Victorian Current Acts

WATER ACT 1989 - SECT 22C

    (1)     A Sustainable Water Strategy must provide for the strategic planning of the use of water resources in the region to which it applies—

        (a)     to identify threats to the reliability of supply and quality of water for both environmental and consumptive uses in the region; and

        (b)     to identify ways to improve and set priorities for improving the reliability of supply and quality of water, including managing demand for water, and investing in infrastructure for the supply of recycled water; and

        (c)     to identify ways to improve and set priorities for improving the maintenance of the environmental water reserve in accordance with the environmental water reserve objective; and

        (d)     to identify ways to increase and set priorities for increasing the volume of water in the environmental water reserve to improve the environmental values and health of water ecosystems; and

S. 22C(1)(e) amended by No. 32/2010 s. 77(Sch.).

        (e)     to include an implementation plan, setting out timelines or targets for implementing key actions identified by the strategy.

    (2)     A Sustainable Water Strategy must take into account—

        (a)     the results of any long-term water resources assessment undertaken under Division 1C;

        (b)     any relevant strategy or statement of policy or plan prepared under this Act, the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 , the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 , the Heritage Rivers Act 1992 , the Planning and Environment Act 1987 or the Environment Protection Act 1970 ;

        (c)     the principles set out in sections 1B to 1L of the Environment Protection Act 1970 .

S. 22C(3) inserted by No. 23/2019 s. 9.

    (3)     A Sustainable Water Strategy must also—

        (a)     consider opportunities to provide for the following, consistently with the requirements of this Act or any other Act—

              (i)     Aboriginal cultural values and uses of waterways in the region to which the Strategy applies;

              (ii)     the social and recreational uses and values of waterways in the region to which the Strategy applies; and

        (b)     take into account any of the following agreements that are relevant to the region to which the Strategy applies—

              (i)     a recognition and settlement agreement and any further agreement to a recognition and settlement agreement;

              (ii)     an Aboriginal cultural heritage land management agreement within the meaning of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 that is recorded on the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register under section 145 of that Act; and

        (c)     take into account any determination of native title that native title exists in relation to the region to which the Strategy applies; and

        (d)     have regard to any relevant economic and environmental matters.

S. 22C(4) inserted by No. 23/2019 s. 9.

    (4)     In addition, a Sustainable Water Strategy that addresses a decline or deterioration referred to in section 22P(1)(a) or (b) that is identified in a long‑term water resources assessment under Division 1C must set out the action required to be taken to address the matters referred to in section 22P(1)(c) or (d).

S. 22D inserted by No. 99/2005 s. 11.