Leongatha Water Board

Full description

The Legislative Assembly resolved that the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (VA 723) and each constituted water, sewerage, drainage and river improvement authority (except the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works) be referred to the Public Bodies Review Committee for Review in April 1980. This resulted in the recommendation by the Public Bodies Review Committee that the various water and sewerage authorities be abolished and a new structure set up. This re-structuring was legislated by the Water and Sewerage Authorities (Restructuring) Act 1983 (Act No. 9895). The objectives of this Act were the following:
- to create interim administrative arrangements designed to facilitate the effective and efficient operation of the urban water industry in Victoria,
- to make that industry more structurally coherent and to reduce its geographical and functional fragmentation,
- to reduce the total number of bodies responsible for the supply of water and sewerage services,
- to define the role of the Minister in the development of new structures and procedures in the urban water industry, and
- to promote the more efficient, economic and effective allocation and utilization of the State's water resources.

As a result of this Act, new water and sewerage authorities referred to as Water Boards were created by Order-in-Council and the details of their constitution were published in the Government Gazette.

Under this Act, the Leongatha Water Board was constituted by an Order-in-Council dated 15th of November 1983. Leongatha Waterworks Trust (VA 4725) and Leongatha Sewerage Authority (VA 4726) were abolished and their geographical areas, functions, land, liabilities, obligations, powers, property, rights and employees became the responsibility of the new Water Board. The Board was responsible for the storage, treatment and distribution of portable water to the townships of Leongatha and Koonwarra, and surrounding rural areas.The Board was also responsible for the collection, reticulation and treatment of wastewater from the Leongatha Township. The Order-in-Council was enforced from the 1st of July 1984, and continued until a further program of structural reform took place under the Water Act 1989 (Act No. 80/1989).

On 23 August 1993 application was made to the Minister under Section 100(2)(a) of the Water Act 1989 to appoint Leongatha Water Board to take over the Tarwin Valley Water Board (VA 2258) and for the abolition of the Tarwin Valley Water Board. The Order became effective from the 9 of September 1993, and caused an alteration of the membership of the Water Board by the inclusion of one member of the eight member board to be elected by voters from the Tarwin Valley Electoral District.

Under the Water Act 1989, the South Gippsland Region Water Authority was constituted by Order-in-Council to take effect from the 1st of January 1995.
This Order stated that the South Gippsland Region Water Authority was responsible for the staff, liabilities, obligations, land, property and functions of the Leongatha Water Board from that date.