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Objective

Recommendation

Key issues

What has been achieved 1998-2003

Tasmania Together

Related Issue Reports

Objective

To implement programs and management systems that improve land management practices in order to protect geoheritage values across land tenures and land uses.

Recommendation

It is recommended that:

• the coverage of systematic inventories for sites of geoconservation significance are improved, supported by, and integrated with, georegionalisations and other base layers;
   
• these inventories are used to support improved reporting on indicators and reporting through mapped-based products on the Land Information System Tasmania (LIST);
   
• a 'gap-analysis' of Tasmania's geoconservation estate is undertaken; and
   
• geoconservation issues are considered in management planning and development planning through environmental impact statements, planning schemes and environmental management plans.
   

Key issues

Geodiversity is the natural diversity of geological, landform and soil features. Geoconservation is the conservation of geodiversity for its intrinsic, ecological and geoheritage values. Geoconservation values of significant phenomena can be degraded by human activities that either change the site or valuable features of the site, or the natural processes controlling the features. Some of the key points arising from the Geodiversity and Geoconservation Issue Report include the following:

• the Tasmanian Geoconservation Database identifies 1,664 sites of geoconservation significance across the State, but the condition level and conservation status is unknown for approximately 40-70% and 30-50% of sites respectively;
   
• land cover modification and high road density have (or are likely to have) substantially influenced, natural fluvial and karst geomorphic systems in several catchments and areas of karst geology across Tasmania;
   
• specific coastal geomorphic systems have been influenced, or are currently at risk, due to artificially modified shorelines along Tasmania's coast;
   
• the finalisation of fluvial geomorphic regions and karst georegions (work currently in progress) will enhance geoconservation indicators to enable geomorphic processes at risk to be identified, and will allow the degree of protection of geomorphic processes through reserves, to be identified; and
   
• there is limited soil mapping and peat erosion mapping on a Statewide basis.
   

What has been achieved 1998-2003

A number of key management actions have occurred since the previous SoE Report, which contribute to sustaining Tasmania's land resources. These include the following.

• A conservation, management and extension strategy for fluvial systems in Tasmania is being developed by DPIWE. The strategy aims to classify Tasmanian fluvial landform systems into distinctive 'fluvial georegions'. It is envisaged that the regionalisation will provide a classification of fluvial geodiversity at a regional/State level and assist in improving geodiversity condition indicators.
   
• The Karst Atlas (Keirnan 1995) has been updated to version 2 (Forestry Tasmania 2002). Version 2 improves knowledge of the nature, distribution and value of karst, identify those elements of particular geoconservation significance, and identify areas subject to natural hazard relating to karst.
   
• The Tasmanian Coastal Geomorphic Types database (Sharples 2000 and 2002 - held by DPIWE) has been developed, including a coastal georegion classification. This will assist with the on-going development and improvement of coastal geodiversity condition indicators.
   
• There have been many new detailed and site-specific management initiatives, which are outlined in the in the Geodiversity and Geoconservation Issue Report. Examples include the following: a number of karst areas around Mole Creek have been purchased for the protection of geoconservation and other values; revegetation work has been conducted on a number of streamsides in the Mole Creek area to assist in the protection of karst values; and rehabilitation of the Ida Bay Quarry continues with further improvements in physical and biological environments in the nearby Exit Cave system.
   
• The Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystem Values Project run by DPIWE, which is part of the implementation of the Water Development Plan for Tasmania. The project will provide for conservation of key, representative aquatic ecosystems (including rivers and streams, wetlands, major groundwater springs, lakes and estuaries), that will also assist in the conservation of significant geodiversity values. As part of this, the project will provide a strategic framework that will help to inform water resource planning, development and management.
   
• The development of a State Natural Resource Management Framework to provide the State with a systematic way of integrating natural resource management. Natural resource management is defined as 'the management of all activities that use, develop and/or conserve our air, water, land, plants, animals and microorganisms, and the systems they form'.
   
• Acknowledgement by the State Government of Tasmania's Nature Conservation Strategy 2001, with a formal response to the Strategy's recommendations. The Strategy contains several recommendations significant to the State's geodiversity and geoconservation.
   

Land cover and vegetation management responses also have a role in assisting in the protection of geodiversity processes and features include:

• Vegetation mapping through TASVEG, which includes a broad land cover type classification and, once completed, will be useful for determining vegetation change.
   
• The development of an enhanced comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) forest reserve system. This has resulted in the creation of an additional 458,000 ha of new reserves containing 293,000 ha of forest (RPDC 2002) that will assist in the protection of geomorphic processes and features.
   
• As outlined above, the Protected Areas on Private Land Program provides management assistance and a range of incentives to landowners who enter into formal conservation agreements. Conservation agreements can be used to protect geoheritage values such as caves or rock formations, as well as native wildlife, bushland, wetland, grassland, and other natural values.
   

Tasmania Together

Relevant Tasmania Together goals and standards for 'Land' are listed in the linked file. The Tasmania Together Progress Board reported on progress toward targets for benchmarks set (Tasmania Together Progress Board 2003). Indicators, targets and baseline data are available in the latest Progress Report June 2003. Further information, including progress report updates, is available from Tasmania Together.

Related Issue Reports