Lake Hume is a crucial asset, which supports a large and diverse range of values and uses including water for irrigation, urban use in towns and cities, stock and domestic use, recreation and tourism. These provide immense economic, social and cultural benefits to local and downstream communities along the Murray River. Good water quality is essential to protect these values and it is critical that these multiple uses are managed in an integrated way to ensure long-term sustainability.

The Lake Hume Land and On-water Management Plan provides a strategic approach to management of land and on-water issues at Lake Hume, including community awareness and involvement, water quality, recreation and tourism, healthy ecosystems, agricultural land use, planning and development and cultural heritage.  The Plan does not make recommendations on storage operational issues, including storage filling and releases.

The Lake Hume Land and On-water Management Plan aims to identify and protect important values associated with the lake by outlining priority land and on-water management issues and identifying key actions to be implemented during the next five years. Most importantly, the Plan aims to increase communication, consistency, co-ordination and co-operation between agencies, stakeholder groups and the community to protect the lake's values and attributes.

As well as producing the Lake Hume Land and On-water Management Plan, the project aims to achieve acceptance of management recommendations and responsibilities. To achieve this aim, an ongoing comprehensive stakeholder and community consultation program was facilitated and a technically robust and defensible process for its implementation.  Four formal rounds of consultation were carried out during the development of the Plan. Ongoing, consultation, education and increased awareness will be critical to achieving goals set out in the Plan.

A Community Reference Group will be set up to play an important role in the community engagement process during long-term management of Lake Hume. The Community Reference Group will have a number of responsibilities. It will help prioritise actions in the Lake Hume Land and On-water Management Plan, and to provide advice on implementation. The Community Reference Group will also advise on community engagement activities, such as informing and raising community awareness on the importance of environmental issues in the local area.

The Lake Hume Land and On-water Management Plan is a dynamic document and will continue to evolve as the various actions and strategies that it identifies are developed and implemented.  It is proposed that this Plan be reviewed every five years.

The plan was developed by Goulburn-Murray Water with the assistance of State Water Corporation and acting on behalf of the Murray Darling Basin Commission (now Authority).  Goulburn-Murray Water will also oversee the progressive implementation of the Lake Hume Land and On-water Management Plan over the period 2008-2013, and can be contacted on 03 5833 5500 or reception@g-mwater.com.au.

The Lake Hume Land and On-Water Management Plan is available [PDF 7Mb] at this link.