The Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) has formed partnerships with ten Local Councils in the Murrumbidgee catchment to tackle urban salinity in 12 townships (map).
The ‘Local Government Urban Salinity Action Project’ is funded through the Murrumbidgee CMA, the Australian and State Government’s National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP) and the NSW Salinity Enhancement Strategy and Councils.
The aim of the project is to investigate, manage and alleviate salinity within urban townships in the Murrumbidgee Catchment.
The project includes the:
- Installation of groundwater monitoring networks (piezometers) in 12 townships across the Murrumbidgee catchment to collect baseline information on the groundwater systems within each town
- Monthly monitoring and analysis of groundwater samples to monitor trends in groundwater levels and salinity over time
- Provision of urban salinity training for the staff of 10 Local Councils to increase the knowledge and awareness of the causes and processes of urban salinity amongst Local Council employees
- Identification of on-ground works and management options
- Preparation of an Urban Salinity Assessment Report identifying the nature and extent of urban salinity in each township
- Preparation and/or updating of Urban Salinity Management Plans for each Council
- Implementation of priority on-ground works to address urban salinity, including works to protect urban infrastructure and education strategies to increase community awareness of urban salinity.
Projects currently being undertaken by Councils to address urban salinity include:
- Revegetation of groundwater recharge and discharge areas
- Water efficient irrigation systems for public parklands to reduce water supply to shallow groundwater tables and reduce town water usage
- Water wise nature strips using native vegetation and mulch
- Removal of rear yard rubble pits (used for stormwater retention) to reduce water seepage to shallow groundwater systems
- Protecting and enhancing remnant native vegetation in groundwater recharge areas
- water wise/salt tolerant demonstration gardens in town centres
- publication of groundwater monitoring data on Council websites.
