Traralgon Neighbourhood Environment Improvement Plan
The Traralgon Creek Neighbourhood Environment Improvement Plan (NEIP) was approved by EPA in November 2006.
- Download a copy of the Traralgon Creek NEIP (Adobe PDF file, 1592KB or 1.6MB)
Find out more about the story behind the Traralgon NEIP:
- About the neighbourhood
- Issues of concern
- Initiatives
- Proposal development and aims and objectives
- Plan development
- Current activities
- Getting involved.
About the neighbourhood
The upper reaches of Traralgon Creek.
The neighbourhood for the Traralgon Creek Neighbourhood Environment Improvement Plan consists of the Traralgon Creek catchment. This catchment is located within the Latrobe Basin and includes an area of approximately 180 square kilometres.
The Traralgon Creek passes through a number of different habitats and land use types before it reaches the Latrobe River. The headwaters of Traralgon Creek are located on the northern slopes of the Strezlecki Ranges. The creek then passes through a range of vegetation types consisting of native rainforests, commercial softwood and hardwood tree plantations, land cleared for urban development, pasture and rural activities including dairy. It runs adjacent to and water is contributed from a power station and its open cut coalmine.
The creek then flows on through Traralgon City and is highly accessed by the community via walking trails and public parks. Beyond the city the creek traverses the flat valley floor, which historically has been used for dairy, cattle farming and is now redeveloping with urban development, before entering the Latrobe River.
The neighbourhood community of the Traralgon Creek catchment is where people live, work, play or are responsible for regulation or management of areas within the boundaries of the Traralgon Creek catchment.
Issues of concern
The Traralgon Creek catchment has diverse land uses providing a range of land-use limitations and impacts on the waterway.
To improve the overall health of the Latrobe River it is also necessary to improve the health of these catchments that flow into the river. The first stage in this process is the Traralgon Neighbourhood Environment Improvement Plan (NEIP). Experience gained from the Traralgon Creek NEIP will be invaluable to the development of NEIPs for other neighbourhoods of the Latrobe River catchment in the future.
Key issues of concern for the Traralgon Creek include:
- land clearing
- soil erosion
- destabilisation of river beds and banks
- concentrations of nutrients and suspended solids
- plantation harvesting
- loss of biodiversity
- changed flow regimes
- declining fish stocks
- septic tank runoff
- contamination of water from poor management practices and spills, including litter
- introduced plants and animals
- maintenance of environmental projects
- impacts from industry
- stormwater management, and
- amenities.
Initiatives
There are many initiatives aimed at improving the health of the Traralgon Creek. The Neighbourhood Environment Improvement Plan (NEIP) will work along side and add value to these efforts. Existing efforts include:
- willow removal, stream restoration and revegetation works undertaken by Loy Yang Power, Traralgon South-Callignee Landcare Group, West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority, Latrobe City and private landowners
- installation of a stormwater pollution trap in the urbanised areas of the creek
- management of land in the southern end of the catchment by Grand Ridge Plantations under the Code of Forest Practices for Timber Production.
In addition many community groups, government agencies, industry and residents are supportive of addressing the issues through the NEIP, including:
- residents
- "Friends of" Traralgon South Flora and Fauna Reserve
- Landcare
- Waterwatch
- West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority
- Latrobe City Council
- EPA Victoria
- Friends of Gippsland Bush
- Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE)
- Department of Primary Industries (DPI)
- Gippsland Water
- Traralgon South Primary School
- Latrobe Valley Field Naturalists
- Victorian Farmers Federation
- Grand Ridge Plantations
- International Power Mitsui Loy Yang B
- Loy Yang Power.
Proposal development
Latrobe City Council sponsored the establishment and implementation of the Neighbourhood Environment Improvement Plan (NEIP). The NEIP proposal was developed as part of the development of the Community Plan for Latrobe City. The purpose of the Community Plan is to identify issues that are of concern to the community and to develop strategies to deal with those issues.
In developing the NEIP, Latrobe City conducted a series of community surveys and public meetings to obtain the community's views and input. Latrobe City was guided by the Latrobe Environment Reference Group, which was the community steering committee for the development of the NEIP proposal.
The NEIP proposal was endorsed by EPA on 7 December 2004.
- Download a copy of the proposal (Adobe PDF file, 2756KB or 2.8MB).
Proposal aims and objectives
The Community Environment Working Group developed the following vision for the whole of Latrobe City:
A stronger, harmonious and visually attractive clean, green city; committed to social, environmental and economic sustainability; where environmental values are respected and protected; and where urban and rural neighbourhoods, the community, industry and landholders all work together.
This is to be accomplished through:
A city made stronger, more attractive by programs to retain native vegetation and indigenous re-vegetations on a greatly increased scale, softening our industrial image, demonstrating our environmental commitment. Repairing degraded areas and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions.
The objectives are:
- improve the health of the Traralgon Creek catchment and surrounding land use
- improve the amenity of the Traralgon Creek catchment
- enhance understanding, communication, partnerships and coordination within the Traralgon Creek catchment community, and
- improve the image of the catchment for community and investment.
Plan development
The development of the Traralgon Creek Neighbourhood Environment Improvement Plan (NEIP) involved numerous activities including:
- the appointment of a NEIP officer in March 2005
- interviews between the NEIP office and individuals, organisations and industry representatives who have been involved in the NEIP process so far
- community meetings involving a wide range of individuals and organisations who have a part to play in the Traralgon Creeks' health
- the development of a steering committee to lead the development of the NEIP
- an all day tour by the steering committee of the Traralgon Creek catchment and the many activities that take place around the creek, and
- the production and distribution of the newsletter Up The Creek outlining what the NEIP is all about and how people can get involved.
The steering committee held a community workshop to help develop objectives and actions for the NEIP. The NEIP plan was placed on display by the Traralgon City Council for four weeks for public comment before being adopted by Council.
The following organisations have signed on as partners to the NEIP:
- Latrobe City Council
- EPA Victoria
- West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority
- International Power – Mitsuii Loy
- Grand Ridge Plantations
- Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE)
- Loy Yang Power
- Friends of Gippsland Bush
- Traralgon Lions
- Several individual landowners and community members.
The Traralgon Creek NEIP was approved by EPA in November 2006.
- Download a copy of the Traralgon Creek NEIP (Adobe PDF file, 1592KB or 1.6MB)
The Traralgon Creek NEIP committee meet quarterly, with subcommittees and working groups meeting on a more frequent basis.
Current activities
Current priorities of the Traralgon Creek NEIP committee are:
- Implementing the Queens Parade Wetlands project in partnership with the catchment management authority (CMA) and Latrobe City.
- Liaising with community groups working on projects in Victory Park, Traralgon.
- Publishing a NEIP newsletter on progress of the NEIP.
- Liaising with power generation companies and the CMA regarding environmental flows in the Traralgon Creek.
- Establishing a community education program through schools and public creek tours.
Getting involved
If you would like to be involved in the Traralgon Creek Neighbourhood Environment Improvement Plan, contact either:
EPA – Gippsland Region
Telephone: (03) 5173 9800
Send an email