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Objective

Recommendation

Key issues

What has been achieved 1998-2003

Tasmania Together

Related Issue Reports

Objective

To provide for efficient, equitable and sustainable system of water planning.

Recommendation

In association with the recommendation on Environmental Flows, it is recommended that:

• practical guidelines and methods for accelerating the development of future Water Management Plans are implemented through evaluation of the current Water Management Planning process;
   
• practical methodologies are developed for assessing the potential socio-economic impacts of proposed environmental flow regimes and Water Management Plans; and
   
• priorities and timelines for undertaking Water Management Plans are made transparent and defensible.
   

This recommendation is presented in association with recommendations on improving water quality (Recommendation 3.1) and groundwater management (Recommendation 3.6).

Key issues

The Water Management Act 1999 provides for the development of Water Management Plans. The purpose of a Water Management Plan is to ensure the sustainable development and management of a water resource in accordance with the objectives of the Act.

Supporting information for this recommendation is contained in Water Quantity and Water Use and Land Use and Inland Waters. There are also relationships between water management plans and a number of other Issue Reports in the Inland Waters and Wetlands Chapter. For example, Wetlands and Aquatic Health may depend on environmental water provisions established through water management planning. In the Coastal, Estuarine and Marine Chapter, maintenance of the ecological condition of some coastal, estuarine and marine habitats may also depend on environmental flows and decisions taken through water management planning (see ).

What has been achieved 1998-2003

A number of initiatives have been undertaken since the previous SoE Report that have contributed to improving the management of water resources in Tasmania.

• The Water Management Act 1999 was introduced, providing for the sustainable use and development of water resources. The Act supersedes statutory water management provisions in 13 other Acts.
   
• The State Government has made specific commitments for the development of Water Management Plans for a number of water resources over the next few years. These commitments have been made under the COAG Framework for reform of the Australian water industry (National Competition Policy) and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality. The major achievement for the Water Management Planning program was the finalisation of the Great Forester Catchment Draft Water Management Plan 2002 and its placement on public exhibition in January 2002. This is the first draft Water Management Plan to be exhibited in Tasmania under the Water Management Act 1999 and was therefore a significant milestone.
   
• All existing water entitlements have been converted to licences and allocations under the Water Management Act 1999
   
• Capping of water usage was undertaken in the South Esk basin, with further work done on the Great Forester River. Proposals are being considered to extend this type of exercise Statewide.
   
• Allocation of winter water was undertaken in catchments using the 80 percent reliability rule. Extra studies are being undertaken to justify allocating beyond that amount.
   

Tasmania Together

Relevant Tasmania Together goals and standards for 'Inland Waters and Wetlands' 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