Pemberton and Manjimup communities talk water-related matters with experts at community drop-in sessions

Pemberton and Manjimup community members have taken part in conversations about water-related matters with experts this week. Public drop-in sessions were held on Monday afternoon in Pemberton and Tuesday morning in Manjimup by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. Manjimup shire president Donelle Buegge said the community was able ask questions to a broad range of people from the departments, from monitoring to environment and allocation, which meant people were getting answers directly from the people involved. “It’s not second-hand information, it’s from the sectors of the departments,” she said. DWER acting regional manager Kath Lynch said they were keen to hear from growers and the broader community about how they value water in the region. “These drop-in sessions allow the community to connect with departmental staff and to share and explore water-related matters together,” she said. Among some of the topics discussed were surface water licensing, the monitoring, allocation and evaluation of water resources, and funding support available for growers to improve water security. Ms Buegge said there was a fantastic turnout at the sessions, noting council had been asking for DWER community consultation for about 2½ years. “To have that community support in the response to DWER coming down has shown this is the sort of communication we need to re-establish the trust farmers can have with the department,” she said. Ms Buegge said the sessions had been a constant request through the Warren Donnelly advisory committee, noting the gap between DWER and the farming community. “The department was hesitant and they weren’t sure of the response they were going to get to come down after the response to the proposed irrigation scheme,” she said. “But this has shown the community does want to move forward and we need to establish the trust again between the department and what irrigators and farmers in the area are doing.” At the Pemberton session, Quinninup grower Glen Ryan said it had been insightful. “It’s been encouraging to have the opportunity to discuss water concerns and to be heard,” he said. Manjimup’s Ray Falcinella said the session was invaluable, having all aspects of water management in the one place and talking to experts in each field.