Minister for Water launches Wollondilly Rural Living Handbook

Minister for Water, and State Member for Wollondilly, Phil Costa, today launched the Wollondilly Rural Living Handbook developed by the Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA) and Wollondilly Shire Council.

The handbook provides Wollondilly residents with information on managing rural land and provides advice on issues like weed and pest control, maintenance of fences, managing water quality, stock welfare, and managing bushfire fuel loads on rural land.

The handbook also includes best management practices and contact details of organisations that provide support to rural landowners.

Mr Costa said the NSW Government was pleased to support the development of the handbook.

The NSW Government has been developing these important rural living handbooks with several councils in the drinking water catchment.

A similar handbook, developed by the SCA with Goulburn-Mulwaree Council, received a Planning Institute Award for Excellence.

"The SCA has worked closely with Wollondilly Council to produce this local version of the handbook.

I am sure it will be equally well received and I encourage rural residents in Wollondilly to take advantage of the resource.

It is an excellent guide and can be used by those new to rural living in Wollondilly or those of us who have lived in the region for some time", he concluded.

In addition to the Wollondilly Rural Living Handbook, the SCA has also developed a handbook with Upper Lachlan Shire Council.

The handbooks are a good guide for rural residential landholders or for people who are interested in moving to these areas. They include a variety of local information including recommended native planting species, noxious weeds lists and native local flora and contacts.

You can download the Rural Living Handbooks.