Special Areas
The Special Areas cover about 370,000 hectares of land around the water storages, and the land around the SCA's canals and pipelines. The Special Areas protect our water supply by acting as a buffer zone to help stop nutrients and other substances that could affect the quality of water entering the storages.
The SCA and the Office of Environment and Heritage jointly manage the Special Areas, including the Wingecarribee Swamp and Special Area, in accordance with the Special Areas Strategic Plan of Management (SASPoM) and the Wingecarribee Swamp and Special Area Plan of Management.
Public access to parts of the Special Areas is restricted to protect water quality. This benefits the community by:
- protecting water quality
- protecting large areas of bushland and plant and animal habitats
- protecting threatened plants and animal species
- preserving evidence of Aboriginal occupation dating back many thousands of years, and
- preserving evidence of non-Aboriginal exploration, early settlement and phases of development such as forestry, mining and dam building.
Special Areas Strategic Plan of Management Charter of Public Disclosure
The SASPoM requires the joint managers to create and publish a Charter of Public Disclosure and Accountability. The charter must also cover the Wingecarribee Swamp SASPoM.
The charter includes a notification and consultation policy, public exhibition requirements for major programs, and a range of ways for members of the public to get information, including research results, and provide comment and feedback on how the strategic plan is implemented.
