Water, Land and People - Goulburn Broken Catchment ...

OVERVIEW
4
OVERVIEW
Introducing the Shepparton Irrigation Region
Implementation Committee
The Shepparton Irrigation Region Implementation
Committee is one of two Implementation Committees
established by the Goulburn Broken Catchment
Management Authority (GB CMA) to give communities a
strong role in managing natural resources. The Shepparton
Irrigation Region Implementation Committee plays a
vital role in effective land and water management in the
Shepparton Irrigation Region including overseeing the
development and delivery of detailed work programs to
protect our natural resources. The community provides
input into these programs through the Implementation
Committee.
Roles
The Implementation Committee roles include:
• Providing advice to the GB CMA on resource
management objectives, targets, activities, priorities
and budgets;
• Delivering the program of natural resource objectives
of the Shepparton Irrigation Region Catchment
Implementation Strategy;
• Planning, developing and implementing plans for
specific issues or sub-catchments;
• Overseeing on-ground works programs;
• Acting as a communication link with relevant
stakeholder groups;
• Monitoring performance on activities and reporting
to the GB CMA on the achievement of objectives
and targets;
• Chairing and attending Shepparton Irrigation Region
Implementation Committee Working Groups and
sub-committees;
• Representing the Implementation Committee on
various forums.
The Implementation Committee members are appointed
for a period of four years.
Members are nominated because of their specific skills
and their links to community networks. There are eight
community representatives and representatives from
partnership agencies (Department of Primary Industries;
Department of Sustainability and Environment and
Goulburn-Murray Water). Current Implementation
Committee members are shown in the diagram on the
following pages.
Working Groups
Working Groups have been established for the four
action program areas overseen by the Shepparton
Irrigation Region Implementation Committee: Farm and
Environment; Surface Water Management; Groundwater
and Salt Management, and Waterways. All Working
Groups comprise community representatives including
representatives from each of the four Water Service
Committees of Goulburn-Murray Water, Victorian
Farmers Federation, Local Government, environmental
groups and agency representatives.
Technical support
The Shepparton Irrigation Region Implementation
Committee is supported by an Executive Support Team,
which provides executive and technical advice for the
implementation of the Shepparton Irrigation Region
Catchment Implementation Strategy. Agency staff also
provide technical input through the Shepparton Irrigation
Region Technical Support Committee, (SIRTEC) the
working groups and specific project teams.
Partnership structure
Community involvement is made possible because
of a multi-faceted partnership network. This
partnership network enables community involvement
at every level as the Shepparton Irrigation Region
Catchment Implementation Strategy evolves during
its implementation. This ensures community input and
ownership of the decision-making process.
The Shepparton Irrigation Region Catchment
Implementation Strategy signifies a true partnership
between the local community and all levels of government
– State, Federal and Local. Community representatives
actively participate in decision-making processes through
a committee structure shown in the ‘SIRIC Community
Partnership’ (see diagram of structure below).