Introduction

The Adelaide Hills region is one of the most beautiful parts of South Australia. Adelaide Hills Council’s strategic management plan outlines a commitment to protecting our water catchment areas and leading by example in sustainable water use. Adelaide Hills Council will continue to improve our environmental performance, particularly in improving our waste facilities, waste water management and implementing programmes to reduce our carbon footprint.

Current Activities

The Council’s current activities include:

• Shower Head exchange - Adelaide Hills Council has jointly participated with SA Water to provide residents with the opportunity to exchange their existing shower heads with low flow shower heads and shower timers. This has resulted in more than 500 Adelaide Hills households saving water.
• CWMS (Community Wastewater Management) - A sustainable wastewater collection, treatment and disposal service which meets community expectations, is efficient and focuses on water recycling.
• Ensuring the protection & enhancement of watershed catchments and the sustainable use of water resources.
• Implementation of efficient irrigation system in Council parks and reserves to reduce water consumption.

Planned Activities

The Council’s planned activities include:

• Develop a Stormwater Management Plan and increase stormwater infrastructure.
• The operation, maintenance and improvement of Council’s open channel, roadside and piped drainage network and waterways to provide for effective land drainage, erosion control, flood mitigation, watershed water quality and public health and amenity.
• Continue to reduce mains water consumption in Council operations.
• Ensuring the protection & enhancement of watershed catchments and the sustainable use of water resources.
• Energy efficient and water sensitive design will be promoted in new public and private developments.
• Provide for the growth of primary production & associated value-adding enterprises & tourism while protecting the quality & quantity of water resources
• Link current environmentally sustainable design principles to the Development Plan