June 2022 News Update
Onkaparinga Council Water Assets Strategic Review
Today 13th July, is the last day to make your views known to Council on this important issue. FOWB considers Council water assets to be essential services that should be retained within government ownership. Our reasoning can be found in the copy of FOWB’s representation that was sent to members during the past month. We believe that waste water treatment services (CWMS) should be devolved to the State Government or retained until that is possible. Ownership of storm water and its harvesting facilities should be retained by Council. Council should also retain a stake in the ownership of recycled water and not allow it to be fully divested to a private company. We hope this can assist you to have your say at: https://yoursay.onkaparinga.sa.gov.au › water-assets
Ongoing community consultations on water issues
Groundwater allocation
Every 10 years the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board review the Water Allocation Plans, taking into account current scientific, ecological and cultural information. As previously reported, Gavin Malone has been a community representative on the McLaren Vale Water Allocation Plan Advisory Committee (WAPAC). The report of their review into groundwater allocation in the area of the Willunga Basin is now complete. The Board’s recommendations will go to the Minister and any amendments negotiated with WAPAC before being released for community information.
Water Security
A community-initiated group formed in 2021 has gradually expanded to include a number of stakeholders including grape growers, community representatives, the City of Onkaparinga, McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism, Willunga Basin Water Company (Water Utilities Australia), SA Water, Dept for Environment and Water (DEW), a Kaurna representative and the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board. This comprehensive group of stakeholders now known as The McLaren Vale Regional Water Security Strategy Steering Group concerns itself with every type of water in the Geographical Indication McLaren Vale wine region, an area wider than the Willunga Basin. It will form a comprehensive view of water resource supply and demand out to 2050. We look forward to the release of its research.
Aldinga-Willunga Bike Path
$3.2m in funding has been secured for a cycle path, with the route to be determined with a lot of community engagement. FOWB continues to advocate for improvements to the official current options. From Willunga, these include a route via Aldinga Rd, Free Lane and Flour Mill Rd to a signalised crossing at the intersection of Port Rd and Main South Rd at Aldinga.
Seaford to Sellicks Shared Use Path
We are informed that plans for the duplication of South Road include a dedicated Shared Use Path for the entire approximately 16 km length of Main South Rd from Seaford to Sellicks Beach.