Trentham has much to celebrate after taking out Gold in the Top Tiny Tourism Town category at both the state and national Australian Tourism Awards last month but concerns about water mining have overshadowed the triumph in the minds of some residents.
A 33 ha property in Coliban Rd, Trentham, was recently been purchased by Tim Carey, CEO of Black Mount Spring Water. The asking price for the property was $2.2 million. Shortly thereafter, an application was made to Goulburn-Murray Water to change the existing irrigation license to allow extraction for commercial purposes. Black Mount Spring Water is a family-owned Australian business founded by Tim’s father, Brian Carey, in 1988. The company provides water for bottlers and clients across several Australian states. It has a number of local sources including in Musk.
Residents are alarmed about potential environmental impacts. Local farmers, already under pressure from drought and with some artesian bores running dry, view the project as a threat to the underground water sources that sustain the region’s horticulture and grazing industries. There are also concerns about the impact of truck traffic on tourism.
However, the new property owner has stated that the property was purchased as a family farm. “My family and I purchased Bernie and Rosalie White’s farm earlier this year, not Black Mount,” the owner said. “Bernie and Rosalie farmed the property for more than 50 years and we will continue that tradition.” Since purchasing the property, the family has erected new boundary fencing and cattle yards, made other pasture improvements and planted their first crop of oats.
A spokesperson for Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) confirmed that an application had been received to alter the purpose of an existing groundwater licence from irrigation to commercial use.
“The licence was approved subject to the conditions of the original licence,” said Peter Clydesdale, GMW Manager Diversions Groundwater and Streams. “The only change is to allow water to be taken from the property rather than limiting the licence to irrigation on the property. All other aspects of the licence, including extraction rates and the annual volumetric limit, are unchanged.”
GMW said that environmental impacts were considered in assessing the amendment, which was advertised despite not being required under the Water Act 1989. The authority manages groundwater use under the Central Victorian Mineral Springs Groundwater Management Area, which includes the Trentham district. Information on groundwater levels and licence volumes is published annually on GMW’s website and in the Victorian Water Register.
Hepburn Shire Council has not received any planning application in relation to the site. Ron Torres, Director Development and Community, noted that while groundwater licensing is handled by Goulburn-Murray Water, certain aspects of any future development, such as a utility installation or vehicle access to a major road, would require Council planning approval.
Council also acknowledged wider community concern about groundwater extraction across the shire.
“Council has written to the responsible water authorities seeking information about the sustainability and long-term viability of the aquifers in this region,” Mr Torres said. “The protection of our natural environment, including waterways, mineral water and mineral springs, is a key action in our Council Plan, and we will continue to work with responsible authorities for the sustainable use of groundwater.”
The issue has stirred local memories of past water extraction controversies in nearby towns such as Musk and Stanley as reported in The Wombat Post by Kevin Childs.
In Trentham, as in other nearby towns, where there is a tension between tourism and development, residents remain alert to activities that might affect local aquifers and the Coliban River system. But for now, the property in question remains a working farm, and the water licence amendment does not increase extraction volumes or permit new development.
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