South West shire forks out $120,000 to buy more water to meet community expectations

A South West shire has voted to spend $120,000 on tens of thousands of litres of water in order to meet the community’s irrigation expectations.

Councillors from the Shire of Harvey voted at their most recent council meeting to purchase a 30,000kL water licence from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation in order to fully irrigate public open spaces and landscaping assets in Australind and Treendale.

Shire documents state the development of several new public open spaces in the Treendale area exceeded the licence allocation Treendale Estate Land Development were given during initial planning, so the shire had to supply the excess.

“The Shire, at the developer’s request, commenced annually transferring 30,000kL of water from the Shire’s Yarragadee allocation from Leschenault Recreation Park to the developer to allow for the continuation of irrigation to maintain public open spaces within the Treendale development,” the documents state.

The documents state the transfer of water was initially allocated for the expansion of the LRP, with future plans to develop ovals seven and eight in the park, however at the time of the transfer the water “was not being utilised”.

With the shire’s forward capital works plan 2024-2029 outlining the future development of the new ovals — anticipated in the 2028/29 financial year — the shire is looking to make up the water deficit.

While the shire could reduce the number of public open spaces in Treendale to match the deficit, the documents said the loss of any public space would be unacceptable to the local community.

Therefore, to meet the four hectares of turf irrigation required, the shire has taken up the deal with DWER.

Councillors voted 10-0 to allow the shire to purchase the water allocation, with funds from the Public Open Spaces Australind Trust, if Planning Minister John Carey approves.