment and landowners through carrying out two foreshore conditions surveys in the catchment.

   Maurice suggested, and TCG members endorsed the group sending a letter of recommendation to the State Coordinator of GreenSkills, stating the TCG's appreciation of Kevin Hopkinson's achievements in the catchment, getting results with landowner's uptake of restoration funds, with the on-ground work being carried out by the Green Corp team. It was also recommended that the CEO of the Department of Environment receive a copy of this letter. Julie to advise of appropriate contact details for these letters.
   Maurice McCormick moved that a letter be sent to Kevin Hopkinson thanking him for his efforts. Seconded

   Green Corp activities report by Maurice and Andrew. There is $11,000 of Envirofund left to allocate - looking for more projects to allocate to. Funds must be aquitted by the project finish date. Julie Pech to check finish date for Envirofund project on application form and advise Andrew as soon as possible.

   Maurice commented that "the TCG has been very lucky to have the Green Corp team active in the catchment as it has allowed us to get things done that never would have in the catchment. Thankyou events such as the end of year sausage sizzle for the Green Corp team and TCG are very important. The work has been character building for the kids and has been helping us (tremendously)!"

   5.3 Planning for next year's Green Corps project (2005)

   Louise Duxbury suggested that the TCG members endorse a motion to make application for Green Corp teams to work full time in the catchment during 2005. The workshopping to be done with CALM staff to identify reserve issues; and the implementation plan to be developed through the Watershed Torbay project will help develop up a list of activities for full time Green Corp teams to carry out in the catchment. It to be clarified whether this means two teams over twelve months or one team only (6 months), the teams carrying out the majority of their work in Torbay Catchment.
   Phil Mellon moved that a Greencore Team is employed on a full time basis for the year. Seconded Maurice McCormick.

   5.4 Report to TCG meeting from Watershed Torbay Steering Committee

   Algal bloom drivers project.
   Julie Pech reported that it is proposed to use funds saved through management of the Watershed Torbay project budget, to fund "algal bloom drivers" research that will investigate the processes behind nutrient cycling in Lake Powell and Torbay Inlet. This research project was not funded earlier due to its expense.

   Watershed Torbay project funding
   Naomi Arrowsmith has advised that following a meeting with staff of the National Rivers Consortium in Canberra, (which funds the Watershed Torbay project), the NRC will not be providing ongoing funding once the project is completed, however support is available in other ways eg. assistance with communication of the project.

   Water Corporation Environmental Improvement Initiative
   Maurice and Andrew reported on the meeting with Water Corporation senior environmental manager Bob Humphries, and Environmental Officer Guy Watson, with Naomi Arrowsmith (DOE) to discuss WC's Environmental Improvement Initiative (EII) for Torbay Catchment - $1 million in implementation funds for the catchment, in exchange for being permitted to divert high N:P ratio water into Lake Powell.

   TCG members are not supportive of this proposal and it is seen as a regressive step when so much has been achieved with the commissioning of the irrigated treefarm wastewater treatment site in 1995, and diversion of treated wastewater from discharge into Lake Powell, to the treefarm.

   Members feel there must be other uses for the excess wastewater, including irrigation of other plantations. The treefarm reaches hydraulic capacity in 2008. The existing irrigated treefarm woodlight is 400 hectares. An area double that size is needed to cope with the treated effluent resulting from population growth to 2008.

   Graham Wright, Operations Manager (WC) advised that the volume of wastewater greatly increases during wet weather. The Water Corp treatment system cannot cope with the peak flows, which greatly increase pumping, treatment and disposal costs. That peak flows occur during wet weather indicates that there is a lot of stormwater entering the sewerage system, illegally piped into the system from household downpipes, to prevent localised flooding in gardens during wet weather. WC is currently carrying out audits of the sewerage system, checking for any illegal connections of stormwater. Audits of Denmark and Mt Barker had been completed, with Albany half way through.

   TCG members suggested an education program through the Water Corporation, eg subsidised greywater re-use schemes. Graham said it is an issue impacting on the whole community, but that individuals getting rid of storm runoff from their own properties through illegal connection to the sewerage network, don't care about the big picture.

   5.5 Other Business:

   Subsidised Soil Testing Program
   Ron Master to provide Graham Heighton, TCG Treasurer, with names, contact details and number of soil tests per property of those farmers who took part in the subsidised soil testing program. The TCG needs to invoice the farmers for the 50% rebate. The TCG initially covered the total cost of the soil testing. The 50% recouped will then be used towards covering soil analysis costs for an Honours project on grazing systems nutrient balance, which will feed information into a catchment nutrient balance.

   Farmers beware of variation in lime quality
   Maurice McCormick stated that a farmer he knows had purchased lime with a 75% nv. He then received a second load, which when tested turned out to be 35% nv. He has now been forced to buy lime from Perth, which has a 95% nv. It seems that the local supplies of lime vary considerably in quality.

NEXT MEETING: The next AGM and General meeting of the Torbay Catchment Group will be held on Wednesday 1st September. AGM 7.30-8.00 pm. General Meeting 8.00-9.30pm.

MEETING CLOSED