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Issues Condition
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This chapter provides an overview of the inland waters and wetlands of Tasmania, highlighting the state of these environments, the pressures placed upon them, and the management responses that are intended to ensure sustainable practices. The chapter focuses on changes since the first SoE Report for Tasmania (SDAC 1997), although earlier baselines are used where data are available and relevant for describing conditions, trends and changes in the environment. The key issues that are discussed in the chapter can be accessed from the menu on the left of this page. This will take the reader to the summary 'At a glance' section for the particular issue selected. For a more in-depth analysis, 'Issue Reports' can also be accessed from these summary sections (follow the 'Continued in depth' link). All chapter content-including indicators, case studies and recommendations-can be accessed through these Issue Reports. A brief summary of the key findings of the Inland Waters and Wetlands Chapter, with links back to the related Issue Reports for further detail, is available. It includes information on the conditions and trends and what has been achieved since the previous SoE Report. Various lists of Inland Waters and Wetlands Chapter content are also available to assist in providing an overview of the chapter. An index of the indicators used within the Inland Waters and Wetlands Chapter is included. Various case studies relevant to the issues within this chapter are provided. A number of recommendations are also presented for this chapter. Background information on the key concepts used in this chapter is provided. For example, the hydrological cycle is explained, and various concepts and processes relating to Tasmania's water quality, water quantity and aquatic ecosystems are also described. Only waters upstream of the tidal limit are examined in the Inland Waters and Wetlands Chapter. Estuarine, saltmarsh, and other non-freshwater coastal systems are discussed in the Coastal, Estuarine and Marine Chapter. This division between freshwater and coastal/estuarine and marine systems, while necessary in managing the task of preparing the report, belies the growing awareness of catchment health, and the need for adequate flows for the environment and downstream users in estuaries and coasts. Some of these relationships are highlighted in the chapter and recommendations presented also emphasise the importance of actions to manage these systems in an integrated way. The chapter's focus is on water as it nears the earth's surface and on the mechanisms by which water is temporarily stored and transported from place to place in its journey back to the ocean or atmosphere. Human impacts on water resources are significant, but are often unforeseen or overlooked. Increased flood risks, reduced water yields, re-routing of river channels, erosion, and chemical run-off are some of the effects that need to be considered in order to achieve sustainable development of Tasmania's water resources. The previous SoE Report concluded that due to the incomplete understanding of Tasmania's inland waters and wetlands, the application of the precautionary principle to the management of its water resources was appropriate. To do this, the report called for the development of management systems that promote sustainability. Progress has been made over the last five years in the implementation of such systems, and these responses are highlighted throughout the chapter. Nevertheless, identifying conditions, trends and changes remains as difficult and elusive as it was for the first SoE Report. Water resource managers-from farm to regional and Statewide scales-are required to manage with varying degrees of uncertainty. Effective decision-making requires access to the best available information, which must be collected and reported cost-effectively. However, given the costs of monitoring in a small State with limited capacity to fund information gathering, greater levels of uncertainty may need to be accepted. If so, there is arguably a greater case to adopt a precautionary approach to management. Further harm to Tasmania's aquatic systems will not only diminish their integrity and intrinsic worth, but also the economic well-being of the State. Advancing current research and developing progressive programs, strategies, and policies is crucial for the development and implementation of appropriate and effective objectives for the sustainability of Tasmania's water quality and quantity, and the integrity and function of aquatic ecosystems. Many people and organisations have assisted greatly in compiling the State of the Environment Report. For this chapter, the Commission would like to acknowledge the kind assistance of the following: Stewart Blackhall, Michael Cassidy, Elizabeth Daley, Helen Dunn, Tom Krasnicki, Bonnie Lauck, Helen Locher, Martin Read, Stephen Waight, Fiona Wells, John Whittington. |
