ASouth East Mayor and a councillor have expressed opposing views about the role of a key government agency in a review of a vital natural resource.


Councillor Dale Price told the September monthly meeting of Wattle Range Council that he had attended a Landscape Board public meeting in Mount Gambier which is part of its Water Allocation Plan Review.


According to Cr Price, there was no mention of the involvement of the South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board in the review.


However, Mayor Des Noll said he had attended a similar meeting in Millicent recently and the Landscape Board had given an assurance the Drainage Board would be participating in the review.


Mayor Noll said a Drainage Board representative was present at the Millicent meeting.


Cr Price then successfully moved the motion that Wattle Range Council writes to the Landscape Board expressing its encouragement the Drainage Board is an integral part of the Landscape SA Water Allocation Plan Review.


Earlier in the debate, Cr Price said there had been no mention of changes in water allocations at the Mount Gambier meeting but he anticipated there will be.


“Some areas of the SE region are over-allocated,” Cr Price said.


“This could be due to reduced rainfall and the impact of forests and drainage.


“Perhaps we could retain water by building weirs.”


His remarks were endorsed but Cr Richard Cassidy who said they were a “no brainer”.