developing an environmental management system … · developing an environmental management system...

JUNE 2002

Misc. Pub 15/2002ISSN 1326-4168

June 2002

DEVELOPING ANENVIRONMENTAL

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EMS)FOR VITICULTURE

A PRACTICAL GUIDEBOOK FOR WINE GRAPE PRODUCERS

Developing an Environmental Management System for Viticulture

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COMPILED BY:

CATHERINE NIND AND LUCY TAYLOR,DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThanks go to David Baker and the Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture, fordefining the key concepts referred to in this guidebook; developing a significance assessmentprocess suitable for viticulture; formulating environmental management guidelines for winegrape producers; and for ongoing support and input.

The assistance of the Margaret River Wine Industry Association members, in particularthe staff at Evans and Tate Vineyard and Caerleon is also gratefully acknowledged.

DISCLAIMERThe Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture and the State ofWestern Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or

otherwise arising from use or release of this information or any part of it.

© Chief Executive Officer, Department of Agriculture, Western Australia 2002


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ABOUT THIS GUIDEBOOK ...This guidebook outlines one approach that may be used to develop an EnvironmentalManagement System (EMS) for a vineyard. The system described in this guidebookfacilitates a continual improvement in environmental management and can be used todemonstrate a commitment to responsible land management. The system is generallyconsistent with the requirements of ISO 14001: the internationally accepted standard for anEMS.

The guidebook is divided into two parts.

PART I - DEVELOPING AN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMPart I describes how to develop and maintain an Environmental Management System and isdivided into three sections:

Section 1: Building the systemThis section takes you through the various steps needed to build an EMS.

Section 2: Maintaining your systemThis section discusses the review and record-keeping requirements necessary for maintainingand continually improving your system.

A list of useful references is provided at the end of this section.

Section 3: FormsThis section contains templates for the forms you will need to develop your EMS: you maywish to customise these forms.

If you have already developed a quality management system for your property, you shouldlook to integrate your forms and records wherever possible.

PART II - PEPPERMINT GUM VINEYARD

Section 4 provides an example of how the system described in this guidebook can beapplied to a hypothetical vineyard - the Peppermint Gum Vineyard - and includes examplesof an environmental policy, environmental risk assessment, action plans and procedures.

Section 5: AppendicesVarious appendices have been included at the end of Part I. These appendices containinformation that will assist you in developing and maintaining your environmentalmanagement system.


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CONTENTS

PageFOREWORD ............................................................................................................... iiiCONTACT LIST ......................................................................................................... viii

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1Viticulture and the environment ............................................................................... 1Environmental management systems .................................................................... 1Best management practices .................................................................................... 3Levels of environmental management ................................................................... 4

GUIDEBOOK - PART 1DEVELOPING AN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

SECTION 1: BUILDING THE SYSTEM .................................................... 7

STEP 1: DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS ............................................................. 8Compiling a description .........................................................................Property planning and aerial photographs .......................................... 8Land management units ........................................................................ 9

STEP 2: IDENTIFYING SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ........ 10Independent environmental review and significance assessment ........................................................................................... 10(a) Assemble an environmental review team ........................................ 10(b) List all the activities that take place on your property ...................... 10(c) Work out the environmental aspect of each activity ........................ 10(d) Determine the environmental impacts associated w ith each activity 11(e) Signif icance assessment .................................................................. 11

STEP 3: LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES ................................................................ 13

STEP 4: WRITING AN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ....................................... 14Developing an environmental policy .................................................... 14

STEP 5: ACTION PLANS ..................................................................................... 16(a) Set objectives and targets for each impact ...................................... 16(b) Assign responsibility ......................................................................... 16(c) Performance indicators .................................................................... 16(d) Cost and benefits ............................................................................. 17(e) Monitoring ......................................................................................... 17(f) Correction actions ............................................................................. 18(g) References ....................................................................................... 19


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CONTENTS (Continued)

Page

STEP 6: PROCEDURES ........................................................................................ 20Operational procedures .......................................................................... 20System procedures ................................................................................. 20

STEP 7: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN ....................................................... 21

STEP 8: RESPONSIBILITY AND TRAINING TABLE ...................................... 22

STEP 9: COMMUNICATION STRATEGY .......................................................... 23

STEP 10: COMPILING YOUR SYSTEM MANUAL ............................................ 24

SECTION 2: MAINTAINING YOUR SYSTEM ....................................... 25

STEP 1: REVIEW AND IMPROVE ....................................................................... 26System checks ........................................................................................ 26

Conducting a system check ......................................................... 26(1) Develop a schedule ................................................................. 27(2) Checklist .................................................................................. 27(3) Conduct the assessment ......................................................... 28(4) Reporting ................................................................................. 28

Management reviews ............................................................................. 28Conducting a management review ............................................. 29(1) Collecting information .............................................................. 29(2) Making the changes ................................................................ 29

STEP 2: MANUAL AND RECORDS .................................................................... 30Manual ...................................................................................................... 30Document control .................................................................................... 30Records .................................................................................................... 30

FURTHER READING ................................................................................................ 32


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CONTENTS (Continued)

Page

SECTION 3: FORMS ........................................................................................ 35Action plan template ......................................................................................... 36Procedure template............................................................................................ 37Emergency plan template ................................................................................. 38Training and responsibility table template ...................................................... 39Communication plan template.......................................................................... 40Report form template......................................................................................... 41Document register and amendment list template.......................................... 42Incident report template..................................................................................... 43System check schedule template .................................................................... 44Environmental review and risk assessment table ......................................... 45Significance assessment tables ....................................................................... 49Review table template ....................................................................................... 50Legal file template .............................................................................................. 51

PEPPERMINT GUM VINEYARD .................................................................. 53Business description ........................................................................................ 55

Farm plan ........................................................................................................... 57Land management units .................................................................................. 58Environmental policy ........................................................................................ 59Legislation .......................................................................................................... 60Identification of environmental impacts and significance assessment .... 62Action plans ....................................................................................................... 66Example procedures ........................................................................................ 72Legal file ............................................................................................................. 74Emergency plan EP1/01 .................................................................................. 76Incident Report .................................................................................................. 77Training and responsibility table ..................................................................... 78Communication plan ........................................................................................ 79Management Review and Document Control ................................................ 80

APPENDICES ........................................................................................................ 87


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CONTACT LISTThe following contacts have been provided to assist you in obtaining information needed todevelop an Environmental Management System.

Issues Organisation Contact details

• Best Management Practices Cooperative Research Centrefor Viticulture

(08) 8303 9405www.crcv.com.au

• Flora and Fauna• Land for Wildlife

Conservation and LandManagement (CALM)

(08) 9334 0333www.naturebase.net

• Land Management• Weeds• Chemicals• Property planning• Land Management Units

Department of Agriculture (08) 9368 3333www.agric.wa.gov.au

• Waste• Pollution

Department of EnvironmentalProtection

(08) 9222 7000www.environ.wa.gov.au

• Dangerous goods Department of Minerals andPetroleum Resources

(08) 9222 3333www.mpr.wa.gov.au

• Areas of nationalenvironmental significance

Environment Australia (02) 6274 1111www.ea.gov.au

• Environmental law Environmental Defender’sOrganisation

(08) 9221 3030

• Pesticide use and licensing• Water pollution

Local government Contact local shire office

• Current version of all WAlegislation

• Electronic updates ofchanges to legislation

Various (08) 9321 7688www.slp.wa.gov.au

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/wa/consol_act/.

• Licensing of water use• Management of water

resources

Water and Rivers Commission (08) 9278 0300www.wrc.wa.gov.au

• Aerial photographs Department of LandAdministration - Central MapAgency, Midland

(08) 9273 7209 or(08) 9273 7205


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INTRODUCTION

VITICULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENTThe Australian wine industry has an international reputation for producing wine of anoutstanding quality, in a pristine environment. This ‘clean and green’ image has beenfostered through the hard work of producers and a general commitment to care for the naturalresources that favour the production of such high quality products. However, this is an imagethe industry must work hard to maintain as demand for demonstrable environmentalsustainability mounts.

The global community is increasingly aware of, and concerned by, the environmentalfootprint of all agricultural industries, including viticulture. As markets begin to seek outassurances that agriculture is sustainable, failure to provide credible proof of responsibleresource use may result in lost sales or restricted market access.

In response to these pressures, many agricultural industries, including the wine and grapeindustry, are looking towards Environmental Management Systems (EMS) as one method forachieving and demonstrating responsible management. Environmental Management Systemsare likely to assist producers in:• fulfilling legal obligations to manage the environment;• improving the effectiveness of resource management;• building public confidence in industry commitment to the environment;• increasing production efficiency;• reducing waste;• reducing the costs of correcting environmental problems; and• accessing markets demanding environmental assurances.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMSAn Environmental Management System (EMS) is a formal management plan, the purpose ofwhich is to conduct all business activities in a manner that minimises negative impacts on theenvironment, and where feasible, maximises positive impacts. It is a tool for buildingenvironmental considerations into the day-to-day conduct of business (Baker, 2001).

An effective EMS should:• make producers more aware of the impacts that their production activities have on the

environment;• highlight priority management issues;• instigate actions to address priority issues with an outcome of improved environmental

benefit; and• satisfy external stakeholders that the business is committed to responsible

environmental management (Baker, 2001).

Environmental Management Systems are based upon the principle of continuousimprovement and are structured around a Plan-Do-Check-Act improvement cycle, as shownin Figure 1.


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Figure 1. Overview of steps used in an EMS (Baker, 2001). Adapted from AS/NZS ISO 14004.

An EMS structured around this continuous improvement cycle generally consists of thefollowing components:• An environmental policy, stating the environmental goals of the business.• A register of environmental legislation relevant to business operations.• A review of environmental impacts associated with business operations and a list of

significant impacts requiring management.• Plans and procedures required for managing significant impacts.• Communication and training procedures.• A program for monitoring the status of significant issues.• A continual review and assessment of the effectiveness of the system.

There are many approaches that might be used to build an EMS. However, there is currentlyonly one EMS standard that is recognised internationally. The international standard for anEMS is ISO 14001.

ISO 14001 was developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation in 1996. Thestandard sets out the generic components of an environmental management system and wasdeveloped to provide a wide range of enterprises with a standardised tool for identifying andmanaging environmental obligations and achieving independent certification (Gunninghamand Sinclair, 1999).

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICESBest Management Practices (BMPs) are the ‘how to’ components that are used within anEMS framework to improve environmental outcomes. They are the on-ground actions thatare put in place, with the results monitored, to demonstrate improvements in environmentalperformance.

Commi tment andPolicy

Planning

Impl ementation

Measurementand Eval uation

Managementreview

THE EMS CYCLEOF CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT


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Whereas an EMS represents the overall process used to guide a continual improvement inenvironmental performance, a BMP is the practical action that actually lessens anenvironmental impact and improves production. Producers may already be using many BMPs:an EMS offers a formal way of documenting the use of these practices.

Figure 2 shows the relationship between EMS and Best Management Practices.

Figure 2. Relationship between Environmental Management Systems and Best Management Practices(Baker, 2001). Adapted from AS/NZS ISO 14004.

The purpose of this document is not to recommend Best Management Practices to wine grapeproducers. Rather, it shows how these practices may be systematically employed using anEMS.

The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Viticulture is in the process of compilingenvironmental best practices for:• water management;• pest, disease and weed management;• soil and nutrition management;• general viticulture, e.g. vineyard establishment and canopy management• biodiversity management;• waste management;• energy and greenhouse;• genetically modified organisms; and• community issues.

Commi tment andPolicy

Planning

Implementation

Measurement andEvaluation

Managementreview

Identify ar eas whereBMP’s are required

for impr ovedenvironmental

perfor mance needs

Implement,apply and

develop relevantBMP’s as part of

EMS

Monitor and assessperformance of

BMP’s withreference to aimsand objectives ofEMS and modif y if

required


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As these become available they can be added to the ‘toolbox’ for use in your EMS. In theinterim, you might find information on appropriate management practices from:• industry associations, journals and references. A list of suggested reading is provided at

the end of this document;• other producers involved in the industry;• the Internet; and• Department of Agriculture publications and staff.

General environmental guidelines are provided in Appendix 1 to assist you in choosingpractices for managing the environmental impacts associated with your activities. Theseguidelines have been developed by the CRC for Viticulture and reviewed by members of theMargaret River Wine Industry Association to ensure they are suitable for Western AustralianWine Grape Producers.

Alternatively, you may prefer to be innovative with your management practices and developyour own methods for controlling an impact.

LEVELS OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTThere are different levels of environmental management that may be achieved by a grower.These levels are illustrated in Figure 3 and described in Appendix 2.

Growers do not need to aim for the highest performance level and implement anindependently certified system to be managing the environment effectively. It does not matterwhat system you use, as long as you are making progress towards improving yourenvironmental performance.

Figure 3. Levels of environmental performance (Baker, 2001). Adapted fromAS/NZS ISO 14004.

LEVEL 6:Independently certified EMS

LEVEL 7:Independent Certification of Product

LEVEL 5:Full EMS (audited by 2nd or 3rd party)

LEVEL 4:Full EMS (self declared)

LEVEL 3:Issue Focus System

LEVEL 2:Identify environmental aspects and

LEVEL 1:No formal environmental management


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GUIDEBOOK - PART I

DEVELOPING AN ENVIRONMENTALMANAGEMENT SYSTEM


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SECTION 1:BUILDING THE SYSTEM


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STEP 1: DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESSThis first step in your guidebook is optional; however, describing your business can be auseful way of informing other people about the nature and scale of your activities.

You can skip directly to Step 2 if you have already completed a similar exercise, or if you donot think this exercise will be useful.

Compiling a descriptionTo compile a business description, use the following steps as a guide:1. Business and property details:

• provide general information about your business (owners, trading name, history ofoperations, address and contact details);

• briefly overview the activities that occur on your property; and• provide a description of your property location (proximity to towns, types of

adjacent land use, etc.)

2. Document your natural resources:• describe any stands of native vegetation or unusual natural features;• outline the nature of the soils and topography;• describe the ground and surface water resources on your property; and• note down relevant weather information, such as average seasonal rainfall and

temperatures.

You may find it more useful to present this information as a map or property plan.

You should be able to record all of this information on one or two pages.

Property planning and aerial photographsA property plan may take time to develop, but it is a useful tool for increasing theeffectiveness of your resource management. For further information about how to develop aproperty plan, contact the Department of Agriculture. Contact details are provided in theContact List at the front of this guidebook.

For those people entering the industry, good planning will assist in reducing theenvironmental impacts of your activities. For example, you can ensure that remnantvegetation is retained where possible, and that adequate buffer zones are in place between thevineyard and any waterways on the property.

Aerial photographs can be a useful planning tool and assist in monitoring long-term changesin your vineyard. If you are interested in using aerial photography as a planning andmonitoring tool, you should contact the Central Map Agency at the Western AustralianDepartment of Land Administration (DOLA). The Central Map Agency archive aerialphotographs taken for all areas of the state. These photographs can be ordered tospecification. Contact details for the Central Map Agency are provided in the Contact List atthe front of this guidebook.


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Land Management UnitsLand Management Units (LMUs) are one of the tools used in property planning. LMUs areareas on your property, which react to various management practices in a similar way. Or, toput it another way, they are areas of land with similar soils and landforms that should bemanaged similarly to maximise benefit to you and at the same time, minimise degradation.For example, these might be areas of remnant vegetation, vines on slopes, vines on flatground or storage sheds.

Dividing your property into Land Management Units can assist in minimising environmentalrisks. Part II - Peppermint Gum Vineyard, provides examples of a business description,property map and Land Management Units. For more information on Land ManagementUnits, contact the Department of Agriculture. Contact details are listed in the Contact List,provided at the front of this guidebook.


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STEP 2: IDENTIFYING SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTSTo develop an environmental management system you need to be aware of your impacts onthe environment. Environmental impacts occur when activities cause a change in theenvironment. These changes can be either positive or negative.

You can use your environmental management system to identify positive environmentalimpacts on your property. However, it is more important that you use it to focus attention onthe negative impacts; these are the impacts that may lead to environmental degradation onyour property if left unmanaged. In the context of this guidebook, the term ‘environmentalimpact’, or ‘impact’, refers only to impacts that have a detrimental effect on the environment.

This section of the guidebook will help you identify the environmental impacts on yourproperty and determine which are significant enough to require specific management.

Two methods for identifying the significant environmental impacts are presented in thisguidebook. Method one involves completing the Environmental Review and RiskAssessment form located in Section 3 of this guidebook. This form provides a generic list ofenvironmental impacts associated with wine grape production. It should be used inconjunction with the Significance Assessment Tables, which are also located in Section 3.If you choose to use this method for identifying your significant impacts, you can progressstraight to step 3, once you have completed the forms.

Method two involves completing an independent review and assessment, as described below.

Independent environmental review and significance assessment

(a) Assemble an environmental review teamTo make your review comprehensive you should assemble a small group to work as a reviewteam. Include people who work in the different areas of your business. You may also like toinclude your neighbours or catchment group members within this team.

(b) List all the activities that take place on your propertyThe best way to list your activities is to ‘brainstorm’ what you do on your property.Remember to include activities performed by contract workers, as well as those performed byyou and your staff. Then think beyond your production process to any other activities thatoccur on your property and have the potential to impact on the environment. Note the detailsof each activity in the Review Table, which can be found in the Section 3 of this guidebook.

For example …

Activity Aspect Impact

Apply fertiliser

Where practical, check the results of your ‘brainstorming’ by taking a walk or a drive aroundyour property. This should help to make your listing of activities thorough. It is important tobe as thorough as possible because missing an activity may mean you miss an importantenvironmental impact.

(c) Work out the environmental aspect of each activityFor each of the activities you have listed, ask yourself: “What aspect of the activity mayaffect the environment?” The answer to this question should guide you in determining howeach activity is able to affect the environment.


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For example …The activity shown in the previous example might have the following aspect that could havean impact on the environment:


Apply fertiliser Over fertilise

(d) Determine the environmental impacts associated with each activityFor each activity, ask yourself: “How can this affect the environment?” The answer to thisquestion can assist you in determining environmental impacts. There may be more than oneimpact associated with an activity and some impacts may be indirect. Remember to considerall of your direct and indirect impacts; also consider all of your real and potential impacts.This assessment should be made regardless of your current management.

You might like to use the Environmental Review and Risk Assessment form as a referencedocument to ensure you have not overlooked any significant activities, aspects or impacts.

For example …


Apply fertiliser Over fertilise Nutrient contamination ofgroundwater

(e) Significance assessmentThe significance of an impact is determined by the likelihood that it will occur and theseverity of the consequences if it does occur.

To assess the significance of your environmental impacts, use the Significance AssessmentTables form, located in Section 3, to provide you with a significance rating. Record thisinformation in the ‘significance’ column of your Review Table.

Points to considerWhen reviewing your environmental impacts:1. Talk to the owners of vineyards in your area.2. Contact your Landcare coordinator or your local Department of Agriculture office for

information or assistance.3. Refer to any good reference books on the environment (see Further Reading section).4. Think objectively about the effects your production has on the soil, water, wildlife,

vegetation and air. Consider the type and quantity of vineyard waste.

Some environmental impacts that should be considered include:• contamination of waterways and soil• soil compaction• erosion• spray drift• eutrophication

• odour• noise• loss of flora and fauna• improper waste disposal• greenhouse gas production

5. You must be able to show that you have logically considered every activity and impacton your property, whatever method you use for your environmental review.


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When assessing the significance of your impacts:1. The significance of an activity and the associated impact should be assessed on

everyday risk levels rather than emergency situations.2. When determining the severity of an impact, consider the size of the area that will be

affected, the possibility and costs associated with reversing the impact, and thevulnerability of the site. Consider proximity to waterways, remnant vegetation andother significant areas, as well as residential areas and tourist accommodation. Considerwhether the impact is significant in your region.

3. When determining the likelihood of an impact, think about the chance of this impactoccurring and whether it has happened in the past. You are not considering theprobability that an activity will occur: you are assessing the probability that the impactsof the activity will occur. Assess this in light of any practices you are currently using tocontrol the impact as these might reduce the probability of an impact occurring.

Record the information gained above in a Review table - located in Section 3.


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STEP 3: LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIESTo have an effective environmental management system, you need to be fully aware of yourlegal and industry responsibilities to manage the environment. You must ensure you arefulfilling all your legal obligations to manage the environment.

One way of ensuring you achieve legal compliance is to develop and maintain a Legal File.This file should provide a record of all relevant legislation (Federal, State and Local), Codesof Practice, and other industry requirements. This file should also outline how legalobligations or industry guidelines directly affect your property and activities - it should alertyou to any activities on your property with the potential to breach the law or the requirementsof your industry.

It is important that the vineyard manager or person in charge of the environmentalmanagement system keeps the file current and informs staff of any changes to legislation orguidelines that may effect their duties.

To help build your legal file, you should look to the following sources for information:• Appendix 5: Environmental Legislation Pertaining to Viticulture in WA (particularly

the Margaret River Wine Region;• your Landcare coordinator;• local Department of Agriculture office;• local council and town planning scheme requirements; and• industry associations.

To assist you, a Legal File template has been included in Section 3 of this guidebook.

Your Legal File should be reviewed annually as part of your overall system review. Detailsof who to contact to ensure you are aware of changes to legislation are provided in theContact List at the front of this guidebook.


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STEP 4: WRITING AN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICYYour environmental policy is one of the most important parts of your environmentalmanagement system. It will sit at the front of your manual and you might also like to displayit in your office or make it available to your customers so that they can see your commitmentto environmental management.

A policy is a statement of your aims for environmental management on your property. Itprovides the foundation stone for your environmental management system.

Developing an environmental policy1. Start with a brief statement that describes the nature of your business.

For example ...Peppermint Gum Vineyard, established in 1987, is a small owner-operated vineyardgrowing cabernet, shiraz, chardonnay and semillon wine grape varieties on 45 ha.

2. State your general goal for environmental management.As part of this goal, you should acknowledge your commitment to continual improvement inenvironmental performance and the prevention of pollution.

For example ...We recognise that sound environmental management is an essential part of our operationsand for the ongoing sustainability of our region. We are committed to managing theenvironmental impacts of our activities, preventing pollution and continually improving ourenvironmental performance.

3. Identify the significant impacts you are going to manage.Simply list the priority impacts that you are managing on your property.

For example ...We aim to continually improve our environment performance by:• adopting management practices that reduce the risk of chemical and nutrient

contamination of our ground and surface water resources and use water efficiently;• maintaining our soil resources by using management practices that reduce the risk of soil

contamination and erosion;• minimising the volume of waste generated on our property and recycling where possible;• minimising noise emissions where possible; and• enhancing the biodiversity of our region by protecting and managing our remnant

vegetation.


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4. Acknowledge your commitment to your legal and industry requirements to manage theenvironment.

For example ...We are committed to maintaining standards that are consistent with industry Codes ofPractice and relevant legislation.

5. Record this information in a brief statement. Keep the language simple and make itabout one page in length.

6. Sign it! The owner or CEO of the business should sign the statement as a sign ofcommitment.

Everyone who works on your property must be made aware of your environmental policy.This can be achieved by giving each employee a copy of the policy and placing a copy in aprominent position - perhaps on the shed wall.


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STEP 5: ACTION PLANSHaving completed Steps 2 and 3, you will now be aware of the important environmentalimpacts on your property. In this section you will develop action plans to assist you incontrolling these impacts.

As a starting point, you should formulate action plans for the impacts that you assigned a‘Very High’ significance rating. However, you can also develop action plans for other issuesthat you would like to manage formally, regardless of rating. An Action Plan template isprovided in Section 3.

(a) Set objectives and targets for each impactObjectives are broad goals for environmental management.

Targets are the fine details of an objective. They establish exactly what it is you are aimingto achieve and when you aim to achieve it.

When you establish your targets, it is important that you make them:SpecificMeasurableAchievableRealisticTime-bound (within a measurable time frame)

When developing your objectives and targets, be certain to consider any regional orcatchment management objectives that may apply to your property.

(b) Assign responsibilityTo ensure your objectives and targets are fulfilled, you should assign responsibility for eachobjective and target to an individual working within your business.

For example ...

ACTIO N PLAN 1: WATER MANAG EMENT

O bjective(s):(what to do)

To maximise the irrigation efficiency in the vineyard

Targets: 1. Develop irrigation guidelines.2. Irrigate according to monitoring.

When to do it: Target Date Responsibility1. by 01/10/01 Vineyard

Manager andTechnicalOfficer

(c) Performance indicatorsInclude performance indicators so that you can ascertain how you are progressing with yourobjectives and targets. An effective indicator will enable you to objectively assess yourprogress toward an objective or target. It is important that you make your indicators specificand measurable - like your targets. Try to select indicators that enable you to measureprogress towards more than one target.


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Appendix 5 contains a list of potential indicators.

For example ...





When to do it: Target Date Responsibility Performanceindicators Completed?

1. by 01/10/01 VineyardManager andTechnicalOfficer

Guidelinescompleted

(d) Cost and benefitsYou might wish to identify the costs and benefits of implementing each Action Plan.Consider whether the actions in your plan will:• improve the look and value of your vineyard;• improve the environment;• save time and money;• improve productivity; and/or• assist you in attracting funding (e.g. to create a wildlife corridor).

For example ...







Guidelinescompleted

Cost/benefit Cost: T imeBenefit: Reduced water usage, fruit quality raised, reduced running costs.

(e) MonitoringMonitoring is a key component of your environmental management system. If you do notmonitor your priority impacts you will never know, or be able to demonstrate, that you aremanaging them successfully.


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To develop a monitoring program you need to think about:• what you will need to monitor;• where you are going to monitor;• how you are going to monitor;• when you are going to monitor;• who will be responsible for monitoring;• the records you will need to keep.

Remember that monitoring does not need to be complicated. Refer to the Farm MonitoringHandbook (see Further Reading), or speak to someone with monitoring experience, such asyour local catchment group, for advice on the best monitoring techniques for you. Always tryand select monitoring techniques that are rapid, relevant and reliable.

You must make sure that you regularly maintain and calibrate your monitoring equipment toensure that your results are accurate. You should keep records of your maintenance andcalibration.

For example ...







Guidelinescompleted

Cost/benefit Cost: T imeBenefit: Reduced water usage, fruit quality raised, reduced running costs.

What How Where When Who RecordsMonitoring

C-probegraphs

Use ofc-probes Vineyard As

requiredTechnicalOfficer

Irrigationrecords

(f) Corrective actionsNo system is perfect, so in case something goes wrong with your management of theenvironment you should develop corrective actions.

Corrective actions are contingency plans. They are used to help rectify problems in yourmanagement system or in the implementation of your management practices, if and when theyoccur. Corrective actions help to ensure that problems do not re-occur.

Monitoring, system checks and reviews or complaints - either from neighbouring propertiesor local authorities – might alert you to such problems. Alternatively, you might notice themduring the course of your work.


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You should attempt to develop corrective actions for all of your priority impacts. Whendeveloping corrective actions, think about what could go wrong and how you could remedythe situation, both in the long and short term.

If you use a corrective action, it is important that you write an Incident Report so that youhave a record of which corrective actions were employed and when. This information will beuseful in your system checks and reviews. It also demonstrates that you have attempted toaddress any problems, even if you have not been successful in remedying them.

Any complaints related to your management of the environment should also be noted on anIncident Report form. If the complaint is about normal vineyard practices, such as spray drift,it can be referred to the Agricultural Practices Board, which assists in conflict resolution. AnIncident Report form is included in Section 3 of this guidebook.

(g) ReferencesNote down any reference material relevant to the Action Plan. Relevant material mightinclude monitoring guidebooks or management texts.

For example ...







Guidelinescompleted

Cost/benefit: Cost: T imeBenefit: Reduced water usage, fruit quality raised, reduced running costs.

What How Where When Who RecordsMonitoring:

C-probegraphs

Use ofc-probes Vineyard As

requiredTechnicalOfficer

Irrigationrecords

Correctiveaction/review: Revise irrigation guidelines.

References: Micro-irrigation of Vines and Fruit Trees, 1996, Mitchel and Goodwin,Agriculture Victoria.


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STEP 6: PROCEDURESA procedure is a written record of how things are to be done on your property. Havingprocedures enables someone else to do your job the same way you would, even if you are notthere to supervise them. Procedures ensure that everyone completes tasks in a uniform way.

The idea of writing down the correct way to do a job might seem time-consuming, butpreparing procedures might in fact save you time in the long run. Most businesses find thatthe time they invest in writing procedures is quickly recovered because there is less time spenton correcting mistakes.

Operational proceduresUsing appropriate management practices for your priority impacts should allow you to meetyour environmental management objectives and targets.

You do not have to write procedures for every activity on your property, just those that aremost likely to cause environmental harm if they are not performed in a certain way. Contractworkers coming onto your property also need to be aware of and follow your managementpractice procedures.

For example ...If used chemical containers are not disposed of in the correct way there is a risk thatchemical residues might cause environmental harm by contaminating the soil or water. Sothat all staff members understand the importance of this task and know the right way toperform it, the steps should be recorded in a procedure.

System proceduresIn addition to your operational procedures, you should develop procedures that relate to therunning of your environmental management system, including:• document control;• record keeping;• calibration and maintenance of equipment;• system checks;• management reviews; and• staff induction and training.

A Procedure template has been included in Section 3 of this guidebook. Example procedurescan be found in Part II - Peppermint Gum Vineyard.

Points to consider1. Keep procedures brief and make sure you use simple, clear language.2. Use pictures or diagrams if you think it will make your message clearer.3. You may have work instructions that can be used as a basis for procedures.


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STEP 7: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANThis step in the guidebook is optional. Whilst it is important to consider the emergencypotential of your activities it is more important that you focus on managing your everydayimpacts. If you decide not to consider emergency situations at the moment, it isrecommended that you add them to your system as soon as possible.

Some activities have the potential to cause a sudden and extreme event. Consider what mighthappen if you had a major chemical leak or spill on your property. An extreme situation isknown as an emergency. Having an emergency plan in place is one way of making sure youare prepared for any extreme events.

To assess the emergency potential on your property, consider ‘worst-case scenarios’.Remember to be realistic in your estimations.

Emergency situations may include:• chemical spills/leaks • fires (eg vineyard, bush, shed)• machinery faults • fuel spills• disease outbreaks • discharges to waterways

An emergency plan outlines potential incidents and appropriate responses. It should include:• a description of the possible emergency situation and its likely effects;• a planned response to the situation;• the details of relevant staff and emergency contacts (such as the police, ambulance and

fire services and your immediate neighbours);• the details of relevant equipment (fire hydrants, alarms, first aid kits).

It is also a good idea to prepare a site plan that shows:• distance and whereabouts of the surrounding community;• site entrances, roads and assembly points;• storage points for hazardous materials (chemicals, fuels and gas);• location of water sources and safety equipment;• location of spill-control equipment.

It is important to regularly review and update your plan so that it remains current. If you havean environmental emergency, it is recommended that you fill out an Incident Report form, asthis will be useful in your system checks and reviews. It will also demonstrate that youattempted to manage the emergency.

Templates for an Emergency Plan and an Incident Report are included in Section 3 of thisguidebook. Examples of these are included in Part II - Peppermint Gum Vineyard.

You should make sure that all your employees are aware of your Emergency ResponsePlan and that it is located in a prominent position.


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STEP 8: RESPONSIBILITY AND TRAINING TABLEYou should establish a Responsibility and Training Table for each person working on yourproperty whose activities could impact on the environment. This table should make it clearwho is responsible for performing the different tasks on your property, and who is in need oftraining. It is important to explicitly state the duties and training needs of each worker so thatthey are aware of their individual responsibilities and so that they receive training appropriateto their duties.

The term ‘training’ is used to cover a variety of instructional activities. This can includeinformal on-the-job training or more formal training courses. Whatever form it takes, trainingin correct procedures is important because it ensures environmental harm is minimised.

You should consider including the following information in a Responsibility and TrainingTable:• worker’s name;• skills required;• general duty statement;• specific duties requiring training; and• training completed in relation to work duties.

You might like to use the Responsibility and Training Table template, included in Section 3to help you develop this table. An example is given in Part II - Peppermint Gum Vineyard.

When completing your Responsibility Tables, remember to consider the tasks on yourvineyard that are carried out by contract workers; some of these tasks might have the potentialto cause significant environmental impacts. You might like to include activities performed bycontractors in your Responsibility Tables.


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STEP 9: COMMUNICATION STRATEGYThis step is optional, if you do not wish to develop a communication strategy for yourbusiness, please move directly to Step 10.

A communication strategy outlines the ways in which you intend to communicate informationabout environmental management on your vineyard. Communication can be internal orexternal. Internal communication builds awareness of environmental issues within yourbusiness and keeps staff and contractors informed of current environmental managementrequirements. External communication involves updating interested outside parties aboutyour environmental management. External communication might include displaying yourenvironmental policy at the front desk, or participating in a local catchment group.

A template for a Communication Strategy has been included in Section 3.


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STEP 10: COMPILING YOUR SYSTEM MANUALYou now have all the information you need to compile an environmental management systemmanual for your property. You should assemble this information in a structured and practicalformat. It may be a good idea to purchase a strong loose-leaf folder and some documentdividers. You can then divide your information into the following sections:

1. Policy and planning• Environmental policy• Business description and map• Legal file• Responsibility and training table• Communication Strategy

2. Risk assessment and management• Significance assessment• Action plans

3. Procedures• Operational and System Management Procedures• Emergency Response Plan

RecordsYou should set aside a fourth section in which you can store your system records.

These records might include:• monitoring records;• incident reports;• calibration records;• maintenance records;• system check and management review reports; and• document control register.

************

CONGRATULATIONS!NOW YOUR MANUAL IS COMPILED, YOUR SYSTEM IS COMPLETE.

Move on to Section 2 of this guidebook to learn how to maintain your system.

Section 3: Forms and templates

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SECTION 2:MAINTAINING YOUR SYSTEM


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STEP 1: REVIEW AND IMPROVEViticultural practices change over time as research leads to new information and managementtechniques. To make sure your environmental management system is effective and up to datewith current industry developments, it must be continually appraised and improved. This canbe achieved through a regular process of system checks and management reviews. A systemcheck involves looking over your system to confirm that you are doing all the things you hadplanned. A management review is used to assess if your system is still relevant to your needs.

The difference between a system check and a management review can be hard to grasp. Youmight find the following analogy useful for clarifying the difference.

Imagine that an environmental management system is a recipe for baking a cake. To bake thecake, the baker must first assemble all the ingredients according to the recipe. Once themixture is made and the cake is ready for the oven, the baker can conduct a system check. Tocarry out the check, the baker would look back over the recipe to confirm that all theingredients had been added to the mixture in the right amounts. If the recipe called for threeeggs the baker might ask, “Did I add all three eggs to the mixture?”

A management review is different, it is conducted once the cake has been cooked andremoved from the oven. During a review the baker is concerned with appraising both therecipe and the cake. The baker might ask, “Did this recipe enable me to make the cake Iwanted to make?” If the cake is not what the baker had hoped, he or she may ask, “How can Imodify the recipe to give me the cake I want?”

By checking and reviewing the recipe and cake, the baker is able to continually improve thequality of the cake. Likewise, by checking and reviewing your environmental managementsystem, you will be able to continually improve your environmental performance.

SYSTEM CHECKSA system check, or internal audit, is a useful way of ensuring your management system isoperating as you had planned. It involves looking objectively at the operation of your systemto ensure it is functioning as you had intended. The check assesses whether activities andprocesses are operating as outlined in your environmental management system manual. Itmight identify training that has been delivered or identify records that are not being kept.However, a system check will not assess the suitability of your training allocations or recordkeeping requirements; that will occur during a management review. The results of a systemcheck will enable you to focus your efforts where they are needed and continually improveyour system.

System checks need to be conducted on a regular basis. When you first introduce your systemit would be worthwhile running a check every two to three months for the first six months.After this time you should have eliminated most of your teething problems and an annualcheck should be sufficient.

You should conduct a system check if you make any changes to your production process, ormake a change to your environmental management system.

Conducting a system check

(1) Develop a scheduleA schedule should set out the broad areas of your system that will be assessed and thetimeframe in which the check will take place. As a minimum you should look to assess yourenvironmental policy, environmental impacts, objectives and targets, procedures, corrective


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actions, training, monitoring, records, system checks and management reviews. You mightcheck your entire system at once or assess it section by section throughout the year.

A System Check Schedule template has been included in Section 3.

(2) ChecklistYou need to build upon the broad assessment areas that you established in your schedule. Todo this you should develop a checklist of questions that will provide you with the informationyou need to assess your system. Your questions might provide you with a yes/no answer, buta detailed response is often more useful.

Your checklist questions might include:Environmental policy• Has the property owner signed the policy statement?• Does the policy statement commit to fulfilling legal requirements and continually

improving environmental performance?• Is the policy statement available to all employees?Environmental impacts• Have all detrimental environmental impacts been considered?• Have all legal obligations to manage the environment been considered?Action Plans• Are all objectives and targets documented?• Are the objectives and targets consistent with the environmental policy?Procedures• Are workers (including contractors) aware of the procedures relevant to their duties?• Are workers following and competent in the use of required procedures?• Have activities related to significant environmental impacts been identified in the

procedures?Corrective actions• Have recommended corrective actions been employed when necessary?Training• Have training needs been identified?• Have training commitments been fulfilled?Document control• Are system documents stored safely?• Are documents reviewed when necessary?• Are current versions available to all staff?Monitoring• Is there sufficient information to track environmental performance?• Have responsibilities been assigned?• Are monitoring tools calibrated/maintained?Records• Are records related to priority impacts available?


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System Check• Are system checks conducted as required?• Do they check the system against its intentions?• Are the results recorded?Management reviews• Is the EMS reviewed on a regular basis?• Are review decisions recorded and acted upon?

3. Conduct the assessmentGather the information you need to answer your checklist questions. You might get thisinformation from interviewing people who work on your property, observing work practicesor sighting documents and records.

An effective way of gaining information might be to ask for a practical demonstration ofunderstanding.

4. ReportingYou should record the findings of your system check in a report and make recommendationsas to how you can improve your system. A Report Form is provided in Section 3.

5. Follow-upTo get any value out of your system check you should act on the recommendations you havemade in your report and then check at a later date to see that these recommendations havebeen followed.

MANAGEMENT REVIEWSA management review is an examination and appraisal of your entire environmentalmanagement system. The purpose of a review is to see if your system it still a suitable andeffective way of addressing your current environmental management needs. A managementreview goes beyond a system check. Rather than just assessing if your system is working asyou had intended, a review will let you objectively assess the strengths and weakness of yoursystem. A review will not just tell you if staff are following procedures, it will tell you ifthose procedures are any good; are they too complicated, or is there a better way ofperforming the task? A management review will assist you in continually improving yourenvironmental performance.

Conducting a management reviewA management review should be conducted annually by the property manager. There are twosteps involved in a management review:

1. Collecting informationAs a minimum you should review:Environmental policy• Is it still relevant to what you want to achieve and what your customers require?Environmental impacts• Is your Review Table current? For example, you might have moved to minimum tillage

so soil degradation will be less of a concern, but chemical management might now bemore significant.


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• Are there any new legal or industry obligations that require you to make changes toyour system?

Action plans• Is your system effectively moving you towards your objectives and targets?• If not, do they need redefining, or can you modify your system so that they can be

achieved?Procedures• Are your current procedures still relevant?• Have new management techniques been identified that could be suitable to your needs?• Could you use some of these new techniques?Corrective actions• Are your corrective actions an appropriate way of correcting non-conformances in your

system, or do they need redefining?Training• Does your training program need to be re-assessed?• Have you employed new workers who will require training?• Are new training programs available in your industry?Document control• Do you have effective document-control procedures?• Could you simplify or improve these procedures?Monitoring• Does your monitoring program allow you to track your environmental performance?Records• Are you making progress toward your objectives and targets?• Has your system worked as planned? If not, how can you ensure it will in future?System checks• Do your system checks provide you with useful information?• Are they conducted with sufficient frequently?Management reviews• Is your review process helping to continually improve your environmental management

system?• Could the review process be improved?

2. Making the changesRecord the results of your review on a Report Form, a template is contained in Section 3.On the basis of these results you might need to adjust your system so that it incorporates yourfindings. This might involve restating your environmental policy, reworking your objectivesand targets or rethinking your procedures.


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STEP 2: MANUAL AND RECORDSTo improve your environmental performance and be able to publicly demonstrate yourenvironmental responsibility, it is important that you develop and maintain relevantdocuments and records.

These documents and records provide a written account of what is meant to happen and whathas been happening on your property. Without appropriate documents and records it isdifficult to review and improve your environmental performance. It is also difficult to get anindependent verification of your environmental ‘friendliness’.

ManualYour manual describes how your environmental management system works and what it isaiming to achieve through a series of documents. These documents include:• Environmental policy• Procedures• Responsibility and training table• Business description and property map (optional)• Emergency plan (optional)• Communication strategy (optional)• Action plans• Review table/risk assessment• Legal file

Document controlIt is important that you control the documents that affect the operation of your system toensure that you are always working with the current version. Document control involves theidentification and storage of important documents in a systematic manner. Maintaining adocument register is a good way of achieving this as a register can be easily updatedwhenever documents are modified.

Effective document control should ensure that your documents are:• titled, numbered and date-referenced• safe and easily located• periodically reviewed and updated• immediately removed once obsolete, although you should keep a reference copy of any

outdated documents where practical.• readily available to the people who need them.

A template for a Document Register is included in Section 3.

RecordsRecords provide objective evidence that an activity has taken place. Records can be presentedas data, a completed form, a list, a note, or a written report. They might be written in anirrigation record, stored on a computer or located in a filing cabinet drawer.


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Records serve a number of purposes, they can:• provide a means of reviewing the performance of your system;• show trends that can be used to redefine priorities and reshape management practices;

and• be used to demonstrate environmental responsibility.

The types of records that should be maintained include:• monitoring results;• incident reports;• calibration records;• maintenance records;• system check and management review reports; and• document control register.

Record keepingRecords might vary in form, but they should all contain the following information:• a title and record number;• date on which the record was made; and• the name of the person making the record.

Records should be:• safe and easily located; and• legible.

You may already have records, such as a spray diary that can be extended to includeenvironmental information.


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FURTHER READING & REFERENCESThe details of some environmental management references are provided below. You mightfind these references to be helpful when preparing your environmental management system.

Baker, D. (2001). Framework for a Wine and Grape Industry Approach to EnvironmentalManagement. Discussion Paper. Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture, Adelaide.

Conacher, A. and Conacher, J. (2000). Environmental Planning and Management inAustralia, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

Gunningham, N. & Sinclair, D. (1999). Environmental Partnerships, EMS and SustainableAgriculture in Proceedings of a National Workshop on Environmental ManagementSystems in Agriculture 26-28 May 1999, Publicaiton No. 99/94, RIRDC, ACT.

Pratley, J. and Robertson, A. (1998). Agriculture and the Environmental Imperative, CSIROPublishing, Collingwood.

Yencken, D. and Wilkinson, D. (2000). Re-setting the Compass: Australia’s JourneyToward Sustainability, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood.

LegislationClement J-P, Bennett M, Kwaymullina A and Gardner A. (2001) Law of Landcare in Western

Australia - Second Edition, , Environmental Defenders Office WA,.

Can be ordered by telephoning 9221 3030.

Property management planningNSW Agriculture (1999). Physical Property Planning, NSW Agriculture, Paterson NSW.

BiodiversityAllan, G. (2000). A functional landscape requires diversity, in Australian Viticulture March-

April 2000.Bradley, J. (1988). Bringing back the bush: The Bradley method of bush regeneration,

Lansdowne Press, Sydney.Camilleri, C. (1999). Accounting for a wider environment, in Australian Viticulture

January/Feburary 1999.Hussey, B.M.J. and Wallace, K.J., Managing your Bushland (1993). Department of

Conservation and Land Management.Greening Western Australia (1995). Managing Perth’s Bushlands, Greening Western

Australia, Fremantle.Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation (2000). Riparian Land

Management Technical Guidelines Volume 1: Principles of Sound Management,LWRDC.

Penn, L.J. (1999). Managing Our Rivers: A guide to the nature and management of thestreams of the south-west of Western Australia, Water and Rivers Commission.

Sanders, A. (1999). How to conduct a community fauna survey in Land for Wildlife BookletNo. 3, CALM, Perth.

Pest, disease and weed managementChemcert (2000). Chemical Users Training Manual, 4th edition, Chemcert WA Incorporated,

eds Di Evans, IDC Australia Pty Ltd.


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CRC for Viticulture (1998). IPM Viticulture Research to Practice training workshop manual,Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture Victoria and Grape andWine Research Development Corporation, Victoria.

Rutherford, P. (2001). Code of Practice for the Use of Agricultural Chemicals in WesternAustralia, Department of Agriculture Western Australia, South Perth.

Sinclair, R. (1998). Effective control of birds starts with knowing their behaviour inAustralian Viticulture September-October 1998, Winegrape Growers Council ofAustralia Inc.

Sinclair, R. (2000). Guidelines to best practice bird control to minimise losses in vineyards inAustralian Viticulture March-April 2000, Winegrape Growers Council of Australia Inc.

Somers. T. (1997). Guidelines for vineyard weed management in, Australian ViticultureVol. 1 No. 2, Winegrape Growers Council of Australia Inc.

Soil and nutrition managementAgriculture WA (2000). Fertilisers for Wine Grapes 3rd Revised Edition, eds B.Goldspinkand K.M. Howes, Department of Agriculture, Perth.

Glendinning, J.S. (2000). Australian Soil Fertility Manual, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood.

McDonald, N. (1998). Considerations for new WA development in Australian ViticultureVol. 2 No. 3 May/June 1998, Winegrape Growers Council of Australia Inc.

Moore, G. (1998). Soil Guide: A Handbook for Understanding and Managing AgriculturalSoils, Agriculture Western Australia, South Perth.

Runge, W. and van Gool, D. (1999). Land Qualities in the South-West of Western Australia.A summary of land degradation and land capability. Geowest No. 30, GeographyDepartment, University of Western Australia.

Seedco, undated, Cover Crops: A guide to species selection and sward management, Grapeand Wine Research and Development Corporation and South Australian SeedgrowersCooperative Ltd, South Australia (e-mail: [email protected]).

Water managementARMCANZ (1995). National Water Quality Management Strategy: Draft Effluent

Management Guidelines for Wineries and Distilleries, ARMCANZ.

Campbell-Clause, J. and Fisher, D. (1999). Irrigation techniques for winegrapes Farmnote66/99, Agriculture WA, Perth.

Chapman, J. (1996). Cleaner Production for the Wine Industry, CRC for Soil and LandManagement, South Australian Wine and Brandy Industry Association, Adelaide.

Chapman, J. (1993). Land Disposal of winery and distillery effluents in Proceedings EighthAustralian Wine Industry Technical Conference, Winetitles, Adelaide.

Cross, N. (1998). Take a total approach to irrigation in Australian Viticulture Vol. 2 No. 1,January-February 1998, Winegrape Growers Council of Australia Inc.

MonitoringGilkes, R. and Hunt, N. (1992). The Farm Monitoring Handbook: A Practical Down-to-Earth

Manual for Farmers and Other Land Users, University of Western Australia, Perth.


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Energy efficiencyOffice of Energy Policy, Energy Saver Industry: Wine Production brochure, Government of

South Australia, SA see www.energy.sa.gov.au.

General viticultureCrossen, T. (1997). Venture into Viticulture: an introduction to the principles and practices

of viticulture, AGMEDIA, Victoria.

Davidson, D. (1993). Natural Resource Management - a systems approach in ProceedingsEighth Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, Winetitles, Adelaide.

Possingham, J.V., Clingeleffer, P.R. and Kerridge, G.H. (1993). Towards efficiency andsustainability in Australian Vineyards in, Proceedings Eighth Australian Wine IndustryTechnical Conference, Winetitles, Adelaide.

Websiteswww.crcv.com.au/viticareprog2.html Cooperative Centre for Viticulturewww.agric.wa.gov.au Department of Agriculture WAwww.winetitles.com.au Winetitleswww.ea.gov.au Environment Australia

www.rirdc.gov.au Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation


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SECTION 3:FORMS


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ACTION PLAN TEMPLATE

ACTION PLANObjectives:

Targets:

Target Date Responsibility Indicator Completed?When to do it:

Cost/benefit:

What How Where When Who RecordsMonitoring:

Correctiveaction:

References:

Template developed by M.E. McKay and Associates for NSW Agriculture


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PROCEDURE TEMPLATE

Title: Procedure number:

Purpose:

Background:

Definitions:

References:

Action When Where Who Records


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EMERGENCY PLAN TEMPLATE

POTENTIAL EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

Situation Response Contact

Action

Equipment

Responsibility

Action

Equipment

Responsibility

Action

Equipment

Responsibility

Action

Equipment

Responsibility

Action

Equipment

Responsibility

Action

Equipment

Responsibility


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TRAINING AND RESPONSIBILITY TABLE TEMPLATE

Name:

Address:

Phone:

Date of employment:

Skills(at time of employment):

General duty statement:

Specific duties Training Date Employer’ssignature

Employee’ssignature


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COMMUNICATION PLAN TEMPLATE

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Objectives Actions Date Responsibility

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Objectives Actions Date Responsibility


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REPORT FORM TEMPLATE

Type of report:

Date:

Completed by:

Areas to be improved

Recommended actions Responsibility Action taken(date and signature)


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DOCUMENT REGISTER AND AMENDMENT LIST TEMPLATE

Documenttitle

Documentcode Revision # Date Authorised


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INCIDENT REPORT TEMPLATE

Date andrecord number Incident Reason for incident Impacts

(if any)

Corrective action(list the action,

authorisingsignature and date)

System changesrequired

(describe)


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SYSTEM CHECK SCHEDULE TEMPLATE

Check scheduled Check complete Date:

Checkarea Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec


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ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND RISK ASSESSMENT TABLE

Review date: Conducted by:

WATER MANAGEM ENTActiv ity Potential impact* LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASON

Site selection - inadequate drainage Water erosionSite selection - close proximity to waterways Contamination of waterwaysSite selection - close proximity to neighbours Spray drift/noiseSite selection - close proximity to remnantvegetation

Spray drift

Site selection - close proximity to main roads Spray drift/noiseSite selection - long slopes > 10%, or shortslopes > 15%

Wind/water erosion

Install dams Gully erosionInstall bores Groundwater contaminationInstall irrigation system Inefficient use of waterIrrigation - extract water from dames Reduced water flow downstreamIrrigation - extract water from bores Reduced environmental flowsIrrigation - use of saline water SalinisationIrrigation - maintenance - chlorine treatment Soil contaminationWater treatment Soil contaminationSOIL AND NUTRIENT MANAGEM ENT

Activ ity Potential impact* LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASONSoil preparation - discing Soil structure declineSoil preparation - deep ripping Soil structure declineSoil preparation - cultivation Soil structure declineSoil left bare mid row ErosionMachinery use on wet soil Compaction/soil structure

declineInstall earthworks ErosionFertiliser selection - use of blended fertilisers Nutrient contamination ground

and surface water


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SOIL AND NUTRIENT MANAGEM ENT (Continued)Activ ity Potential impact* LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASON

Fertiliser selection - use of urea Soil acidificationFertiliser storage Nutrient contamination ground

and surface waterFertiliser application - foliar Spray driftFertiliser application - fertigation Nutrient contamination ground

and surface waterFertiliser application - banding Nutrient contamination ground

and surface waterFertiliser application greater thanrecommended rates

Nutrient contamination groundand surface water

Use of soil amendments without using soiltests

Soil acidification

PEST, DISEASE AND WEED MANAGEM ENTActiv ity Potential impact* LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASON

Storage of chemicals Soil and water contaminationChemical selection - no rotation of chemicals ResistanceChemical selection - high toxicity Reduced biodiversityChemical application - pesticides Spray driftChemical application - fungicides Spray driftChemical application - herbicides Spray driftChemical application - dormancy Spray driftBaiting - vermin control Poison native faunaBird control - use of guns/sound Noise pollutionBIODIVERSITY MANAGEM ENT

Activ ity Potential impact* LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASONClearing vegetation Decrease biodiversityRemoval of vegetation corridors Decrease biodiversityStock entry to remnant vegetation Soil compactionMachinery entering remnant DiebackDisposal of wastewater into remnantvegetation

Decrease biodiversity


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BIODIVERSITY MANAGEM ENT (Continued)Activ ity Potential impact* LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASON

Disposal of wastewater into waterways Decrease biodiversityRemoval of dead wood Reduced habitatRemoval of organic matter Reduced soil biotaSpray drift onto remnant vegetation Decrease biodiversityChemical spraying at times when bees active Decrease beneficial insectsFertiliser drift onto remnant vegetation Change species compositionRubbish disposal into remnant vegetation Decrease biodiversityWeed invasion Decrease biodiversityBurning - remnant vegetation Decrease biodiversityWASTE MANAGEM ENT

Activ ity Potential impact* LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASONDisposal of chemical containers PollutionDisposal of hazardous chemicals PollutionDisposal of plastic PollutionDisposal of metal PollutionDisposal of glass PollutionDisposal of oil PollutionDisposal of paper PollutionDisposal of organic material PollutionDisposal of rubble/soil PollutionDisposal of treated wood PollutionENERGY AND GREENHOUSE MANAGEM ENT

Activ ity Potential impact* LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASONVehicles not maintained regularly Greenhouse gas emissionUse of fossil fuels Greenhouse gas emissionDesign of buildings Reduced energy efficiency


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GENERAL VINEYARD MANAGEM ENTActiv ity Potential impact* LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASON

Machinery use Noise pollutionMachinery maintenance Soil contaminationFuel storage Soil contamination - spillsUse of treated posts Soil contaminationChose of trellis Increased chemical useMechanical harvesting Noise pollution

ADDITIONAL ISSUESActiv ity Potential impact* LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASON

* Major impact listed only – adapt to your vineyard


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SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT TABLESLikelihood - How likely is it that the identified impact will occur?

Likelihood Explanation RatingInev itable Will always occur in the normal course of events. 50Likely Will probably occur in the normal course of events. 10Possible Will occur on some occasions. 5Unlikely Could occur on some occasions. 2Rare Will only occur in extraordinary circumstances. 1

Severity - How serious would it be if the impact did occur?

Consequences Explanation RatingCatastrophe A disaster that could lead to significant permanent damage to environment. 50Major Critical impacts that can only be rectified/overcome if addressed with non-routine management

actions.10

Severe Significant impacts that can mostly be managed with routine management procedures, but mayrequire some additional effort.

5

Minor Adverse impacts which can be readily absorbed by environment and dealt with routine procedures. 2Insignificant Impact on environment hardly worth worrying about. 1

Multiply probability rating by consequence rating to the significance rating for each impact:100+ Very high Extremely significant environmental risk for which appropriate procedures/practice MUST be in place. 20-99 High Significant environmental risk for which appropriate procedures/practice SHOULD be in place. 5-19 Moderate Environmental risk for which appropriate procedures/practice should be considered.Less than 5 Low Minor risk, which at this point in time does not warrant the allocation of time and resources.

(Source: Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture 2001.)


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REVIEW TABLE TEMPLATE

SignificanceActivity Aspect ImpactL S Rating

Reason


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LEGAL FILE TEMPLATE

Activity Relevant legislation Other requirements(e.g. industry Codes of Practice) Required actions


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Section 4: Peppermint Gum Vineyard - Environmental Management System

53

SECTION 4:PEPPERMINT GUM VINEYARD

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

DOCUMENT STATUS

Approved for issueIssueno. Author Reviewer

Name Signature Date0 C. Nind T. Wisdom D. Crappsley D. Crappsley 13/07/01


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STEP 1: DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESSPeppermint Gum Vineyard, established in 1987, is a small owner operated vineyard growingcabernet, shiraz, chardonnay and semillon wine grape varieties on 45 ha. The vineyard issituated off Caves Rd in the Margaret River Wine Region of Western Australia. The region issurrounded on three sides by water: Geographe Bay to the north, the Indian Ocean to thewest, the Southern Ocean to the south. Its eastern boundary is a line known as the GladstonesLine at longitude 115º 18' east. The region stretches only 30 km from east to west but extends100 km north to south.

Margaret River’s climate is categorised as ‘west coast Mediterranean’ with its main featuresbeing mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Average annual rainfall is 1190 mm,although the total for December, January and February averages only 48 mm. The overallmaritime weather system is very kind to vineyards. They are neither affected by frost norextremes of summer and winter temperatures. Humidity levels are ideal during the growingperiod and the combination of climate, soil and viticultural practices leads to consistently highquality fruit of intense flavour.

Our property is situated on the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge which rises from an ancient graniteland mass 2,000 million years old. Soils have formed from long periods of weathering inwhich granite decomposed to form iron-rich clay that precipitates to the surface, forminglaterite gravel loams that are ideal for grape growing. Soils in the Margaret River regionsupport towering jarrah and karri forests, and such others as marri, peppermint gum, blackbutt and grass trees. Peppermint Gum Vineyard is named after the remnant stands ofpeppermint gum that line the Gunyulgup Brook flowing through the vineyard.

Industry Membership

The Peppermint Gum Vineyard is a member of the Margaret River Wine Industry Association(MRWIA). The MRWIA pledge below highlights the commitment of members to developEMS in the region.


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MARGARET RIVER WINE INDUSTRY

Producing premium wines in a pristine environment

In the hinterland of the spectacular Lower South West coast of WesternAustralia, between Capes Naturaliste and Leeuwin, vineyards liecradled in the catchments of freshwater streams within sound of the surf. Others further inlandare within the system of tributaries of the wooded Margaret River. This area from Cape toCape is better known as the Margaret River Wine Region.

This green setting is a drawcard for a vital wine tourism industry. It enhances wine marketingand attracts more and more participants to the industry. It also poses a managementchallenge.

The industry is in the spotlight, not only because of its world class wines, but also because ofits situation in an Eco Tourism area visited by a million people annually. Much of the coastalstrip is National Park, whilst the waters and reefs Cape to Cape are soon to be gazetted as amarine park. The region also supports magnificent Karri, Marri and Jarrah forest.

In the late 1960’s, when the wine industry of Margaret River began, the scattered vineyardshad little impact on this pristine environment and water catchments.

Now there are upwards of one hundred and fifty vineyards in the region. More than sixty ofthese house wineries, with additional winemakers not situated on vineyards.

These vignerons and winemakers are members of the Margaret River Wine IndustryAssociation (MRWIA). As a group they are committed to the assessment of theenvironmental impacts of the past three decades of viticulture. They are pledged also tosupport low-impact vineyard and winery management practices through the dissemination ofinformation, and through the development of environmental and other management systems.

MRWIA is a member of several regional groups dedicated to conservation and sustainabledevelopment. This has initiated a program of environmental monitoring to inform intra-industry discussion of winemaking and grower practices.

With this strong sense of place and community, these producers of prestigious wines aim tomaintain the region’s Clean and Green focus.

Margaret River Wine Industry Association JANUARY 2002


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FARM PLANBelow is a diagram of the features on our property. As shown, there are holiday cottagesacross from our vineyard and large areas of native forest. The close proximity of thesecottages and the forest mean that we need to pay particular attention to spray drift frompesticides, and manage the impact of noise from our machinery. We value our stands ofremnant vegetation and need to minimise any impacts our activities have on these areas.Maintenance of water quality in the Gunyulgup Brook is also an important issue. Betterplanning would have ensured that a buffer zone was placed between our plantings of shirazand the brook. We intend to address these issues under our Environmental ManagementSystem. Our commitment to managing these impacts is written in our environmental policybelow.

Figure 1. Farm plan for the Peppermint Gum Vineyard

(Adapted from the draft Pest and Disease Management BMP’s - CRC for Viticulture.)

Native forest

Nativeforest

Dam

Pasture

NorthHoliday cottages

Elevation: 250 m

Elevation: 220 m

Cabernet

Shiraz

SemillonChardonnay


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LAND MANAGEMENT UNITS

Peppermint Gum Vineyard has the following Land Management Units (LMU):

LMU A: Vines on flat ground LMU B: Sheds

LMU C: Stream line LMU D: Vines on sloping ground

LMU E: Remnant vegetation


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ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

Peppermint Gum Vineyard, established in 1987 in the Margaret River Wine Region, is asmall owner operated vineyard growing cabernet, shiraz, chardonnay and semillon winegrape varieties on 45 ha for sale to a local winery. We recognise that sound environmentalmanagement is an essential part of our operations and for the ongoing sustainability of ourregion. We are committed to managing the environmental impacts of our activities,preventing pollution and maintaining standards that are consistent with industry codes ofpractice and relevant legislation. We aim to continually improve our environmentalperformance by:• adopting management practices that reduce the risk of chemical and nutrient

contamination of our ground and surface water resources and use water efficiently;• maintaining our soil resources by using management practices that reduce the risk of

soil contamination and erosion;• minimising the volume of waste generated on our property and recycling where

possible;• minimising noise emissions where possible;• enhancing the biodiversity of our region by protecting and managing our remnant

vegetation;• encouraging, training and informing all employees and contractors to be aware of,

and take responsibility for environmental issues on our vineyard; and• considering the views of the wider community in all environmental matters.

All staff are committed to implementing these principles to minimise the environmentalimpacts of our activities and to conserve our natural resources for the enjoyment of futuregenerations.

Signed

D. BakerChief Executive OfficerPeppermint Gum Vineyard13 July 2001


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LEGISLATIONLegislation, regulations and codes of practice relevant to our vineyard are listed in our LegalRegister in Appendix 1. This was compiled by accessing the Internet and in consultation withthe Department of Agriculture and the Augusta-Margaret River Shire.

Identification of environmental impacts and significance assessmentWe have identified the following impacts on our vineyard. Table 1 is a general list of theseimpacts. We found it useful to split these up according to the steps in the production cycleand land management units as impacts can change according to the season and thesurrounding environment (Table 2). This was done in a ‘brainstorming’ session with staffinvolved in the development of our EMS.

Table 1. Activity and impacts register

Activity Aspect Impact and scoreVineyard establishment(where applicable)

• Site selection (soil type,drainage, proximity towaterways, neighbours).

• Clearing.• Install dams/bores.• Install irrigation.• Earthworks.• Install infrastructure.• Soil preparation.• Planting.• Use of chemicals and

fertilisers.• Use of machinery.

• Reduced biodiversity - very high.• Reduced water flow downstream - very

high.• Soil degradation and erosion - high.• Soil and water contamination with

nutrients and chemicals - high.• Noise and air pollution - very high.• Waste generation - medium.

Water management • Apply irrigation.• Extract water from

dams/bores.• Drainage.• Maintain irrigation.

• Reduced water flow downstream - high.• Soil contamination with nutrients and

chemicals - medium.• Soil salinisation - low.• Waste generation - low.

Soil management • Machinery use.• Cultivation.• Ground cover.

• Soil structure decline - low.• Compaction - high.• Erosion - wind and water - high.

Nutrition management • Fertiliser storage.• Apply fertiliser.• Fertiliser selection

• Nutrient contamination of ground andsurface water - high.

• Soil contamination - medium.• Soil acidification - medium.• Waste generation - low.

Pest, disease and weedmanagement

• Select chemicals.• Transport chemicals.• Storage of chemicals.• Apply chemicals.• Disposal of chemical

containers• Machinery use.• Baiting.• Bird control.

• Herbicide resistance - low.• Soil and water contamination - high.• Waste generation - medium.• Reduced biodiversity - medium.• Noise and air pollution - high.

Energy use andgreenhouse gases

• Fuel storage.• Machinery use.

• Soil contamination - spills - low.• Use of fossil fuels - high.


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The risk register below, has been completed using the following stages of production for winegrapes, and the land management units (LMU’s) identified previously.

STAGES IN THE WINE GRAPE PRODUCTION CYCLE*Stage 1A: Vineyard establishmentStage 1: Pruning to budburstStage 2: Bud burst to start of floweringStage 3: Start of flowering to fruit setStage 4: Fruit set to veraisonStage 5: Veraison to harvestStage 6: HarvestStage 7: Post harvest vineyard management* From Western Australian Wine Grape SQF 2000cm Management System ProductionHACCP Plan, Department of Agriculture, Perth.


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RISK REGISTER Date of review: 31 July 2001Compiled by: C. Nind, 31 July 2001Reviewed by: T. Wisdom, 31 July 2001

MASTER ACTIVITY LISTWATER MANAGEMENT

Activ ity Potential impact* LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASONSite selection - inadequate drainage Water erosion - - - - - N/ASite selection - close proximity to waterways Contamination of waterways C 1A 10 10 100 Stream through propertySite selection - close proximity to neighbours Spray drift/noise A 1A 50 2 100 Cottages across roadSite selection - close proximity to remnantvegetation

Spray drift D 1A 50 5 250 Large stand of remnantvegetation

Site selection - close proximity to main roads Spray drift/noise A 1A 50 2 100 Adjacent to main roadSite selection - long slopes > 10%, or shortslopes > 15%

Wind/water erosion - - - - - N/A

Install dams Gully erosion D 1A 10 5 50 Erosion visualInstall bores Groundwater contamination B 1A 2 1 2 Monitoring shows no

changeInstall irrigation system Inefficient use of water A,D 1A 10 5 50 Needs monitoringIrrigation - extract water from dams Reduced water flow downstream A,C,D 1-4 10 10 100 Regularly need waterIrrigation - extract water from bores Reduced environmental flows - - - - - N/AIrrigation - use of saline water Salinisation A,C,D 1-4 2 2 4 Water monitoredIrrigation maintenance - chlorine treatment Soil contamination A,D 1 5 2 10 Procedure in placeWater treatment Soil contamination A,D 1 5 2 10 Procedure in placeSOIL AND NUTRITION MANAGEMENT

Activ ity Potential impact LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASONSoil preparation - discing Soil structure decline A,D 1A 5 2 10 Avoid wet soilsSoil preparation - deep ripping Soil structure decline A,D 1 1 1 1 Avoid wet soilsSoil preparation - cultivation Soil structure decline A,D 1A, 1 1 1 1 Avoid wet soilsSoil left bare mid row Erosion A,D 1 2 5 10 Use cover cropsMachinery use on wet soil Compaction/soil structure decline A,D 1-4 10 5 50 Try to avoid wet soils - not

possible in some instancesInstall earthworks Erosion A,B,D 1A 5 2 10 All care taken to minimise

erosionFertiliser selection - use of blended fertil isers Nutrient contamination ground

and surface waterA,D 1 2 2 4 Fertiliser matched to crop

needs


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SOIL AND NUTRITION MANAGEMENT continued …Activ ity Potential impact LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASON

Fertiliser selection - use of urea Soil acidification A,D 1-3 5 5 25 Requires monitoringFertiliser storage Nutrient contamination ground

and surface waterB 1A-6 1 2 2 Fertiliser stored in bunded

areaFertiliser application - foliar Spray drift A,C,D,E 2 10 2 20 Regular applications

neededFertiliser application - fertigation Nutrient contamination ground

and surface waterA,C,D,E 1-3 2 2 4 Applied at label rates

Fertiliser application - banding Nutrient contamination groundand surface water

A,C,D,E 2 2 5 10 Can apply too much in onespot

Fertiliser application greater than recommendedrates

Nutrient contamination groundand surface water

A,C,D,E 1-3 10 5 50 Needs monitoring to takeinto account site conditions

Use of soil amendments without using soil tests Soil acidification A,D 1-3 2 5 10 Always use soil testsPEST, DISEASE AND W EED MANAGEMENT

Activ ity Potential impact LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASONStorage of chemicals Soil and water contamination B 1-6 10 5 50 Need bunded chemical

storage areaChemical selection - no rotation of chemicals Resistance A,D 1A-6 2 5 10 Rotate chemicals where

possibleChemical selection - high toxicity Reduced biodiversity A,C,D,E 1A-6 5 5 25 Use occasionallyChemical application - pesticides Spray drift A,C,D,E 1-4 10 5 50 Procedure in placeChemical application - fungicides Spray drift A,C,D,E 1-4 10 1 10 Procedure in placeChemical application - herbicides Spray drift A,C,D,E 1-4 10 2 20 Procedure in placeChemical application - dormancy Spray drift A,C,D,E 1-4 10 2 20 Do not use regularlyBaiting - vermin control Poison native fauna A,C,D,E 1A, 5 5 2 10 Use only when necessaryBird control - use of guns/sound Noise pollution A,C,D,E 5 5 5 25 Depends on flowering time

of remnant vegetationBIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT

Activ ity Potential impact LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASONClearing vegetation Decrease biodiversity C,E 1A 50 10 500 Bad planning at the

beginningRemoval of vegetation corridors Decrease biodiversity C,E 1A 50 10 500 Bad planning at the

beginningStock entry to remnant vegetation Soil compaction - - - - - N/AMachinery entering remnant Dieback E 1A-6 2 5 10 Only occurs occasionallyDisposal of wastewater into remnant vegetation Decrease biodiversity - - - - - N/A


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BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT continued …Activ ity Potential impact LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASON

Disposal of wastewater into waterways Decrease biodiversity - - - - - N/A (Disposal usingsettlement ponds)

Removal of dead wood Reduced habitat C,E 1A 1 5 5 Not encouraged, but couldhappen

Removal of organic matter Reduced soil biota A,D 1 2 5 10 Avoid where possibleSpray drift onto remnant vegetation Decrease biodiversity E 1-4 10 5 50 Procedure in placeChemical spraying at times when bees active Decrease beneficial insects A,D,E 1-4 10 5 50 Needs monitoringFertiliser drift onto remnant vegetation Change species composition E 1-4 10 5 50 Needs monitoringRubbish disposal into remnant vegetation Decrease biodiversity E 1A-6 2 5 10 Needs monitoring -

unlikelyWeed invasion Decrease biodiversity C,E 1A-6 10 5 50 Needs monitoringBurning - remnant vegetation Decrease biodiversity - - - - - N/AWASTE MANAGEMENT

Activ ity Potential impact LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASONDisposal of chemical containers Pollution B 1A-6 50 5 250 Some containers cannot be

recycledDisposal of hazardous chemicals Pollution B 1A-6 10 5 50 Procedure in placeDisposal of plastic Pollution B 1A-6 5 2 10 Recycled where possibleDisposal of metal Pollution B 1A-6 5 2 10 Recycled where possibleDisposal of glass Pollution B 1A-6 5 2 10 Recycled where possibleDisposal of oil Pollution B 1A-6 10 2 20 No recycling facilitiesDisposal of paper Pollution B 1A-6 5 1 5 RecycledDisposal of organic material Pollution A,D 1A-6 5 2 10 OccasionalDisposal of rubble/soil Pollution A,D 1A 5 2 10 OccasionalDisposal of treated wood Pollution A,D 1A-4 5 2 10 OccasionalENERGY AND GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT

Activ ity Potential impact LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASONVehicles not maintained regularly Greenhouse gas emission B 1A-6 2 5 10 Regular maintenance

scheduleUse of fossil fuels Greenhouse gas emission A,B,D 1A-6 50 5 250 Use diesel and petrol fuelsDesign of buildings Reduced energy efficiency B 1A 5 2 10 Not taken into account in

original design


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GENERAL VINEYARD MANAGEMENTActiv ity Potential impact LMU STAGE PROB. CONS RATING REASON

Machinery use Noise pollution A,B,D 1A-6 50 5 250 Ongoing use in vineyardMachinery maintenance Soil contamination B 1A-6 5 2 10 Performed in shedFuel storage Soil contamination - spills B 1A-6 1 10 10 Stored in proper areaUse of treated posts Soil contamination A,D 1A-6 10 1 10 Unknown potential for

contaminationChoice of trellis Increased chemical use A,D 1A 5 2 10 Optimal choice for varietyMechanical harvesting Noise pollution A,D 6 50 1 50 Ongoing to finish harvest* Major Environmental Impact listed only.

This gives the following priority ratings:

Very High 100+ High 20-99Site selection - proximity to remnantvegetation

Install dams - gully erosion

Site selection - proximity to waterways Fertiliser selection - use of ureaSite selection - proximity to neighbours Waterbody nutrient contaminationSite selection - proximity to main roads Disposal of oilIrrigation - extract water from dams Pesticide spray driftClearing vegetation Bird control - use of guns/soundRemoval of vegetation corridors Foliar ferti liser and dormex spray drift onto remnant

vegetationUse of fossil fuels Weed invasion - remnant vegetationDisposal of chemical containers Disposal of hazardous chemicalsMachinery use Chemical selection - high toxicity - reduced biodiversity

Storage of chemicalsNutrient contamination waterways - fertil iser applicationSoil compactionIrrigation management


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ACTION PLANSAction plans have been written for some of the significant impacts listed following the riskassessment. These will be reviewed next financial year to determine if targets have been met,and any further action required.

ACTION PLAN 1: BUSH REGENERATION

Objective(s):(what to do)

To develop a ‘Bush Regeneration Plan’

Targets: 1. Establish the difference between local virgin bushland and our remnant bushlandthat might account for its deterioration.

2. Establish alternative ways to eliminate relevant differences.3. Determine what we will need to know to make decisions about these differences.4. Set out a step by step action plan.

Target Date Responsibility Performanceindicators Completed?

1. By July 2002 Vineyard Managers Mappingcomplete

Partly - list ofexisting speciescompiled

2. By October2002

Vineyard Managers Alternativeslisted

3. By January2003

Vineyard Managers Isolatedinformation

When to do it:

4. By July 2003 Vineyard Managers Plan set out

Cost/benefit: Cost: TimeBenefit: An appropriate strategy for managing our remnant bushland.

What How Where When Who RecordsMonitoring

Plantspecies

Land forWildlife

Remnantbushland

By July2002

CALM Land forWildlifereport

Correctiveaction/review:

Land for Wildlife Property Report No. 199.

References: Robin A. Buchanan (1999), Bush Regeneration, open training and educationnetw ork NSW.Hussey, B.M.J. and Wallace, K.J. (1993), Managing Your Bushland, CALM,Perth.Hussey, B.M.J., Kaighery, G.J., Cousen, R.D., Dodd, J. and Lloyd, S.G. (1997),Western Weeds, Plant Protection Society, WA.LCDC Low er Blackw ood Herbarium and Nursery.


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List of existing species - Forest block*Genus and species Common name Family

Sowerbea laxiflora Vanilla lily AnthericaceaeHibbertia (2 sp.) - DilliniaceaeHibbertia cuneata - DilleniaceaeLeucopogon propinquus - EpacridaceaeLeucopogon verticillatus Tassel shrub EpacridaceaeChorizema diversifolium Climbing flamepea FabaceaeHovea elliptica Tree hovea FabaceaeMirbelia dilatata - FabaceaeConostylis sp. Cottonheads HaemodoraceaeLogania sp. - LoganiaceaeAcacia sp (small leaf) - MimosaceaeAgonis flexuosa WA Peppermint MyrtaceaeAgonis linearifolia Teatree MyrtaceaeCorymbia callophylla Marri MyrtaceaeEucalyptus marginata Jarrah MyrtaceaeCaladenia attingens Forest Mantis Orchid OrchidaceaeDiuris corymbosa Donkey Orchid OrchidaceaeDanthonia sp. Wallaby Grass PoaceaeStipa sp. Spear Grass PoaceaePodocarpus drouyianus Emu Bush PodocarpaceaeBanksia grandis Bull Banksia ProteaceaeHakea amplexicaulis - ProteaceaeHakea lissocarpha Honeybush ProteaceaeHakea oleifolia - ProteaceaeClematis pubescens Old Mans Beard RanunculaceaeOpercularia sp. - RubiaceaeLevenhookia stipitata Stylewort StylidiaceaeTremandra stell igera - TremandraceaeStylidium calcaratum Balerina Triggerplant Stylidiaceae

* From Land for Wildlife Property Report No. 199 (CALM, 2001). Note site specific.


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ACTION PLAN 2: WEED MANAGEMENTObjective(s):(what to do)

To remove noxious and problem weeds within the vineyard and adjoining paddocks.

Targets: 1. Identify and record weeds (e.g. Blackberry, Apple of Sodom and Double Gee).2. Decide on appropriate action, i.e. cultural or herbicide.3. Spray out infested areas.


1. By July 2001 Vineyard Manager Weedsidentified andcounted

2. By August2001

Vineyard Manager Appropriateaction decidedand put intoplace

3. By December2001

Spray Operator Per cent weedkill

When to do it:

Cost/benefit: Cost: Time and labour/tools (hand removal), fuel and herbicide.Benefit: Reduce the competition for moisture and nutrients from the vines. Stop thespread of noxious weeds, improve biodiversity, return waterways to native vegetationand protect existing systems.

What How Where When Who Records

Weedspecies &number

Visualinspection

Vineyard Ongoing TechnicalOfficer

Weed diary

Monitoring


Spray or remove ‘escaped’ weeds. Review the plan for next year (ongoing).

References: Hussey, B.M.J., Kaighery, G.J., Cousen, R.D., Dodd, J. and Lloyd, S.G. (1997), WesternWeeds, Plant Protection Society, WA.Herbicide spraying in vineyards.www.agric.wa.au/progserv/plants/weeds/weed_control/weeds


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ACTION PLAN 3: WATER MANAGEMENTObjective(s):(what to do)

To maximise the irrigation efficiency in the vineyard to reduce water loss.



1. By 1/10/01 Vineyard Manager+ Technical Officer

Guidelinescomplete

2. ongoing Vineyard Manager Soil probedynamics

When to do it:

Cost/benefit: Cost: TimeBenefit: Reduced water usage, fruit quality raised, reduced running costs.


C-Probegraphs

Use of c-probes

Vineyard As required TechnicalOfficer

Irrigationrecords

Monitoring


Revise irrigation guidelines.

References: Micro-irrigation of Vines and Fruit Trees, 1996, Mitchell and Goodwin, AgricultureVictoria.


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ACTION PLAN 4: BIRD MANAGEMENTObjective(s):(what to do)

To minimise the effect of bird damage in the vineyard.

Targets: 1. To phase out the use of guns/sound to scare birds.2. To trial and determine the feasibility of using sacrificial rows near the stands of

remnant vegetation.3. To install netting where feasible.4. To identify and plant decoy species near the vines.


1. By June 2002 OperationsManager

No use ofguns/sound inthe vineyard

2. By June 2002 TechnicalOfficer

Cost/benefitanalysis on trial

3. By April 2003 VineyardManager

Nettinginstalled

When to do it:

4. By June 2003 OperationsManager

Speciesidentified andplanted

Cost/benefit: Cost: Time, potentially reduced yields, netting, decoy plants.Benefit: Reduced noise pollution, increased biodiversity.


Birddamage

No. of vinesdamaged

Vineyard Fruit set TechnicalOfficer

PestMonitoringRecordBook

Monitoring

Birdspecies

Visual count Vineyardand remnantvegetation

Fruit set TechnicalOfficer

PestMonitoringRecordBook


Review cost benefit analysis on trial.Use additional netting if required.

References: Sinclair, R. (1998), Effective control of birds starts with knowing their behaviour inAustralian Viticulture September-October 1998, Winegrape Growers Council ofAustralia Inc.


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ACTION PLAN 5: CHEMICAL STORAGE

Objective(s):(what to do)

To improve chemical storage and handling to ensure minimum environmental impact.

Targets: 1. Plan a storage area.2. Develop handling and storage procedures.3. Build a neutralising drain for spills.4. Construct storage area.


1. By July 2001 Vineyard Manager Plan complete √

2. By September2001

Vineyard Manager Procedure written √

3. By September2001

Vineyard Manager Drain built andfunctioning

When to do it:

4. By September2001

Vineyard Manager Shed completed

Cost/benefit: Cost: Time, shed construction ~ $30,000.Benefit: Risk of chemical spills greatly reduced, safer work procedure, legalrequirements.


Chemicalspills

No. of spil lsrecorded

Chemicalshed

ongoing Vineyardmanager

Incidentreport form

Monitoring


- Review procedure annually.- Check with staff 3 monthly that new facility functioning well.

References: Chemcert (2000), Chemical Users Training Manual, 4th edition, Chemcert WAIncorporated, eds Di Evans, IDC Australia Pty Ltd.


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OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE:The following is an example of our operational procedures:

TitleChemical Storage and Application

Procedure numberOP/0001

Purpose:To describe how the Peppermint Gum Vineyard stores monitors and controls the application of chemicals in thevineyard to minimise environmental impacts.Background:

Chemicals must be stored and applied in a safe and appropriate manner to maintain the integrity of theproduct, reduce the potential for environmental contamination and to ensure against accidents and emergencysituations.Definitions:Chemicals include all pesticides, herbicides and insecticides used in vineyard operations.References:

Code of Practice for the use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals in Western Australia, Department ofAgriculture, October 2001

Action When Where Who RecordsRecord:• date sprayed;• chemical trade name;• rate of chemical used;• target of application;• signature of person conducting spraying;• observations such as wind speed, and

rainfall after application.

At time ofapplication

Office Spray diary

Store and lock chemicals in shed When not inuse

Shed

Clean spills in accordance with EmergencyProcedure EP/01

Immediatelyspill occurs

At spill site IncidentReport

Purchase only chemicals registered for useon grapevines in WA.

Time ofpurchase

Office Invoice

Spraying:• calibrate equipment prior to use• Spray only if wind is less than15 km/hr• Set equipment to reduce the amount of

over-spray and spray drift by using driftreduction nozzles and low pressure.

• Do not spray within 20 m of remnantvegetation and public areas.

Vineyardmanager


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System Management Procedure

The following is an example of our system management procedures:TitleMaintenance of Legal File

Procedure NumberSP/0001

PurposeTo ensure all legislative requirements relating to environmental management on Minilya Station are identified,recorded and fulfil led.BackgroundLegislation is constantly being updated and amended. Regular review is necessary to ensure all legalobligations are identified and complied with.DefinitionsLegislative requirements – all requirements that the owner and manager are legally required to meet. Theseinclude federal, state and local government acts and regulations, international treaties and writtenagreements with interested parties.

Action When Where Who Records• Check State Law publisher web-site for

changes to legislation and regulations• Consider how changes to operations

may have affected legal liabil ity• If required, update Legal Register• If legal compliance is not being

achieved, update Aspects and Impactsregister and amend objectives andtargets.

• Record failure to comply on a non-conformance form

• Replace superseded documentation inaccordance with Document Controlprocedure

Annually atsystemreview

Office Vineyardmanager

Report Form


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Legal Register*

Activ ity Relevant legislation Other requirements(e.g. industry Codes of Practice) Required actions

Weed management Local Government Act 1995Agriculture and Related ResourcesProtection Act 1976

• Monitoring for the presence ofDeclared or Prescribed Plants onthe vineyard (monitoring program).

• Control measures in place ASAP ifplants found in vineyard (ActionPlan 2).

Water management (environment) Environmental Protection Act 1986 Draft Environmental GuidelinesVineyards Section 5.1

• Install adequate buffer zonesbetween stream and vines (ActionPlan 1).

Bird control - use of gunsEnvironmental Protection (Noise)Regulations 1997

Draft Environmental GuidelinesVineyards Section 5.2/7.6

• Avoid the use of gas guns in theearly hours of the morning wherepracticable.

• Install netting (Action Plan 4).Machinery use Environmental Protection (Noise)

Regulations 1997Draft Environmental GuidelinesVineyards Section 7.6

• All new machinery purchased tomeet Australian Design Rulerequirements.

• Manager must be able to showthat it is reasonably necessary touse machinery between sunsetand sunrise.


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Activ ity Relevant legislation Other requirements(e.g. industry Codes of Practice) Required actions

Noise management - pumps, tractorsto power pumps, refrigeration plantsand other stationary plant

Environmental Protection (Noise)Regulations 1997

Draft Environmental GuidelinesVineyards Section 7.6

• Ensure that noise levels do notexceed 35-38 dB overnight,40-4 3dB evenings, Sundays andP/Hs’ and 45-48 dB Monday-Saturday(Monitoring Program - Noise,Machinery Maintenance Program).

Waste managementEnvironmental Protection Act 1986

• Notify the CEO as soon aspracticable of any accidentaldischarge of waste likely to causepollution (Emergency ProcedureEP1/01).

• Waste Management Plan.• Incident register.

Chemical use and storage Health (Pesticides) Regulations 1956Explosive and Dangerous Goods Act1961Agricultural and Veterinary ChemicalsCode Act 1994

• Ensure chemicals are used at thelabel rate, used only for registeredpurpose, disposed of and storedappropriately (SP XX/01).

Biodiversity management Environmental Protection andBiodiversity Conservation Act 1999Wildlife Conservation Act 1950Soil and Land Conservation Act 1945

• Undertake an inventory of faunaand flora species to determinepresence of threatened species onthe property (Action Plan 1).

Bushfire managementBush Fires Act 1954

• Install firebreaks annually.• Permit needed to burn during

declared bushfire periods.

* Example provided as a guide only.


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Emergency Plan EP1/01Potential emergency situations

• Chemical spil ls.• Fuel spills.• Fires - e.g. bushfires, shed, machinery.• Discharge to waterways.• Fertiliser spills.• Disease outbreaks.

Emergencysituation Appropriate response Contact

Chemical spil ls • Use spill kit in chemical storage shed to soakup spills, remove and dispose of contaminatedmaterial (refer SP XX/01).

• Fill out incident report and submit to OperationsManager.

• If spil l is significant, notifyCEO if l ikely to causepollution.

Fuel spills • Cut off flow of fuel at the source.• Transfer remaining fuel to alternative storage.• Use spill kit in storage shed to soak up spil ls,

remove and dispose of contaminated material(refer SP XX/01).

• Fill out incident report and submit to OperationsManager.


Fires • Contact the fire service immediately.• If possible, contain fire by using fire

extinguishers.• Fill out incident report and submit to Operations

Manager.

• Fire service.• Notify neighbours if

significant.

Discharge towaterways

• Notify downstream properties immediately.• Fill out incident report and submit to Operations

Manager.• Take a water sample immediately.


• Notify relevant authorities(e.g. DEP).

Fertiliser spills • Take remaining ferti liser away from area ofspill.

• Clean up spill and dispose of appropriately.• Fill out incident report and submit to Operations

Manager.Pest/diseaseoutbreaks

• Contact Department of Agriculture.• Take sample of pest/disease for analysis.

• Department of Agriculture

Peppermint Gum Vineyard - Environmental Management System

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Incident reportDate and record

number Incident Reason for incident Impacts(if any) Corrective action System changes required

(describe)13/7/01 No. 1 Chemical spil l in

storage shed.Accidentally knocked overchemical container(glyphosphate).

None as emergencyprocedure followed.

Ensure that all staff areaware of procedure forchemical storage andapplication (SP xx/01).Review staff ChemCerttraining.

Bunded chemical storagearea needed (see ActionPlan 8).


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Training and responsibility tableName: Joan SmithAddress: 13 Little Beach Road, MARGARET RIVER WAPhone: 9757 ####Date of employment: 09/07/01Skills (at time of employment): Certificate in Horticulture (TAFE)General duty statement: Casual Vineyard Assistant:Assist in general vineyard operations, including pruning, chemical spraying and fertil iser application asrequired.

Specific duties Training Date Employer’ssignature Employee’s signature

Awareness of theVineyard’s EMS

Induction 09/07/01 Joan Smith

Chemical spraying ChemCert 13/07/01 Joan Smith


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Communications planObjectives Actions

Internal• Raise awareness of the vineyards

environmental management system.• Raise awareness of environmental issue s in

the vineyard.

• New Environmental Management Systeminformation posted on central notice board(e.g. any changes to system, monitoringresults).

• Environmental Policy posted on shed wall.• Include environmental issues on agenda

item at staff meetings.• Staff awards for suggestions that have been

used to improve the environmentalmanagement of the vineyard.

• EMS documentation. • Review new EMS documents andmonitoring results, etc. at staff meetings.

External• Inform and involve stakeholders. • Invite stakeholder input into identifying

environmental issues on the vineyard,planning and reviewing the EMS.

• Environmental Policy on display at frontdesk.

• Participate in local catchment landcaregroup.


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Management review:A management review will be conducted annually to ensure that our EMS is relevant and isoperating according to plan. This will be conducted using the questions in the MRWIA EMSinstructions.

Document control:All EMS documentation is held in the administration filing cabinet, situated in the frontoffice. The Operations Manager is responsible for ensuring that all documents are current, arereviewed annually and changes authorised. All documents must be dated and have an issuenumber.

Document title Date ofissue

Number ofcopies Where held Rev iew date

EMS Manual 13/7/01 2 Filing cabinet 13/7/02Vineyard Plan 30/6/01 1 Filing cabinet 30/6/02Monitoring Records 2 Technical Officer

recordsOngoing

Draft EnvironmentalGuidelines Viticulture

unpublished 1 Filing Cabinet -


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Table 1: Results of brainstorming activities and impacts from the productioncycle

Activ ity Potential impact Probability Consequence Rating1A. Vineyard establishmentSite - inadequate drainage Erosion 10 5 50Close proximity to waterways Contamination waterways 2 5 10Close proximity to neighbours Noise pollution 50 2 100

Reduced water flowdownstream

10 10 100Damming

Gully erosion 2 2 4Clearing vegetation Reduced biodiversity 50 10 500Install bores Noise 1 1 1Install earthworks Erosion 5 2 10Install windbreaks If inadequate - wind erosion 2 5 10Use and disposal of treated posts Soil contamination? 1 1 1Storage of chemicals Pollution from spills 1 5 5Storage ferti lisers Pollution from spills 1 2 2Storage of fuel Pollution from spills 1 5 5Soil preparation - discing Soil structure decline 5 2 10Soil preparation - cultivation Soil structure decline 5 2 10Soil preparation - deep ripping Soil structure decline 1 1 1Fertiliser application Nutrient contamination ground

and surface water5 5 25

Chemical application Spray drift 10 2 20Use of soil amendments If inadequate - ? 2 2 4Baiting Poison fauna 5 2 10Vermin control Poison fauna 5 2 10

Noise 5 2 10Machinery useCompaction 10 2 20

Waste generation Pollution 2 2 41. Pruning to budburstFertiliser selectionRate and application

Nutrient contamination ifblended fertilisers

2 2 4

Fertiliser storage Soil contamination spil ls 1 2 2Fertiliser application - fertigation Water contamination 2 5 10Chemical storage Spills 1 10 10Chemical application - pesticides Spray drift 10 2 20Apply lime If inadequate - soil

acidification1 1 1

Soil preparation - deep ripping midrow

Soil structure decline 1 1 1

Weed management - herbicideapplication

Spray drift 2 5 10

Bare soil Erosion - no cover crop 2 5 10Machinery use Noise 5 2 10Mechanical pre-prune Noise 5 2 10Chemical storage Spills 1 10 10Chemical application - dormancy Spray drift 10 2 20Chemical application - fungicides Spray drift 10 1 10


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Disposal of chemical containers Improperly - pollution 50 5 250Baiting - snailsPest control

Poison fauna 2 1 2

Irrigation maintenance Soil contamination 5 2 10Extracting water dams/bores Reduced flow downstream 10 10 100Waste generation Pollution 2 2 4Water treatment Contamination soil 5 2 10


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Activ ity Potential impact Probability Consequence Rating2. Budburst to floweringFertiliser application - fertigation Water contamination 2 2 4Fertiliser application - foliarLump ferti liser application together

Spray drift 10 2 20

Machinery use Noise 5 2 10Fuel storage Spills 1 5 5Extract water from dams/bores Reduced flow

downstream10 10 100

Slashing (every stage) Noise 5 2 10Weed management undervineChemical application - fungicides Spray drift 10 1 10Disposal of chemical containers Incorrectly - chemical

contamination50 5 250

3. Flowering to fruit setChemical storage Spills 1 10 10Chemical application - herbicides Spray drift 10 2 20Chemical application - fungicide Spray drift 10 1 10Chemical application - pesticide Spray drift 10 5 50Disposal of chemical containers (allstages)

Incorrectly - chemicalcontamination

50 5 250

Machinery use Noise 5 2 10Apply ferti lisers - fertigation Groundwater

contamination2 2 4

Extract water from dams/bores Reduced flowsdownstream

10 10 100

Waste generation Pollution 2 2 4


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4. Fruit set to veraisonLeaf plucking Noise 5 2 10Machinery use Noise 5 2 10Chemical application - pesticides Spray drift 10 5 50Chemical application - fungicides Spray drift 10 1 10Disposal of chemical containers Incorrectly - chemical

contamination50 5 250

Extract water from dams/bores Reduced flows downstream 10 10 1005. Veraison to harvestBird control - use of sound Noise pollution 5 2 10Machinery use Noise 5 2 10Baiting - vermin Poison fauna 5 2 10Machinery maintenance Fuel spills 1 5 5Waste disposal Incorrectly - pollution 2 2 46. HarvestMachinery maintenance Spills - oil and fuel 2 2 4Mechanical harvesting Noise 5 2 10Transfer grapes to winery Noise air pollution7. Post harvestChlorine treatment Groundwater contamination 5 2 10Chemical application - pesticides Spray drift 10 5 50Chemical application - herbicides Spray drift 10 2 20


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This gives the following priority ratings:

Very High 100+ High 20-99Neighbours noise pollution ErosionReduced water flow downstream (dams) Waterbody nutrient contaminationReduced biodiversity from clearing Pesticide spray driftImproper disposal of chem containers Soil compaction (machinery)

Foliar ferti liser & dormex spray driftHerbicide spray drift


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Section 5: Appendices

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SECTION 5:APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1. ENVIRONM ENTAL GUIDELINES FORVITICULTURE

APPENDIX 2. LEV ELS OF ENVIRONM ENTAL MANAGEMENT

APPENDIX 3. ENVIRONM ENTAL LEGISLATION PERTAINING TOVITICULTURE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

APPENDIX 4. ENVIRONM ENTAL INDICATORS ANDMONITORING


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APPENDIX 1: ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES FOR VITICULTURE

These guidelines were developed by the Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture andhave been reviewed and adapted by the Margaret River Wine Association, WA.

ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES

1. GENERAL VITICULTURE

PrincipleThat all aspects of vineyard management ensure productivity targets met with minimumoff-target impacts on the environment.

Guidelines♦ Vineyard planning and establishment to maintain and protect areas of waterways

remnant vegetation and provide habitat for native flora and fauna.

♦ Consult and follow relevant regulatory guidelines for all aspects of vineyardestablishment and operation.

♦ Identify and avoid or remediate any areas of the vineyard that may limit productivityor pose a risk to the environment.

♦ That vineyard operations do not adversely affect the surrounding community.

♦ Vineyard managed to minimise potential for environmental pollutants such as dust,chemical drift, nutrient leaching, fumes of volatile chemicals and fuel, and noise tomove off-site.

♦ Vineyard managed to ensure most effective and efficient use of inputs of water,nutrients, pesticides, fuel and equipment and minimise potential losses and impact onthe environment.


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2. WATER MANAGEMENT

PrincipleWater is a scarce and valuable resource, critical to the Australian Viticulture Industry. Itmust be used efficiently to optimise vineyard performance and minimise impacts on theenvironment. Water management parameters must be regularly monitored and bestpractice adopted.

Guidelines♦ Measure and record water quality parameters and collect baseline data.

♦ Ensure irrigation system is designed to maximise efficiency.

♦ Monitor and record irrigation system performance.

♦ Determine and monitor vine root distribution and soil water holding capacity for eachsoil type and variety.

♦ Monitor and record soil moisture levels.

♦ Schedule irrigation using a variety of accepted techniques including:• visual inspection of both the vine and soil moisture at depth;• climatic data to indicates vine water use (evapotranspiration);• installation of soil moisture monitoring equipment.

♦ Keep records of water applied and irrigation schedules.

♦ Adopt soil and irrigation practices that optimise water infiltration and minimiseirrigation induced erosion.

♦ Ensure irrigation is efficient to minimise off-site impacts.

♦ Identify and undertake appropriate training on water management practices.♦ Implement water saving management options where possible.

♦ Dams should be related to the capacity for development and take into accountdownstream flow and its impact on users and the environment.


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3. PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

PrincipleTo encourage a knowledge based and sustainable approach to pest and disease managementby adoption of best practice principles of chemical and non-chemical control whichminimise damage and off-site effects.

Guidelines♦ Systematic monitoring and survey systems backed by diagnostic expertise for key

pests and diseases.

♦ Develop thresholds where appropriate for economic damage - put back in.

♦ Knowledge on the correct selection and use (consistent with label recommendations)of pesticides which preserve biologicals and minimise onset of resistance problems.

♦ Use of foliar and soil application technologies which optimise product use formaximum effect against targets and minimise environmental risk.

♦ Recording systems for use of chemicals to minimise onset of resistance to pesticides.

♦ Application of treatments and strategies which ensure bio-control agents and non-chemical management practices are an effective part of pest and disease management.

♦ Adoption of government approved methods for the handling, storage, application anddisposal of pesticides.

♦ Adoption of OHS guidelines for the safe handling of pesticides and re-entry timesfollowing treatments.

♦ Education systems for new staff in the principles of pest and disease management,identification, monitoring, chemical selection, use and disposal, record keeping,compliance issues.


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4. NUTRITION MANAGEMENT

PrincipleNutrient management should be well planned and inputs based on monitoring of vineyard(vine and soil) nutrient status. Nutrients must be used efficiently to prevent adverse off-siteimpacts on the environment.

Guidelines♦ Soil fertility status is assessed prior to planting and amendments provided based on

these results.

♦ Plant nutritional status is monitored and recorded annually.

♦ Soil fertility status is monitored and recorded regularly - put into 1?

♦ Fertiliser programs are based on monitoring of soil fertility, plant nutrition and planthealth.

♦ Fertilisers are applied efficiently and at the correct time to minimise run-off andleaching.

♦ Fertiliser choice should take into account the soil and vineyard conditions.

♦ Soil biological health is maintained to improve the nutrient cycling processesassociated with organic matter.

♦ Vineyard management should ensure minimal offsite impacts of nutrient additions.

♦ Identify and undertake training on nutrition and fertiliser.


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5. SOIL MANAGEMENT

PrincipleAustralian soils are a fragile resource that can contribute significantly to grape and winequality. Soil management should identify and aim to minimise environmental impacts.Monitoring and measurement of soil properties is critical to maintaining the soil resource.

Guidelines

Pre-planting♦ Determine soil types and construct a soil map of area to be developed.

♦ Collect and record base data on soil chemical, physical and biological properties.

♦ Collect and record historical land use.

♦ Remediate soil and add amendments as recommended by soil survey.

Established vineyards♦ Monitor and record soil physical and chemical properties regularly.

♦ Add amendments to soil on the basis of monitoring.

♦ Maximise water infiltration of soil to minimise run-off and evaporation.

♦ Choose management strategies that improve stability of soil and minimise soildegradation.

♦ Where possible maintain ground cover in the vineyard, bare soils result in losses ofvaluable top soil and nutrients to wind and water erosion.

♦ Choose management strategies that minimise soil degradation and optimise soilfertility.

♦ Identify and undertake appropriate training on soil management.

♦ Where practical use non-chemical fertilisers.


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6. BIODIVERSITY

PrincipleBiodiversity is the variety of all life forms - the different plants, animals, humans andmicro-organisms, the genes they contain and the ecosystems of which they form a part.

The south-west of Western Australia is one of the most diverse areas in the world. Thedestruction and modification of habitat, particularly through the clearance of nativevegetation for agriculture, is a significant cause of biodiversity loss. Viticulture practicesmust aim to minimise the adverse impacts on native biodiversity.

Guidelines♦ Protect and manage existing remnant flora and fauna (including riparian zones) -

e.g. through fencing and vermin control.

♦ Establish wind breaks, shelter belts and wildlife corridors - to increase farmproductivity, beneficial insect and bird habitat and wildlife habitat.

♦ Revegetate - through revegetating cleared areas (particularly steep slopes, streamsides), saline recharge areas and wetlands using indigenous species where practical.

♦ Use native species - which are more adapted to low nutrient Australian soils andoften to drought and fire where practical.

♦ Decrease fertiliser run-off - by increasing soil biological activity to reduce theoverall need for fertilisers, increasing fertiliser uptake, thereby minimising nutrientrun-off to streams.


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7. ENERGY USE AND GREENHOUSE GASES

PrincipleThe use of fossil fuels produces greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to thegreenhouse effect. Using energy more efficiently and/or reducing energy demand can helpachieve greenhouse gas reductions.

Guidelines♦ Conduct energy audits to identify potential for increased energy efficiency.

♦ Take all practical actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

♦ Ensure that all vehicles and machinery are well maintained and operating efficiently.

♦ Take into account energy efficiency in the design and management of buildings.

♦ Use of non-fossil fuel energy sources where practical (e.g. solar).

♦ Consider signing on to participate in the Federal Government’s GreenhouseChallenge program.


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8. COMMUNITY

PrincipleThe wine and grape industry is part of the general community, should work together with ittowards achieving a healthy environment. The Industry is in a position to act as animportant environmental steward on behalf on the community, acting as a catalyst forenvironmental initiatives and providing support where practical. Enterprises should alwaysensure that an effective line of communication exists with stakeholders in the communityand take into account their concerns in relation to issues such as noise, odours, pollution,etc. These concerns should be addressed them whenever practical and if not the need forthese actions should be explained.

Guidelines♦ Take in account any regional environmental strategies, other industry codes of

practices when formulating environmental policies.

♦ Establish a forum for stakeholders in the community to raise environmental issues ofconcern.

♦ Where practical address environmental concerns of neighbours relating to yourpractices (e.g. noise, odours).

♦ Participate in regional environmental forums and activities.

♦ Support regional groups in initiatives that enhance environmental quality.


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9. HUMAN RESOURCES

PrincipleThe contribution of the human resources of any enterprise is crucial in ensuring that theenvironmental policies of the enterprise are put into practice. All employees should bemade aware of the environmental policies and it should be stressed that compliance withthese policies is a requirement. They should be encouraged to provide input into theongoing development and refinement of policies and should be consulted wheneverfeasible. Employees must be provided with the skills and resources to apply these policies.

Guidelines♦ Ensure that all employees are aware of the environmental policies.

♦ Periodically monitor the awareness of and compliance with the environmental policyand address any shortcomings.

♦ Ensure that the training and/or tools necessary for employees to be able to putpolicies into practice, are provided.

♦ Ensure that any new employees (casual and permanent) are made aware of theenterprises environmental policies upon commencement of employment.

♦ Include observation of the enterprises environmental policies as a requirement whenemploying contractors.

♦ Establish a mechanism to enable employees to contribute to the development andrefinement of environmental policies.


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APPENDIX 2: LEVELS OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTDeveloped by the Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture, 2001.

Level 1. No formal environmental management

Ignore/reject the concept of EMS and continue to operate without any formalstructure for environmental management.

Level 2. Identify environmental aspects and impacts

Undertake a review of activities, identifying those aspects of operations, whichimpact upon, or have the potential to impact upon the environment. Recogniseareas that require action to improve environmental performance and address in aninformal manner (awareness phase).

Level 3. Issue focused system

Using the review of Aspects and Impacts as a basis, those environmental issues ofmajor concern are identified. A grower then develops and implements theelements of a formal EMS focused only upon these issues.

Level 4. Full EMS (self declared)

Develop and implement a formal EMS, which encompasses ALL significantenvironmental impacts. There is no external verification of process at this level.

Level 5. Full EMS (audited by 2nd or 3rd party)

Develop and implement a formal EMS, which encompasses ALL significantenvironmental impacts. This process is audited and verified by a 2nd party or byan (independent) 3rd party to a standard acceptable to the 2nd party.

Level 6. Independently certified EMS

Develop and implement a formal EMS, which encompasses ALL significantenvironmental impacts. This process is audited and verified by an (independent)3rd party to a recognised and accepted Standard or protocol (e.g. ISO 14001).

Level 7. Independent certification of product

Develop and implement a formal EMS, which encompasses ALL significantenvironmental impacts AND ensures that practices are environmentallysustainable. This process is audited and verified by an (independent) third partyto a recognised and accepted Standard or protocol. (This is not an option in theWine and Grape Industry or Agriculture sector at this time. An example of such ascheme is the Marine Stewardship Council).


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APPENDIX 3: ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION PERTAINING TOVITICULTURE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The following information is provided as a guide only and it is the responsibility of the owneror manager to ensure that all relevant legislation has been identified and practices complywith the relevant legislation. Please refer to the relevant Act and seek the advice of therelevant agency administering the Act or a lawyer if you need further information.

The information presented here was sourced from:

Clement J-P, Bennett M, Kwaymullina A and Gardner A. (2001) Law of Landcare in WesternAustralia - Second Edition, Environmental Defenders Office WA.

Draft Environmental Management Guidelines for Viticulture (in press), Wine IndustryAssociation of WA, Grape Growers Association of WA (Inc), Department of Agriculture,Department of Environmental Protection and Water and Rivers Commission.

1. Commonwealth legislation:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984

! This Act preserves and protects places, areas and objects of particular significance toAboriginals in accordance to Aboriginal tradition. New vineyard developments need todetermine if there are any areas of significance on a property.

Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994

! Establishes the National code for labeling and using certain agricultural and veterinarychemicals. It is administered by the National Registration Authority (NRA) inCanberra, and controls the import, manufacture, registration, packaging, labeling,distribution and retail sale of agricultural and veterinary chemicals in Australia. The keyfeature of the Code (and its State counterpart Acts) is that agricultural and veterinarychemicals must only be used according to the instructions on the label.

Australian Standards! Australian Standards are non-statutory documents produced by Standards Australia.

The most relevant is AS 2507-1998, “The Storage and Handling of Agricultural andVeterinary Chemicals”. This provides requirements and recommendations for thestorage and handling of agricultural and veterinary chemicals, which may be classifiedeither as hazardous substances, dangerous goods or scheduled poisons under legislation.Further information can be obtained from Standards Australia.

Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

! This Act establishes a process for assessing proposed activities that are likely to have asignificant impact on certain “matters of national environmental significance,” includingWorld Heritage properties, wetlands of international significance, listed threatenedspecies and ecological communities and listed migratory species. New vineyarddevelopments that impact on any of these values need to be referred to the FederalEnvironment Minister for impact assessment.


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Quarantine Act 1906

! Under this Act, grape plant material, machinery and equipment are prohibited fromentry into Australia except by permit. A permit for planting material allows its entrysubject to screening for pests and diseases in post-entry quarantine for at least twoyears. A “machinery and equipment” permit allows importation subject to inspectionon arrival for freedom from soil and plant material.

2. Western Australian Environmental Legislation:

Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972

! Prohibits the excavation of, damage to, or other interference with Aboriginal siteswithout authorisation. Consult with local aboriginal groups to determine if there are anyAboriginal sites on the property.

Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1976! This Act prescribes control for declared weeds and pest animals. Different controls

apply depending on the type of species, the location and the feasibility of controlmeasures. The Department of Agriculture can provide you with a list of declared weedsand species in your area.

Agricultural Practices (Disputes) Act 1995! This Act provides for the resolution of disputes related to the carrying on, or

management, of agriculture. The Act is administered by the Agriculture PracticesBoard. The objectives of the Act are to ensure that normal farm practices is notimpeded by unnecessary litigation, to set up the Board and provide a process by whichdisputes may be inquired into and resolved. The Act applies to disputes in which theissue is a complaint relating to odour, dust, noise, smoke, fumes, fugitive light, or spraydrift, emanating from an agricultural operation.

Bush Fires Act 1954

! This Act outlines provisions for the prevention, control and extinguishing of bushfires.Includes regulations to restrict burning times, burning during prohibited times and forestablishing fire breaks. It is administered by local government.

Conservation and Land Management Act 1984

! This Act applies to State forest, timber reserves, national parks, conservation parks andnature reserves. Approval from CALM is required to interfere with the water level orwater supply, disturb or interfere with any fauna, discharge any dangerous, poisonous ornoxious substance, or interfere with the natural environment in these areas.

Country Areas Water Supply Act 1947

! This Act controls land clearing in certain controlled catchments in the south west of theState. In these catchments, it is an offence to clear more than 2000m2 of land without alicence from the Water and Rivers Commission.

Dangerous Goods Transport Act and Regulations 1998

! This Act controls the transport of dangerous goods (including some agriculturalchemicals) by road or rail. Most growers would not normally transport sufficientquantities of chemical by road to be concerned with this legislation. If necessary a


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manifest of any quantity of dangerous goods must be carried in the cab of the vehicle.Administered by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources.

Environmental Protection Act 1986

! This Act is the primary legislation for the protection of the environment and control ofpollution. It is specifically ‘...an Act to provide for an Environmental ProtectionAuthority, for the prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution, for theconservation, preservation, protection, enhancement and management of theenvironment and for matters incidental to or connected with the foregoing.’ The Actprovides a number of mechanisms for preventing and controlling pollution:

• Part III of the Act enables Environmental Protection Policies (see relevant examplesbelow) to be established for the “prevention, control or abatement of pollution”;

• Part IV of the Act requires the environmental assessment of proposals “likely, ifimplemented, to have a significant effect on the environment”; and

• Part V of the Act provides for the licensing of the activity as a ‘prescribed premises’ andaddresses specific issues such as limits on waste disposal.

The EP Act may apply to the establishment and running of a vineyard (not including wineries)through Part IV (assessment) and/or Part V (pollution and licensing).

Environmental Protection (South West Agricultural Zone Wetlands) Policy

! Protects wetlands from Geraldton to Esperance, excluding the Swan Coastal Plain thathave been entered onto the Register of Wetlands. Under this policy it is an offence tofill in, excavate, mine, discharge effluent, remove water, damage or clear nativevegetation around a registered wetland.

Environmental Protection (Swan Coastal Plain Lakes) Policy

! Protects wetlands on the Swan Coastal Plain that were at least 1000m2 in size on 1st

December 1991 (this Policy is currently under review). Under this policy it is an offenceto fill in, excavate, mine, discharge effluent, remove water, damage or clear nativevegetation around a wetland to which the Policy applies.

Environmental Protection (State Groundwater) Policy 1998Note in Draft see www.environ.wa.gov.au for further information

! Designed to provide a framework for avoiding degradation of groundwater quality andquantity throughout the State.

Explosives and Dangerous Goods Act 1961, and Regulations 1992

! This Act, administered by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources,regulates the storage of dangerous goods (including some agricultural chemicals), anddetermines the requirements for storage licensing. Many properties will be exemptfrom licensing. Check with the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources ifunsure.

Fish Resources Management Act 1994

! Outlines controls on inland aquaculture operations, and protects certain aquatic speciesand their environment. An aquaculture licence is not required if you operate arestaurant and keep fish for the purpose of serving it as a meal, or to sell any yabbie,


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koonac or gilgie taken from a dam or lake on your land to a person that has anaquaculture licence.

Fish Resources Management Regulations

! Under these regulations it is an offence to deposit any waste in any place that mightresult in the pollution of any waters that may contain fish.

Health Act 1911

! Prohibits any activity that may pollute water intended for human consumption. This caninclude drainage water that is offensive or dangerous to health falling into a river or onto any foreshore.

Health (Pesticides) Regulations 1956

! These Regulations control the use and disposal of agricultural chemicals and makes itillegal to use an unregistered chemical, use a chemical at a rate higher than on the labelor use one for an unregistered use without a permit.

Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990

! This acts protects places of cultural and heritage significance. It has provisions forheritage agreements and a register of heritage places. Places on the heritage registercannot be interfered with unless the approval of the Heritage Council has been obtained.

Local Government Act 1995

! This Act allows local governments to make local laws for many purposes. This mayinclude laws for declaring pest plants and requiring landholders to control or eradicatethese plants.

Occupational Safety And Health Regulations 1996! Administered by Worksafe WA, these regulations provide for the definition and safe

use of hazardous substances and prescribes actions in relation to the provision and usesof Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), maintaining chemical registers and thelabelling of chemicals.

Plant Diseases Act (1914)! Under this Act the import into Western Australia of grapevines (including those tissue

cultured) from overseas and other States is controlled. This Act has the powers to:• ensure only disease free plants are introduced into Western Australia;• destroy infected plants;• destroy plants in neglected orchards or vineyards.

Poisons Act 1964

! Classifies substances into poison Schedules, which have different levels of control ofsupply and use based on risk to human safety. Some schedules require specific licencesfor sale and use.


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Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914

! This Act makes provision for the regulation, management, use and protection of waterresources. The Act covers the licensing and construction of wells drawing water fromaquifers and the taking of water from proclaimed rivers and streams. Licenses arerequired for commercial water supplies in proclaimed groundwater and surface watercatchment areas and from all artesian sources.

Soil and Land Conservation Act 1945! This Act provides for the conservation of soil from the effects of erosion, salinity,

flooding and eutrophication. It is administered by the Commissioner of Soil and LandConservation within the Department of Agriculture. Land degradation is the main causeof loss of production capacity. Land degradation includes the removal or deteriorationof natural or introduced vegetation, soil erosion, flooding and salinity. TheCommissioner can order landholders to stop clearing land, or engaging in anyagricultural practice that may cause land degradation. Regulations made under the Actalso require landholders to give notice of an intention to clear vegetation on land or todrain or pump water from land to control salinity. Anyone proposing to clear nativevegetation or drain water should consult with the Department of Agriculture beforecommencing work.

Town Planning & Development Act 1928

! This Act gives local government the responsibility to prepare town planning schemes(TPSs) and local planning strategies for areas within its municipal boundaries. TPSsmay vary between local government and therefore it is possible for councils to havedifferent requirements for establishing and operating vineyards. A TPS which includesa zoning map and land use planning requirements may specify where vineyards may belocated and developed.

Waterways Conservation Act 1976

! The Water and Rivers Commission has planning and pollution prevention powers underthis Act within declared areas to ensure the conservation and management of thesewaterways and associated lands. The following management areas have been created -Avon River, Peel Inlet, Leschenault Inlet, Albany Waterways, Wilson Inlet andadjoining land. Detailed assessment and site specific conditions to protect waterresources may apply in these management areas.

Wildlife Conservation Act 1950

! This Act provides for the protection of native flora and fauna in the State. This Actcontains general controls for the protection of all native species, with specific measuresdesigned to protect rare and endangered species.

3. Local government legislation:The next section outlines relevant legislation for the Shires of Augusta-Margaret River andthe Shire of Busselton. This information has been provided by Manfred Boldy of the Shire ofAugusta-Margaret River and Damon Carter of the Shire of Busselton. If your vineyard isoutside these areas, make sure you contact your local shire to find out if there are any Acts orregulations that you need to be aware of regarding vineyard operations.


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SHIRE OF AUGUSTA-MARGARET RIVER VITICULTURE APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS

Relevant matter Approv al/Licence Relevant agency Requirement of legislationRequirement ofTown Planning

Scheme

Requirement oflocal law

Subdivision of land Subdivision approval Western AustralianPlanning Commission

Town Planning and development Act 1928

Viticultural farmlanddevelopment

Approval to clear land ordrain water

Department of AgricultureWA

Soil and Land Conservation Act 1945

Planning approval Local government Town Planning and Development Act 1928 Local townplanningscheme(s)

Licence to pump water Department ofEnvironment, Water andCatchment Protection

Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914

Built development -general

Planning approval Local government Town Planning and Development Act 1928 Local townplanningscheme(s)

Building approval Local government Local government(Misc. Provisions) Act 1960

Any relevantlocal laws

Signage licence Local government Local Government(Misc. Provisions) Act 1960

Any relevantlocal laws

Effluent disposal- wineries and

restaurantsPermit to use Apparatusfor Waste Disposal

Local government,Department of Health

Health Act 1911

- public ablutions Commercial Approval forDisposal of Waste Water

Local Government,Department of Health

Health Act 1911

Food hygiene (forfood premises)

Licence for Classificationof Use

Local government,Department of Health

Health Act 1911

DEP ScheduledPremises

See DEP Notes Department ofEnvironmental Protection


Storage ofchemicals

Licence to StoreChemicals

Department of Mineraland Petroleum Resources

Explosive and Dangerous Goods Act 1961


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Relevant matter Approv al/Licence Relevant agency Requirement of legislationRequirement ofTown Planning

Scheme

Requirement oflocal law

Additional issuesBushfiremanagement

Permit to Burn duringdeclared bushfire periods

Local government Bush Fires Act 1954

Annual perimeter (bushfire break) clearing

Local government Bush Fires Act 1954

Noise control Noise Exemption Orders(rarely relevant)

Department ofEnvironmental Protection,Local Government


Dust control EPA Act 1986 compliance Local government(on-going monitoring ofsituation)

Water pollution EPA Act 1986 compliance Local government(on-going monitoring ofsituation)


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SHIRE OF BUSSELTON LEGISLATIONVITICULTURE ESTABLISHMENT

The information follow ing has been sourced by Damon Carter (Environmental Off icer -Shire of Busselton) from Council’s District Tow n Planning Scheme No.20.

Please note the follow ing from District Tow n Planning Scheme No.20:• Agriculture (Defined to include the raising of crops, including grapes) is a permitted use

in the Agriculture and Viticulture & Tourism zones.• Establishing vit iculture requires approval from council in the Rural Landscape and

Conservation zones.• Establishing vit iculture requires approval from council follow ing public advertising in the

Rural Residential zone• Establishing vit iculture is prohibited in all other zones• Establishing grapes for personal use is a permitted use in all zones (this is considered

as recreational agriculture)• Intensive agriculture (defined to include the production of grapes for commercial

purposes) is a permitted use in the Agriculture zone• Establishing vit iculture for commercial purposes requires approval from council in the

Viticulture & Tourism zone.• Establishing vit iculture for commercial purposes is prohibited in all other zones

including the Conservation zone, Rural Landscape zone and Rural Residential zone.

Follow ing is a brief description of the aims of the zones in District Tow n Planning SchemeNo.20:

• Rural Landscape Zone - discourages development not compatible w ith landscapevalue areas, i.e. no clearing of vegetation w ithout approval. Policy for this zoneprohibits any clearing of vegetation unless required for f irebreaks, buildings w ithinenvelopes or for vehicle access to building envelopes.

• Conservation Zone - restricts the type and scale of development that w ill beconsidered on lands possessing special aesthetic, ecological or conservation values tothose compatible w ith such environments. Prohibits the clearing of vegetation asabove.

• Agriculture Zone - an objective of the zone is to control the clearing of trees andencourage generally the retention of vegetation and vegetation corridors concomitantwith the agricultural use of the land.

• Viticulture and Tourism zone - provides for the development and expansion of theviticulture and w ine making industries and general rural pursuits, and seeks to optimisethe tourism potential of viticulture activities in a manner that w ill be sustainable

• Rural Residential Zone - requires the provision of vegetation and fauna corridors andthe revegetation of the land and seeks to have protected any areas or sites ofconservation value; encourages hobby farming consistent w ith the rural residential andrural-retreat use of adjoining lands


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Special Provisions Areas:• Landscape Value Area - It is prohibited to clear any vegetation in a Landscape Value

Area w ithout the written consent of Council

• Wetland Areas - aims to ensure that w etlands (as marked on the scheme map) arepreserved and conserved in environmental and economic interests. It is prohibited tofill, clear, drain or carry out earthw orks on any land to w hich this Clause applies w ithoutthe w ritten consent of Council. A statement of environmental effects is required toaccompany a development application for land w ithin w etland areas. Information to becompiled as directed under Schedule 3 of TPS No.20

Policy to consider:

• Dams Policy - all dams require approval from Council. Aims of the policy are tomaintain environmental and landscape amenity value of w atercourses; limit theremoval of riparian vegetation and the impacts of earthworks on the natural landscape;limit the development of on-stream dams; avoid unacceptable environmental impacts;avoid a proliferation of dams in particular areas.


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CHECKLIST FOR WINERY WORKS APPROVAL AND LICENCEAPPLICATIONS

OverviewA works approval to construct and licence to operate are required w hen a w inery meets thefollow ing requirements:

Category 25 Alcoholic beverage manufacturing:premises on w hich an alcoholic beverage ismanufactured and from w hich liquid w aste is oris to be discharged onto land or into w aters.

Production or designcapacity: 350 kilolitres ormore per year. (500 tonnescrushed)

General w ine industry assumptions: For each tonne of grapes crushed, approx the follow ing is produced:• 700 litres w ine;• 2 to 5 kL w aste water (assume 5 kL for calculations w here actual volumes are

unknow n, i.e. w orst case scenario); and• 0.08 to 0.11 tonne marc (ie each 9 to 13 tonne crushed produces about 1 tonne marc)

of which approx 65 per cent is water.

Preparing your applicationThe tables below are designed to help you gather the information required to accompany aworks approval or licence application for a w inery. You should w ork through eachcomponent, identifying those the w inery meets and those it doesn’t. Where a component isnot met, you should consider additional pollution control measures to provide an equivalentlevel of environmental protection and detail these in your application.

LocationThe site selected should be one w hich avoids the need for costly environmental protectionand ensures preservation of community amenity.

Requirement Tick if met1. All operations at the plant will occur at least 100 m from any permanent

watercourse and 50 m away from any ephemeral watercourse2. All operations at the plant will occur at least 200 m away from any

conservation value wetland3. All operations at the plant will occur at least 200 m away from the

boundary of wetland vegetation around estuaries and lakes4. All operations at the plant will occur at least 100 m away from water

supply bores and dams5. All operations at the plant will occur at least 1 m above the highest

known groundwater level6. All operations at the plant will occur at least 500 m from the nearest

residence7. The operations are not located within any Public Drinking Water Source

Areas (PDWSAs) 1

1 PDWSAs include Underground Water Pollution Contr ol Areas , Water Reser ves and Public Water Suppl y C atchment Areas

declared in accordance with the Metropolitan Water Supply Sewerage and Drainage Act 1909, or the C ountry Areas WaterSupply Act, 1947. For further infor mati on contact Water and Ri vers C ommission.


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Supporting information required• Summary of the proposal:• capacity of plant (tonnes of grapes crushed and kL w ine produced per year);• map of site show ing premises location in relation to nearest neighbours, w atercourses

and roads;• topography of site (degree and direction of slopes);• previous uses of site and details of any areas to be cleared;• brief details of surrounding land uses;• plan of premises show ing boundary, buildings, process areas, discharge and w aste

disposal points/areas, sampling and monitoring points;• location of any w atercourses (permanent or ephemeral), soaks, w et areas or drains on

or w ithin 100 m of the premises;• location of any PDWSAs w ithin 1,000 m of the premises; and• a suitable aerial photograph of the premises (if available).

Stormwater management systemStormw ater not contaminated from the w inery operations should be kept separate from theeff luent system. This w ill reduce the eff luent volume and improve treatment performancedue to more even hydraulic loading.

Requirement Tick if met• All crushing, processing, bottling (if applicable), wastewater treatment,

effluent solids collection and storage areas will be located on a hardstand pad (preferably concrete)

• The hardstand pad will be drained so that all wastewaters are directed tothe waste water treatment system

• Uncontaminated stormwater will be separated from winery effluent andA. collected for use within the plantB. released off site ORC. discharged to sewer

Indicate A,B or C

• Uncontaminated stormwater leaving the premises will be treated, wherenecessary, to ensure concentrations of total suspended solids do notexceed 80 mg/L

• Contaminated stormwater will be directed to the wastewater treatmentsystem

Supporting information required:• location on map of all crushing, processing, bottling, etc. operations and areas on a

hardstand pad;• details of how and w here uncontaminated stormw ater is to be kept separate from the

wastewater system (e.g. location of bunds, cut off drains, etc.);• location on map of w here any stormw ater w ill leave the premises (if applicable);• location on map of w here any uncontaminated stormw ater w ill be treated (if applicable);• brief details of method of treatment of stormw ater (if applicable);• location of any w atercourses receiving stormw ater;• source of any contaminated stormw ater directed to the w astewater treatment system

(e.g. composting area).


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Wastewater treatment systemTreatment of w astewater can occur via either ponds or tanks. Storage and treatment pondsor tanks must be of suff icient volume to contain their maximum operational load, includingprovision of at least 300 mm freeboard. The system should be designed to cope w ith thewettest year in ten.

Requirement Tick if met1. Ponds WILL/WILL NOT be utilised.

If ponds are not to be used, ignore requirements 2- 42. Any ponds constructed and used will have bases with a permeability

of at least 10-9 m/s3. Any anaerobic ponds constructed and used will have a crust or cover

maintained over them4. Any ponds will be designed and operated to ensure wastewater is

retained in the pond for at least 15 days)5. The wastewater treatment system will be capable of pH adjustment

and reduction of total suspended solids and biochemical oxygendemand prior to discharge to irrigation

6. Samples of treated wastewater can be collected easily from thewastewater treatment system prior to irrigation

7. A flow measurement device will be fitted either on the inlet or outlet ofthe wastewater treatment plant, capable of accurately andcontinuously measuring the volume of water in cubic metres per day

Supporting information required:• Size and location of treatment ponds or tanks;• estimate of amount and quality of w astewater produced and variations associated w ith

the different production periods (i.e. pre-, early, peak, late, post- and non-vintage);• identif ication of source of all w astew ater streams (e.g. caustic soda from cleaning

tanks, rinsings from barrels and f loors);• brief description and plan of w astewater treatment system and process;• brief details of how pH, total suspended solids and BOD w ill be adjusted in the

wastewater treatment system;• location of sampling point(s) for treated wastewater; and• location and br ief details of f low measuring device.

Irrigation of winery effluentBefore and during land application, scheduling and application rates based on the propertiesof the eff luent including its salinity and nutrient content, pH and BOD need to be considered.Maximum application rates for irrigation are generally limited by one or more of the follow ing:• Hydraulic loading• Nutrient loading/balance (N/P/K)• Salt loading• BOD of eff luent

Complete tables 2 and 3 to calculate the minimum irrigation area and storage capacityrequired for your site.


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Minimum irrigation areaTreated w astewater should be irrigated onto the premises. The irrigation area shall besuff icient to protect water quality and the nutrient loading to land should not exceed the totalnutrient load outlined in Table 1. The nutrient loading to land is a cumulative loading from allsources eg compost, liquid eff luent and any artif icial fertilisers added.

Table 1.

Vulnerabilitycategory Soil description

Max availablephosphorous(as P) loading

(kg/ha/yr)

Max availablenitrogen (asN) loading(kg/ha/yr)

Max availableBOD loading(kg/ha/day)

A Course sandy soils/gravels(PRI < 10) draining to surfacewaters with mod/high risk ofeutrophication

10 140 30

B Course sandy soils/gravels(PRI < 10) draining to surfacewaters with low risk ofeutrophication

20 180 30

C Course sandy soils/gravels(PRI > 10) draining to surfacewaters with mod/high risk ofeutrophication

50 300 30

D Course sandy soils/gravels(PRI > 10) draining to surfacewaters with low risk ofeutrophication

120 480 30

Source: Soil v ulnerability and loading rates derived from Water and Rivers Commission’sWater Quality Protection Note, Nov ember 1998.

Table 2. Calculation of maximum application rates of nitrogen and phosphorous

Soiltype

Irrigationarea

av ailable

(ha)

Total v ol.treatedeffluent

produced

(L/year)

Nitrogenconcentration

of treatedeffluent(mg/L)

Phosphorousconcentration

of treatedeffluent(mg/L)

Total Papplied

(kg/ha/yr)

Total Napplied

(kg/ha/yr)

Where a crop (eg pasture, blue gums) is grow n on the irrigation site and the uptake ofnutrients by the crop is know n, this uptake can be balanced against the irrigation of additionalnutrients. For example, a crop taking up 10 kg phosphorous/ha/year can increase themaximum phosphorous loading for Category B soils from 20 to 30 kg/ha/yr.

Table 3. Calculating amended maximum application rates of nitrogen and phosphorous

Phosphorous uptakeof crop

(kg/ha/yr)

Nitrogen uptake ofcrop

(kg/ha/yr)

Amended Max Ploading

(kg/ha/yr)

Amended Max Nloading

(kg/ha/yr)


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Requirement Tick if metTotal nitrogen applied to the premises will either be below the recommendedrate in table 1 or the amended maximum loading in table 3Total phosphorous applied to the premises will be below the recommendedrate in table 1 or the amended maximum loading in table 3

Supporting information required:• Location on map of area to be irrigated;

• identif ication of local soil type and vegetation cover proposed (e.g. pasture, blue gumtree lot);

• estimation of concentration of nutrients in eff luent2;

• estimation of maximum application rates of N and P to irrigation area; and

• estimated nutrient uptake of vegetation cover (if available).

Water balanceThe intensity and depth of irrigation should be adapted to the soil and vegetation to preventexcessive leaching of eff luent beneath the root zone. Applications should be scheduled,based on a w ater deficit. When the soil is saturated in periods w here rainfall exceedsevaporation, irrigation w aters w ill need to be stored until the soil is suitable for irrigation. Thefollow ing information is required to enable the Department of Environmental Protection toconduct a w ater balance. Alternatively, you can provide one yourself.

Month (# rain days) Pt(mm)

Epan(mm)

WP(mm/ha)

IR(mm/ha)

JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember

Total

Storage available (if required) in kilolitresPt = total rainfallEpan = Pan EvaporationWP = Wastew ater production (mm/ha)IR = Irrigation rate

2 Where no comparable data on nutrient concentrations are av ailable, nutrient lev els of 70 mg/L N and 20 mg/L

P should be used.


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Where the rate of production of w astewater exceeds the Wastew ater loading rate (i.e. rainfallexceeds evaporation), some irrigation may occur but any remaining w astew ater should bestored to avoid w aterlogging of the irrigation area. Irrigation in months w hen rainfall (Pt)exceeds evaporation (Epan) should not exceed one 15 mm/ha application of duration30 minutes (7,500 kL/ha) per w eek on sandy soils and 5 mm/ha/w eek for 30 minutes on claysoils (2,200 kL/ha). During drier months irrigation can occur every day for up to one hour atthe same rates.

Where suitable information on quantit ies of w astewater produced is not available, thefollow ing default value should be used to calculate eff luent volume:

For each tonne of grapes crushed, approx 5 kL w astew ater is produced.

Supporting information required:• monthly rainfall and evaporation rates (mm/month), including source of information;• details and reference of water balance calculation used (if applicable);• additional storage volume required (if required); and• location and design of additional storage (if required).

Irrigation systemRequirement Tick if met

The area to be irrigated will be at least 1 m above the highest knowngroundwater levelIrrigation equipment w ill not spray more than 1.5 m into the air and/orproduce f ine dropletsStock w ill not be kept in the irrigation areas w hen irrigation isoccurringWastew ater w ill be distributed evenly over the irrigation areaNo soil erosion or ponding of w astewaters w ill occurIrrigation w ill not occur w ithin 50 metres of any defined w atercourse(permanent or ephemeral), drain or residential premises

Supplementary information required:• Brief details of irrigation system (e.g. sprinklers or drippers).


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Marc storageFresh marc from w ineries should be composted, w here practicable, recycled (eg as cowfodder) or disposed of to a licensed composting facility.

Requirement Tick if met

Marc will be disposed of off-site and stored in sealed containers prior to off-site disposal ORMarc will be composted on-site, it will be composted on a hardstand areathat drains to the wastewater treatment system ORMarc will be recycledThe hardstand area will consist of compacted limestone at least 300 mm inthickness or equivalent (provide details if different)The hardstand area will have a bund around its perimeter sufficient tocontain all rainfall from a 1 in 100 year storm event (2.78 mm over 72 hours)unless the site contours enable such containment

Supplementary information required:• estimate of amount of marc produced;• location on map of marc storage area (if disposed off of site);• location on map of hardstand area for composting; and• details of hardstand construction (if material other than limestone used).

Other solid wastesAdditional w astes produced consist primarily of bentonite clay and diatomaceous earth fromthe clarif ication processes. Treatment ponds accumulate sludge w astes.


Bentonite clays from the winery processes will be collected by a mobileeffluent disposal unit ORCollected and stored in sealed containers prior to offsite disposalIf treatment ponds are to be used, they will be designed to allow desludgingto occur when the sludge takes up about one third of the pond’s volume.

Indicate if notapplicable

Supplementary information required:• Identif ication of any other solid w astes produced, their sources estimated quantities

and method(s) of disposal.

MonitoringMonitoring the soils of the area to be irrigated is required before operations commence andsampling of w astewater prior to irrigation is required once irrigation commences.


A flow meter will be installed to record the amount of wastewater produced.The quality and quantity of wastewater produced for irrigation will bemonitoredSoils in the irrigation area will be sampled, prior to irrigation, to determinebaseline levels of salinity, pH, nitrogen, phosphorous, sodium, calcium andmagnesium.


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Supplementary information required:• details of any monitoring (additional to that required by the DEP) conducted on the

premises to date; and

• details of soil monitoring data prior to operations commencing.

Contingency planningPlans and procedures are needed to respond effectively to emergencies and othercontingencies. All managers and staff should be aw are of the plans and procedures andtheir individual responsibilit ies during emergencies. The procedures should be regularlyrehearsed and updated as necessary. Contingency plans should be available for thefollow ing emergencies:


Disruption of power supplies which may affect the plant’s effluentmanagement systemDisruption to winery operation or effluent treatment by storm, flooding or fireDisruption to winery operation or effluent treatment by plant breakdownsOverloading of aerobic or anaerobic treatment plants or ponds, or unusuallylow level effluent inputs which can affect the biological treatment activity ofthe systemAccidental discharge of hazardous materials into the effluent streamChanges in the physico-chemical environment which can disrupt thetreatment system’s biological activityTemporary of permanent loss of access to effluent application and disposalfacilitiesTemporary or permanent loss of trained operators.Potential leakage from ponds

Supplementary information required:• copies of contingency plans or an undertaking that they w ill be developed prior to

operations commencing.

ReferencesEffluent Management Guidelines for Australian Wineries and Distilleries, ANZECC, 1998.

Available from Commonw ealth Government bookshops in WA.Water Quality Protection Note. Irrigating Vegetated Land w ith Nutrient-rich Wastew ater.

Water and Rivers Commission, November 1998. Available from Water and RiversCommission.

Guidelines for the Storage, Processing and Recycling of Organic Wastes, December 1997.Available from Department of Environmental Protection

NOTEThis information was correct at the time of compilation. The Department of Environmental Protection’srequirements may change over time to reflect relevant standards and guidelines.


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APPENDIX 4: ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS AND MONITORING

Issue Indicator Monitoring

Whole property management Environmental farm plan Farm plan in placeNutrient management Nutrient management plan

Soil and petiole tests*Physical symptoms of vine

Plan in placeUse and frequency of testsVisual - symptoms in vine

Pest management Use of non-chemical pest control methodsUse of integrated pest managementAmount of chemical used

Area of crop not treated with chemicalsArea of crop under integrated pest managementLitres of chemical used

Weed management New weeds in vineyard VisualWeed counts (plants/m2)

Soil management - wind erosion Per cent soil cover(need 30-50% stable cover to prevent erosion)

Number of days in a year that the soil is coveredwith vegetationVisual assessment per cent cover

Soil management - water erosion Per cent soil coverGully or rill erosionOverland flow

Visual assessmentPhotosGully ril l depth, width and lengthNumber of rillsRates of run-off

Soil management - soil structure Crusting on the soil surfaceWater ponding on soil surfaceOrganic carbon levels

VisualPer cent organic carbon in soil

Soil management - soil texture Ability of soil to form ball when water added tohandful of soil

Bolus and ribbon test (ability of soil to ball upand form ribbon)*

Soil management - compaction Poor plant growth Bulk densityPenetration test using penetrometer

Soil management - water repellency Water ponding on the soil surface VisualSoil management - waterlogging Water ponding on the soil surface Visual, area of waterlogging


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Issue Indicator MonitoringWater management - irrigation Amount of irrigation water applied (in Margaret

River this can be up to 1800 kL/ha annually)*Irrigation scheduling eg tensiometers, gypsumblocksWetting pattern under drippers for each soil typeAvailable water capacity for each soil type

Water management - environment Water quality - streams, rivers, etc. Concentrations of nutrients in waterwayBiodiversity Species diversity

Vegetation conditionRemnant vegetation plan

Number of speciesArea of remnant vegetationPhotosCondition rating (e.g. undisturbed remnant todisturbed remnant)#Remnant vegetation plan in place

References

* See Bulletin 4421 Fertilisers for Wine Grapes: An information package to promote efficient f ertiliser practices 3rd Edition, 2000, eds B. Goldspink and K. Howes,Department of Agriculture.

# See Hussey, B.M.J. and Wallace, K.J. (1993). Managing Your Bushland, CALM.Hunt, N. and Gilkes, B. (1992). Farm Monitoring Handbook, Univ ersity of Western Australia.Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Dev elopment (OECD) (2001). Env ironmental Indicators for Agriculture Methods and Results Volume 3, OECD. Seewww.oecd.org/agr/env/indicators.htm.

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