Reminder - Catchment Forum Saturday 6th May 10:30 am at the Youth Club

Hi Everyone

Just a reminder that our Landcare Group will be holding a Forum on Saturday morning 6th May at 10.30am at the Youth Club Hall in Apollo Bay followed by a BBQ lunch which will be provided by our landcare group. Members are asked to bring their drinks- wines etc.

The Forum will be run as a round table discussion of issues outlined in our letter forwarded to SOLN and the CCMA regarding a conditional support for the Special Water Supply Catchment Declaration. Agencies represented will include the Colac Otway Shire, Barwon Water, SOLN, the CCMA.

Through the Otway Barham Catchment Reference Group we have been able to arrange:

Heidi Robinson (Environmental Planner) and Helen Evans (Statutory Planner) will be attending for Colac Otway Shire. Rosalie Bilson will be assisting to collate some info for Helen as she is currently on leave. Helen will make a brief presentation at the forum and both Heidi and Helen will be available to speak informally with forum members during the morning.

Helen will speak on the following points -

• What is a planning scheme?
• How does Council use the planning scheme?
• What is the role of the statutory planner?
• What is an overlay? What overlays exist in the Colac Otway Shire?
• How do overlays affect planning decisions? An example.
• How will the Special Water Supply Catchment area (ESO5 - Environmental Significance Overlay affect planning decisions?

This was an important issue at our previous meetings and within our “conditional support.”

You will also be provided with an update from the Otway Barham Catchment Reference Group of which Simon Pockley and I are your representatives; an update from Simon on the Water Indicator Project and the opportunity to discuss personal issues/concerns with agency representatives. We will be revisiting the motion of conditional support within the Forum with interaction between members and the partner agencies within the Otway Barham Catchment Reference Group. It is important to have your questions answered as we have decisions to make.

People attending the Forum need to be landcare members- we will take these memberships up to the start of the Forum. I have attached a membership for your convenience. Any memberships paid now will carry through to June 30th 2007.

Please speak to your neighbours and ensure as many people as possible know that this Forum is taking place. Simon and I will be taking apologies so please let us know. To help us with catering it would be useful to have an idea of how many we are catering for. Not absolutely necessary just helpful.

We look forward to seeing you at the Forum

Yours in landcare…

Denise Hooke

President

Otway Barham Catchment Landcare Group