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Objective

Recommendation

Key issues

Actions taken

Objective

To protect wetlands of conservation significance on private land.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Department of Environment and Land Management reviews all wetlands of international, national and state significance on private land with a view to entering into management agreements under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1970 in relation to those wetlands that have been identified as threatened or requiring rehabilitation.

Key issues

This information is available from Volume 2 of the last SoE Report (SDAC 1997), which can be downloaded. The final objective, final recommendation, and a summary of key management actions are detailed below.

Actions taken

Since the previous SoE Report (1997), the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1970 has been split into the National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002 and the Nature Conservation Act 2002. There has also been some progress in addressing the recommendation on the protection and management of wetlands on private land, including the following.

• The Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment released 'A Wetlands Strategy for Tasmania - Draft Discussion Paper' (DPIWE 2000). The paper considered many mechanisms for the protection and management of wetlands, including the role of reserves. The suggested reserve strategies include that private owners of high conservation value wetlands will be encouraged to enter into management agreements, preferably conservation covenants, with the Parks and Wildlife Service. This paper noted that very few planning schemes contain provisions with respect to wetlands.
   
• The Protected Areas on Private Land Project aims to identify and conserve key non-forest vegetation priorities on private land, including riparian and wetland communities. A brief summary of this program is provided (see PAPL).
   
• A strategic framework for improved identification, conservation and management of freshwater ecosystem values including wetlands-the Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystem Values (CFEV) project-has commenced in Tasmania as part of the Water Development Plan 2001.
   
• A Nature Conservation Strategy has also been prepared and the State Government has now responded formally to this Strategy.