Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC) continues to actively pursue external funding opportunities to improve Muttama Creek, including to prepare a master plan.
Muttama Creek transverses through Cootamundra and with flooding events in 2022/23, many in the Cootamundra community have expressed their exasperation with the state of the creek.
The Muttama Creek is under the control of the Crown thus limiting Council’s ability to do maintenance works. Through permits Council is permitted to undertake works at Council structures only (e.g., causeways, bridges etc.) along the Creek to remove vegetation and undertake excavation of some material within 10m upstream and downstream from the creek at specific locations. Undertaking this work was under strict permit approvals including working at times of minimal water flow and with placement of erosion and sediment protection measures.
A Department of Planning and Environment document lists the considerations that Council will need to adopt and address in the master plan, which will include identifying the width of the riparian corridor and its functions in the design and construction of any instream works. Where possible, the design should accommodate fully structured native vegetation. Establish natural bed and bank profiles, for example, meanders, chain of ponds, surface water pools and riffles and bed controls. Allowing for the movement of sediment and woody debris. Prevent increased scour and erosion of the watercourse bed or banks in any storm events. Avoid locating works or structures on bends in the channel unless they are structures to restore stability. Address existing bed degradation to protect structures and restore channel and bed stability.
CGRC mayor Councillor Abb McAlister said he appreciated residents’ concerns about the Creek.
“Everyone has an opinion of what Council should do with Muttama Creek as it flows through Cootamundra and I appreciate that residents do have concerns regarding flooding, however we need to do this right. As a Council, we need to establish ownership of land along the creek, some of which is privately owned. We need to get the correct permits and approvals in place, which we have now to clean up near Council infrastructure and we need to put together a masterplan to present to the community and the various government bodies involved in waterways.
A masterplan will take into consideration the floodplain management plan, the guidelines set down by the NSW State Government entities and community feedback. We are vigorously following funding and grant opportunities to allow Council to undertake the next step in a solution for Muttama Creek,” Councillor McAlister said.
Council has created a page on the CGRC website that contains various links from NSW Government Departments and will be updated as information comes to hand on the masterplan.
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