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Objective

Recommendation

Key issues

What has been achieved 1998-2003

Tasmania Together

Related Issue Reports

Objective

To implement environmental flows for a range of ecosystem values based on clear standards and methodologies.

Recommendation

It is recommended that:

• setting of environmental flows in the State include consideration of a broad range of ecosystem values including instream biota, geomorphology, riparian vegetation, and estuarine health; and
   
• technical methodologies and monitoring approaches for environmental flows are evaluated and modified as required.
   

Key issues

Providing for environmental flows is important in maintaining the productivity of aquatic ecosystems for downstream users (including estuarine users), as well as in maintaining the natural diversity, habitat and other intrinsic values of these systems. Water Management Planning is the key mechanism in Tasmania for ensuring sufficient flows to provide for the needs of downstream users, including the environment. However, progress since the last SoE Report in the allocation of water for the environment, and to ensure that downstream users are not disadvantaged, has been slow.

Supporting information for this recommendation is contained in issue reports on Water Quantity and Water Use and Land Use and Inland Waters. Other related sections in the Inland Waters and Wetlands Chapter include Wetlands and Aquatic Health.

Some of the key points relating to environmental flows from the Inland Waters and Wetlands and Coastal, Estuarine and Marine chapters (with links to the 'At a glance' sections) include:

• Water Quantity and Water Use: Indicators show an increasing appropriation of water from the environment, including:
  • growth of water use for irrigation by about 7% per annum since the last SoE Report;
     
  • increased water extraction and regulation through dams and storages, e.g. 907 dams have been approved since the last SoE Report;
     
  • the National Land and Water Resources Audit assessed seven of the 19 Surface Water Management Areas in Tasmania as being highly developed with 70-100% water having been allocated;
     
  There is also a lack of a continuous record of stream monitoring, which affects the capacity to comment on trends and changes in water quantity and environmental flows at a range of reporting scales.
   
• Aquatic Health: There has been only limited progress in determining environmental flow allocations for catchments across the State.
   
• Land Use and Inland Waters: Some 22 rivers were identified as being under stress during a dry summer from water extraction (DPIWE 2001).
  
  The sustainable yield has not been measured for six out of 19 Surface Water Management Areas in Tasmania, and as a result, it is difficult to determine if the increases measured in water use have had a significant impact on the State's inland waters.
   
• Marine Farming: The relationship between environmental flows and marine shellfish farming in Tasmania has been expressed as an issue of concern, but little information is currently available to report on this issue.
   

What has been achieved 1998-2003

• As a requirement of the Water Management Act 1999, DPIWE has released Draft Policy Guidelines to Assess Applications for New Water Allocations from Watercourses.
   
• A framework has been established through Water Quality Management Planning for identifying and implementing environmental flows (and some progress has been made).
   

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