ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT GOALS for TASMANIAN SURFACE WATERS

DEPARTMENT of PRIMARY INDUSTRIES, WATER and ENVIRONMENT

MACQUARIE RIVER & SOUTH ESK RIVER CATCHMENTS

FINAL PAPER December 2005 Environmental Management Goals for Tasmanian Surface Waters:

MACQUARIE RIVER AND SOUTH ESK RIVER CATCHMENTS.

Between 2000 and 2004 Protected This final paper is divided into six Environmental Values (PEVS) were main sections: set for the Macquarie River and South Esk River catchments. A discussion • The first part describes water paper was prepared to facilitate public reforms in general. participation in setting the PEVs. This discussion paper was intended as • The second and third parts provide a a basis for community and brief description of the Macquarie stakeholder participation in the River and South Esk River process of developing environmental catchments. management goals for the waterways that are located within the Macquarie • Part four discusses the State Policy River and South Esk River on Water Quality Management. catchments. * • The final Protected Environmental Values for the Macquarie River and The discussion paper has been South Esk River catchments are modified into its current form to reflect shown in part five. that the process for the Macquarie River and South Esk River catchments • Water quantity values are discussed is now complete. It is considered, in part six, and however, that much of the information included in the discussion paper should • Part seven lists the community water remain as a record of the PEV setting values for the catchments. process.

This paper has been prepared by the Department of Primary Industries, * N.B. : Catchment areas not covered in Water and Environment in this paper are the Macquarie River conjunction with the Tasmanian Parks catchment downstream of the Macquarie and Wildlife Service Northern River junction with Brumbys Creek; Midlands, Break O’ Day and Central areas of the upper Macquarie catchment Highlands Councils. within the Southern Midlands Municipality; and the South Esk River Words and expressions used in this catchment below the South Esk River final paper have, unless the contrary junction with the Macquarie River. For intention appears, the same meaning further information on these areas refer to the Final Papers: Environmental State Policy on as defined in the Management Goals for Tasmanian Water Quality Management 1997 and Surface Waters - Great Lake & Brumbys the Environmental Management and Creek Catchments, Lower Macquarie Pollution Control Act 1994 . and South Esk Rivers and Environmental Ecosystem refers to physical, Management Goals for Tasmanian chemical and biological aspects of the Surface Waters – Southern Midlands aquatic environment. Catchments.

i December 2005 1 INTRODUCTION...... 1 1.1 WHY DO WE NEED WATER REFORM ?...... 1 1.2 WHAT ARE THESE REFORMS ? ...... 1 1.3 WHAT INFORMATION DID WE RECEIVE FROM THE COMMUNITY ?...... 2 1.4 HOW WAS PUBLIC INPUT USED ?...... 2 2 MACQUARIE RIVER CATCHMENT OVERVIEW...... 3 2.1 CATCHMENT DESCRIPTION ...... 3 2.2 WATER USAGE ...... 4 2.3 WATER QUALITY ...... 5 2.4 AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS ...... 7 2.5 CATCHMENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ...... 7 3 SOUTH ESK RIVER CATCHMENT OVERVIEW ...... 8 3.1 CATCHMENT DESCRIPTION ...... 8 3.2 WATER USAGE ...... 9 3.3 WATER QUALITY ...... 10 3.4 AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS ...... 11 3.5 CATCHMENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ...... 12 4 WATER QUALITY: PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES...... 14 4.1 SETTING PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES ...... 14 4.2 PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES CATEGORIES ...... 14 5 PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES FOR THE MACQUARIE RIVER & SOUTH ESK RIVER CATCHMENTS...... 16 5.1 PEV S ETTING PROCESS ...... 16 5.2 NOTES ON PEV S ...... 16 6 WATER QUANTITY VALUES FOR THE MACQUARIE RIVER & SOUTH ESK RIVER27 6.1 OVERVIEW ...... 27 6.2 WATER QUANTITY VALUES ...... 27 7 COMMUNITY WATER VALUES...... 29

ii December 2005 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Why do we need water reform? 1.2 What are these reforms?

A good supply of fresh, clean water is Two major aspects of the water reforms an essential requirement for human life, are water quality management and water a healthy environment and a productive quantity management. economy. (a) water quality management We need it for drinking, for recreational activities like fishing, swimming and The State Policy on Water Quality boating, to provide the food we eat and Management 1997 is designed to export, to generate clean electricity, and maintain or enhance the quality of to support mining and other industries. Tasmanian surface waters. Principal objectives of the Policy include: We also expect our rivers and lakes to look healthy, and provide a healthy • Move on from reliance on ‘end of environment for a wide range of aquatic pipe’ controls to take into plants and animals. consideration the number of discharges into a given water body, We take for granted that our use of or the sensitivity or current water resources is sustainable; that our condition of the water body. hard-working water will still be there in a healthy state to provide the same • Ensure that diffuse source and point benefits for future generations. source pollution does not endanger the achievement of water quality Tasmanian rivers range from relatively objectives and that pollutants short, swiftly flowing rivers fed from discharged to waterways are reduced mountain sources to slowly flowing as much as possible using rivers which may be reduced to a series environmental best practice. of pools during dry periods. Our waterways are not immune from • Facilitate and promote integrated problems, however, and many of our catchment management. river systems are showing signs of stress. • Focusing on overall water quality management strategies by River health, and the health of the identifying those water quality economies that depend upon them, is values and uses which are clearly linked to the way we use the considered worthy of protection. waters; the degree of regulation we impose; the quantity of water we take The first purpose of this paper is to out; and the quality of water we return. explain how water quality values were identified and will be used. Local In response to a general recognition communities played a key role in across the community of the importance identifying these values for their areas. of having clean water and appropriate river flows, the Tasmanian Government (b) water quantity management is currently finalising a range of reforms designed to ensure that these values are The introduction of the Water protected for the future of the State. Management Act 1999 to replace the Water Act 1957 provides for:

1 December 2005 • major changes to the institutional Do you know of rare or endangered arrangements for water management; animals or plants in, or adjacent to, specific areas of your rivers or • the ready transfer of water rights streams? between different users; Does your river supply the local • enhanced stakeholder and community town water supply? input into water allocation and Do you draw water from it to management; and irrigate your farm? • a more transparent and equitable Answers to these questions were water allocation system, including recorded as ‘Community Water Values’ formal allocation of flows to maintain and are summarised in Section 7. a healthy river environment. Planning to ensure sustainable use of The second purpose of this paper is to these waters and protection of river summarise stakeholder and public views health requires sound knowledge of on what is valued in water resources local water quality and quantity issues. from a water quantity perspective. Community input to this process was important. 1.3 What information did we receive from the community? 1.4 How was public input used?

Local communities have a valuable Information from the public on values understanding of their regional particularly relating to water quality waterways. A series of workshops and assisted the Board of Environmental public meetings were held throughout Management and Pollution Control and the region where we asked questions councils to finalise the range of like: Protected Environmental Values for the surface waters of the regional What uses or values do you have for waterways. These values will be used surface waters in this area that rely in management planning for the region. upon maintaining or enhancing Further details of what this means is water quality? given in section 4. Which of your activities rely upon maintaining or enhancing the flow Information from community of water into catchment waterways? stakeholders, catchment groups and the public on water quantity values will be Are there certain places on your used to better plan the water resources rivers that you traditionally use for of the catchments. Water management swimming or other recreational planning will be closely linked with activities? overall catchment management planning Do you fish in them? to put water resource management on a Are there specific features of your sustainable footing for the State. Water rivers and streams that are management planning will be recognized scenic attractions, such undertaken on a priority basis, with as rapids or waterfalls? stressed rivers in the State being targeted initially. Do you use water for livestock watering?

2 December 2005 2 MACQUARIE RIVER CATCHMENT OVERVIEW

2.1 Catchment description original native vegetation has disappeared from the lower catchment The Macquarie River catchment covers landscape. Grassy eucalypt woodland an area of over 3800 square kilometres and forest remnants occur along with in the Tasmanian Midlands. The river isolated areas of native grassland. The rises in the Eastern Tiers near Lake dominant vegetation type of the more Leake and heads south and west before elevated and hilly, upper catchment running in a northerly direction to join areas is Eucalyptus delegatensis forest. the South Esk River near Longford. Major tributaries include the Elizabeth The upper Macquarie River catchment, and Tooms rivers sourced in the Eastern located within the rainshadow of both Tiers and the Blackman, Lake and Isis westerly and easterly weather systems, rivers that rise in the Central Highlands is one of the driest areas in the state. to the west. Ross, within this region, has an average annual rainfall of only 510 millimetres. For the purposes of this paper, the Significant areas of the catchment description of the Macquarie River receive less than 600 millimetres of catchment does not include those areas rainfall per year and rely on late winter of the catchment where protected and early spring westerlies to produce environmental values have already been highest monthly rainfalls. The drying set. The areas not covered in this paper effects of winds flowing down from the are the Macquarie River catchment Great Western Tiers over the warmer downstream of the Macquarie River summer months produce evaporation confluence with Brumbys Creek and rates in excess of rainfall that can those upper catchment areas within the exacerbate drought conditions. Southern Midlands Municipality. For further information on these areas refer Land along the regional waterways is to the Papers: Environmental typically privately owned and used for Management Goals for Tasmanian agriculture; is State Forest; or in limited Surface Waters - Great Lake & areas is subject to urban use. Brumbys Creek Catchments, Lower Campbell Town and Ross are the major Macquarie and South Esk Rivers and population centres in the catchment Environmental Management Goals for region under consideration. They both Tasmanian Surface Waters – Southern discharge treated wastewater to local Midlands Catchments. rivers - Ross has an annual discharge of The upper reaches of the Macquarie 22 megalitres and Campbelltown 111 River and its tributaries flow through megalitres. There are also smaller high and rugged country dominated by sewage treatment lagoons at Lake dolerite geology before passing through Leake. the low relief landscape of the The majority of the Macquarie River Launceston Tertiary Basin lower in the catchment lies within the Northern catchment. The underlying geology of Midlands Municipality. Agricultural this lower region is a mix of alluvial activities are the backbone of the gravel, sands and till, with outcrops of regional economy. These include wool older volcanic and igneous rocks. and sheep meat production, grains and Extensive agriculture activity in the lucerne production. Dryland cropping region has meant that much of the has expanded significantly in recent

3 December 2005 years. Because of the low regional 2.2 Water usage 1 rainfall, irrigation is seen to have a key role in the development of alternative The entire Macquarie River catchment agricultural pursuits. contributes about 28% of the natural annual flow to the South Esk at While wood harvesting provides income Launceston. This excludes the for some private landholders with areas contribution of significant volumes of native forest, plantation forestry is diverted into the system from the Great subject to less than optimal growing Lake. Average flows appear to be conditions in much of the catchment highly variable from year to year. The due to low rainfall levels and soil type. main river system is ephemeral, with Areas of State Forest in the Eastern long ponds providing the only available Tiers and along the eastern fringes of water during extended dry periods of the Central Plateau are, however, little or no flow. managed for multiple use by Forestry Tasmania under the Forestry Act 1920 . The low annual rainfall in the Forest Reserves located within this area Macquarie River catchment means that - Millers Bluff, Tooms Lake, Snowy releases from regional impoundments – River & Snow Hill - are not available Tooms Lake, Lake Leake and Woods for wood production. Under Schedule 3 Lake – are of critical irrigation of the Forestry Act 1920 a management importance over the drier months for objective for Forest Reserves is much of the agricultural activity in the ‘preservation of water quality’ . area. Regulated discharges from these storages are particularly evident as base The catchment includes a number of flow in the upper Macquarie reaches reserve classes managed under the over the drier summer months. National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002 (Great Western Lake Leake and Tooms Lake have a key Tiers Conservation Area, Central role in providing 400 megalitres of Plateau Conservation Area and annual township water requirements for Tunbridge Tiers Conservation Area) Campbelltown and Ross. Town and the Crown Lands Act 1976 (large drinking water is chlorinated. public reserves at Tooms Lake and on the upper reaches of the Macquarie The storages also provide water for River and areas around Lake Leake). stock and domestic requirements Both Acts have defined management downstream. In addition, Lake Leake objectives for each reserve class that it has operational requirements to is responsible. In all reserve classes maintain the storage as a fishing and ‘preservation of water quality’ is raised recreational attraction. Records show as a management objective. that this storage has not failed over the last fifty years. There is little available information on Aboriginal values associated with Releases from Woods Lake provide waterways of the Macquarie River riparian, stock and domestic catchment, although it would be requirements to prescriptive rights expected to have an extensive history of Aboriginal use of the waterways. Any erosion of soil deposits in areas such as the Macquarie River sandsheets would 1 Unless otherwise cited most background water be of concern due to the high likelihood usage information comes from: DPIF South Esk Basin State of Rivers Report . 1997. Funded by NHT of Aboriginal sites being present. & State Government.

4 December 2005 holders on the Lake River and lower An environmental flow study Macquarie River. While water can be undertaken on the Macquarie River released from Arthurs Lake into the utilised a risk analysis model to identify Lake River, generally it is diverted into sustained flow requirements for these the Great Lake catchment. waterways. 3 It nominated median discharge levels of 1 cumec (86 Estimated water drawn for stock usage megalitres per day) for the Macquarie along the Macquarie River and River over the irrigation season. Flow tributaries is over 2,300 megalitres per at this level was considered to provide year – Lake River and Macquarie River only low levels of risk that a range of below Lake River (700 ML); Elizabeth ecological and fishery values would be River and Macquarie River above Lake lost. The basis upon which these values River (715 ML); Macquarie River were determined should be considered above Elizabeth River (930 ML). and is outlined in the original The Macquarie River, supplemented by environmental flow report. water from Great Lake via Brumbys Creek, ultimately provides water to the Other activities utilising regional Trevallyn Power Scheme at Launceston. waterways include tourism, boating, While water releases from the Great conservation, duck hunting, shack- Lake can significantly affect the based recreation and fishing. hydrological regime of the lower Macquarie and lower South Esk rivers, 2.3 Water Quality water usage in these lower reaches is not discussed in this paper 2. The Macquarie River catchment and the rest of the South Esk Basin have been The Great Lake – South Esk Basin is an the focus of considerable water quality Hydro Electric Corporation (HEC) assessment through the State of Rivers water district for which it has reporting process. While the major established rights to all the water in the findings for the Macquarie are South Esk River Basin for power summarised below, the original report generation purposes. However, water is gives a more comprehensive and provided for town-supply, riparian stock accurate summary of regional waterway and domestic use. Riparian users on the health. 4 Lake River are also guaranteed access to water under the Electricity Supply Recorded levels of conductivity and Industry Restructuring (Savings and total dissolved salts throughout the Transitional Provisions) Act 1995 . The Macquarie River were higher than HEC is the water entity responsible for elsewhere in the South Esk Basin, managing the District. Water resource although not at levels to restrict use in the region will be the subject of agricultural use. review between the Dept. of Primary Industries, Water and Environment and the HEC as part of the water management planning process. 3 Davies P & Humphries P 1995. An environmental flow study of the Meander, Macquarie and South Esk Rivers, Tasmania . Dept. of Primary Industries & Fisheries. 2 Refer to the Public Discussion Paper: 4 DPIF South Esk Basin State of Rivers Report . Proposed Environmental Management Goals 1997. Funded by NHT & State Government. for Tasmanian Surface Waters - Great Lake & Brumbys Creek Catchments, Lower Macquarie and South Esk Rivers

5 December 2005 While turbidity - the discolouration due form that promotes algal growth. The to suspended matter in water - is discharge from the sewage treatment generally low in the Macquarie River, plant at Campbelltown is a noticeable the Lake and Elizabeth rivers appear to contributor to total phosphorus on the be characterised by more turbid waters. Elizabeth River. Phosphorus loss from Typically this appears to be related the over 2,000 square kilometres of the more to the presence of very fine upper catchment was estimated to be suspended clay particles than to nearly 25 tonnes over the three and a significant sediment loads. Large flood half years of the study. Eighty percent events do, however, result in a of this was transported in two major considerable deterioration in water floods, probably entering the waterways quality with significant increases in as phosphorus bound to particulates in turbidity and suspended solids. surface runoff. A large proportion of this phosphorus has origins in the upper Levels of dissolved oxygen in regional Elizabeth River. waterways show considerable variation as would be expected in conditions of Trends for Lake River nutrients appear varying flow (or no flow) and to partially reflect the levels of nutrients fluctuating temperatures. Dissolved in the Woods Lake storage. These oxygen generally appears to be at levels concentrations were not significantly adequate for the protection of aquatic higher than other sites in the Macquarie organisms. catchment, however. Substantial fluctuations in turbidity in Woods Lake Any propensity for the development of appear to have downstream effects on problem algal blooms is indicated by turbidity in the Lake River. These the concentrations of nitrogen and fluctuations, which are probably due to phosphorus in waterways. the lake’s shallowness and exposed position, are the cause of some concern Total nitrogen concentrations were for local anglers. higher than those recorded on the South Esk River catchment and were often at Limited sampling for microbial levels allowing development of aquatic indicators of contamination in the algal blooms. Considerable growth of Macquarie River catchment showed filamentous algae was recorded at many most sites had bacterial levels within sites on the Macquarie River in the the standards required for primary summer of 1994-5. While there is some contact (swimming and bathing). contribution of nitrogen from treated Several sites in the upper reaches of the sewage effluent downstream of plants, river did have high levels of faecal the nitrate component of total nitrogen indicators, but these tended to be sites increases markedly during rainfall where stock had direct access to water. events possibly from groundwater Long term contamination, as indicated sources. Nitrogen loss from the over by water samples of disturbed sediment, 2,000 square kilometres of the upper was greatest downstream of the Ross catchment was estimated at 417 tonnes sewage treatment plant outfall. over the three and a half year study Sampling of the Blackman, Elizabeth period. and Lake rivers all showed contamination at levels above the Generally, total phosphorus results are guideline for primary contact. As an low throughout the catchment. Of the overview, large areas of the Macquarie phosphorus present, approximately forty are relatively free of faecal coliforms percent of this nutrient is in a dissolved

6 December 2005 with contaminated areas where animal waterways of the Macquarie River or human activities are the greatest. catchment.

2.4 Aquatic Ecosystems Phosphorus loss from the upper catchment, particularly during high Maintaining instream habitat including rainfall events. river substrate, aquatic plants and large woody debris is essential in maintaining Contribution of sewage pond fish and invertebrate numbers and effluent at Campbelltown to density. Changing levels of river flow Elizabeth River phosphorus levels. and inundation can also affect the food Occasional high ammonia readings webs of wetland and riverine were recorded with no obvious links ecosystems, both for instream biota and to possible sources (such as animals and plants that utilise the domestic sewage discharge, streamside environment. fertiliser runoff or excessive decay of plant matter). Threatened species of galaxiids - Paragalaxias mesotes and Galaxias A large percentage of nitrogen in tanycephalus – inhabit the rocky dissolved form is being discharged margins of Woods Lake. The from the Campbelltown and Ross endangered Swan galaxias ( Galaxias sewage treatment plants. fontanus ) is also present at sites in the Fluctuations in Woods Lake upper Macquarie where it is not subject turbidity are of some concern to to predation by Brown trout. Exotic local anglers. aquatic species can have a detrimental effect on regional waterways. Redfin High levels of faecal contamination perch are present in the Lake and in some areas, probably linked to Macquarie rivers and possibly the stock access to waterways. Elizabeth River. This predatory fish is a threat to native species and has little Willow infestation on some recreational fishing value. stretches of waterways.

Maintaining viable populations of Willows are widespread in the endangered aquatic animal and plant Macquarie catchment and have a range species. of deleterious consequences for aquatic ecosystems in terms of sediment build- Ensuring environmental flows in up, flood debris and displacing native waterways. riverbank vegetation. The impact of exotic predatory fish 2.5 Catchment environmental such as Redfin perch and Brown issues trout on native fish species.

As stream conditions are determined Erosion of river banks arising from both by in-stream activities and removal of riparian vegetation due surrounding land-use activities, to agricultural activities. waterways act as a touchstone of catchment health. Healthy waterways Erosion through forestry activities are indicative of sustainably managed (road construction, harvesting etc.) catchments. There are a number of and associated loss of, or stress to, environmental issues relating to aquatic and riparian habitats.

7 December 2005 3 SOUTH ESK RIVER CATCHMENT OVERVIEW

3.1 Catchment description tropical low-pressure systems from the east. Topographic effects are evident The South Esk River rises in the heavily with the lower areas of the catchment forested, hilly country to the north of receiving less rain than the higher, Ben Lomond. It flows in a south- eastern locations such as Gray which easterly direction past Mathinna before has an annual average of 1200 swinging back in a westerly direction to millimetres. Substantial snowfalls can join the Break O’Day River near Fingal, occur on Ben Lomond, particularly meanders through the northern between late June and October. Midlands joining with the Macquarie and Meander rivers before discharging Vegetation cover in the upper catchment into the Tamar Estuary near Launceston. is a mixture of high altitude heathland Other major tributaries include St Pauls on the Ben Lomond plateau; rainforest River, Ben Lomond Rivulet and the and wet eucalypt woodland in the high Nile River. Total catchment area above precipitation regions to the north and Perth is nearly 3,300 square kilometres. west of the plateau; and dry eucalpyt woodland at lower altitudes. Extensive For the purposes of this paper, the agricultural activity on the Northern description of the South Esk River Midlands plains and river flats along the catchment does not include those areas upper South Esk has meant that much of of the catchment where protected the original native vegetation has environmental values have already been disappeared. An area such as the 665- set. The areas of the South Esk River hectare Tom Gibson Reserve is catchment not covered in this paper are important because the type of dry forest below the South Esk - Macquarie River and woodland found in the Midlands confluence. For further information on has mostly been cleared and, of the this area refer to the paper: remainder, hardly any is reserved. This Environmental Management Goals for block has been identified as having high Tasmanian Surface Waters - Great Lake conservation significance because there & Brumbys Creek Catchments, Lower are many rare, threatened and Macquarie and South Esk Rivers previously unreserved plant species on the block. The characteristic geology of the upper South Esk River catchment is The South Esk River catchment lies quartzwacke and mudstone. In the Ben within the Break O’Day and Northern Lomond foothills and the northern Midlands municipalities. Agriculture highlands this changes to dolerite and (sheep and beef cattle grazing) and granite and, lower in the catchment, a forestry are both primary land uses in landscape consisting of the flat, the region. undulating valleys of the Launceston Tertiary Basin. The underlying geology The major population centres in the of this region is a mix of alluvial gravel, catchment are St Marys, Fingal, sands and till, with outcrops of older Evandale, Perth and Avoca. Annual volcanic and igneous rocks. discharge rates from town sewage treatment plants are 30, 32, 189 and 30 Significant rainfall events in the megalitres respectively (Avoca uses catchment are generally due to the septic tanks). Sewage effluent from passage of westerly fronts or sub- these centres passes through sewage treatment lagoons prior to discharge to

8 December 2005 waterways. Nile and Conara also have diversion). Variability of annual flows small sewage treatment lagoons. is high. While there is some variability between rivers, most appear to have There is extensive forestry activity in peak flows in the period between July the upper South Esk catchment and in and September and lowest flows the Lake Leake area. A large number of between February and April. A single Forest Reserves are located within the ground water storage supplies low flows Eastern Tiers area of the catchment are in the upper south Esk upon a fairly not available for wood production. consistent basis enabling prediction of Under Schedule 3 of the Forestry Act, these base flows over the irrigation 1920 a management objective for Forest season. Reserves is ‘preservation of water quality’. Ben Lomond National Park is The majority of flood flows affecting the largest area within the South Esk Fingal Valley, Longford, Hadspen and catchment to be reserved and managed Launceston are sourced to the South under the National Parks and Reserves Esk catchment and, in particular, to high Management Act 2002 . The Parks and rainfall events near Mathinna and Gray Wildlife Service also manage the Tom (near St Marys). Gibson Nature Reserve near Epping Forest. Generally, flows within catchment waterways are ‘natural’ flows. This There is an extensive history of mining reflects the absence of major water in the upper catchment. Storeys Creek, storages in the catchment. However, a Rossarden, Royal George, Stanhope and detailed assessment of major waterways Mathinna are just a few sites of past would be expected to show the effects mining activity in the search for tin, of seasonal irrigation draw-off and in gold, wolfram and coal. The only some areas hydrological changes significant operation that remains is the resulting from activities involving open cut and underground mining of vegetation clearance. coal at Cornwall in the Break O’Day catchment (near Fingal). The Great Lake – South Esk Basin is an Hydro Electric Corporation (HEC) There is little available information on water district for which it has Aboriginal values associated with the established rights to all the water in the South Esk River, however, it would be South Esk River Basin for power expected to have an extensive history of generation purposes. However, water is Aboriginal use of the waterways. provided for town-supply, riparian stock and domestic use. The HEC is the 5 3.2 Water usage water entity responsible for managing the District. Water resource use in the In terms of total outflow at Launceston, region will be the subject of review the South Esk River catchment provides between the Dept. of Primary on average 37% of the total basin flow Industries, Water and Environment and (ie South Esk, Macquarie and Meander the HEC as part of the water rivers but excluding Great Lake management planning process.

The major population centres in the catchment use, on average, an annual 5 Unless otherwise cited most background water town-water supply of over 840 usage information comes from: DPIF South Esk megalitres. Town water supplies at Basin State of Rivers Report . 1997. Funded by NHT & State Government. Mathinna, St Marys and Fingal are

9 December 2005 drawn from adjacent waterways. These The South Esk River has been the focus raw water supplies are not disinfected of considerable water quality and users are advised to boil before assessment through the State of Rivers consumption. St Marys will be moving reporting process. While the major to bore water supply in the near future. findings for the South Esk River and Drinking water off-takes further tributaries are summarised below, the downstream – Avoca, Conara, Epping original report gives a more Forest, Evandale and Perth – are comprehensive and accurate description chlorinated. The Rossarden town of regional waterway health 7. supply is untreated. Conductivity levels are low across the Estimated water drawn for stock usage catchment. While there tends be an along the entire South Esk River would increase in the lower South Esk and be in the order of 1,000 megalitres per evidence of higher levels in some year. A stock feedlot at Powranna also tributaries, these levels impose no draws significant amounts of water restrictions on water usage. from the South Esk for stock watering Concentrations of dissolved oxygen and irrigation purposes. The substantial generally appear to be at levels that increase in farm dam approvals over support healthy aquatic ecosystems, recent years may indicate less reliance although occasional results from a site on direct pumping from streams for on Break O’Day River were at low cropping or stock watering purposes and levels. These may be linked to low greater utilisation of higher winter flows flows at the time of sampling or high to supply dams that can be used in over organic loading from streamside the lower flow summer months. willows.

An environmental flow study Catchment waters are typically very undertaken on the South Esk River clear with low levels of turbidity and utilised a risk analysis model to identify suspended solids. Within this low sustained flow requirements for these 6 range, some seasonal trends are waterways . This study nominated a apparent with more turbid waters in median discharge level of 2 cumec (172 evidence between June and November. megalitres per day) over the irrigation Increased erosion associated with flood season for the South Esk River. Flows events dramatically increases turbidity at these levels were considered to and suspended solids levels. provide only low levels of risk that a range of ecological and fishery values Any propensity for the development of would be lost. The basis upon which problem algal blooms is indicated by these values were determined should be the concentrations of phosphorus and considered and is outlined in the nitrogen in waterways. Concentrations original environmental flows report. of nitrate (typically the largest portion of dissolved nitrogen available to 3.3 Water Quality promote plant growth) were highest over the winter months, which may reflect the proportionally greater

7 6 Davies P & Humphries P 1995. An environmental DPIF South Esk Basin State of Rivers Report . flow study of the Meander, Macquarie and South Esk 1997. Funded by NHT & State Government. Rivers, Tasmania . Dept. of Primary Industries & Fisheries.

10 December 2005 contribution of high nitrate groundwater 1995 for a range of heavy metals in the to river base-flow than at other times of South Esk below the Storeys Creek year. In terms of total nitrogen, results junction showed levels of dissolved zinc from sites within the South Esk are and copper at concentrations which may within the lower end of the range that is affect aquatic biota. Acid drainage from required for the protection of aquatic the Storeys Creek mine does not, biota. Nitrogen loss from the 3,300 however, appear to affect pH levels in square kilometres of the catchment the South Esk River downstream. upstream of Perth was estimated at Extensive degradation of stream habitat, 1,480 tonnes over the three-and-a-half unrelated to heavy metal pollution, also year study period. appears in the middle and lower reaches of the South Esk River. Past gold- Total phosphorus concentrations mining activity in the Long Gully Creek throughout the catchment are also at catchment near Mathinna has also low levels that are less likely to support resulted in local water quality problems problem algal blooms. Phosphorus loss in terms of arsenic levels. from the catchment upstream of Perth was estimated at 72 tonnes per annum Mineral exploration or quarrying over the three-and-a-half year study activities are expected to operate in period. Flood events appear to be the accordance with the provisions of the major transport mechanism for nutrient Mineral Exploration Code of Practice loads, with very large increases in and the Quarry Code of Practice. Prior nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations to approval, new developments will during rainfall events. need to demonstrate the use of accepted modern technology and best practice Point-source inputs of nutrients into environmental management, including regional waterways are restricted to four waste reduction, reuse and recycling, to sewage treatment plants – St Marys, ensure that impacts on water quality are Fingal, Evandale and Perth. During low minimised. flow periods, inputs of treated sewage effluent may produce localised nutrient 3.4 Aquatic Ecosystems 8 enrichment of the receiving waters resulting in prolific aquatic weed The South Esk River has been growth and nuisance algal blooms. significantly impacted in the 1970s and 1980s by heavy metal contamination Limited sampling for microbial from mining activity at the Storeys indicators of contamination in the South Creek and Aberfoyle Creek catchments. Esk River catchment showed most sites Downstream aquatic ecosystems were had bacterial levels posing no risks for severely degraded with loss of primary contact activities - swimming invertebrate numbers and diversity. and bathing. Levels of bacterial Loss of riparian vegetation is also contamination appear to increase in the evident in these stretches of the river. lower reaches of the river. While remediation work is underway at these sites, recent studies show ongoing The effects of heavy metal pollution downstream effects. However, from the Storeys Creek and Aberfoyle evidence of habitat degradation in the mines on water quality and macro- South Esk upstream of the Storeys invertebrate communities remains, with significant reductions in invertebrate communities downstream of the Storeys 8 DPIF South Esk Basin State of Rivers Report . Creek junction. A one-off survey in 1997. Funded by NHT & State Government.

11 December 2005 Creek junction suggests other factors waterways by sediment capture and may also be having some impact on flow diversion. ecosystem health. 3.5 Catchment environmental Regional waterways also support rare issues and threatened invertebrate species such as the Hydrobiidae snail ( Beddomeia As stream conditions are determined krybetes ) in the upper St Pauls River both by in-stream activities and and several species of caddisfly surrounding land-use activities, (Hydroptila scamandra and Leptocerus waterways act as a touchstone of souta ) near Evandale on the South Esk catchment health. Healthy waterways River. Efforts have also been made to are indicative of sustainably managed ensure greater security for the catchments. There are a number of endangered Swan Galaxias through the environmental issues relating to use of translocated stock to the upper waterways in the South Esk catchment. catchment of the St Pauls River. • Erosion and soil loss in the Fish stocks in the catchment appear to catchment and deposition in the have been significantly affected by Tamar Estuary. contamination from Storeys Creek. Concentrations of heavy metals were at • Loss of phosphorus from the levels that are lethal for both native and catchment during flood events introduced fish species – Brown trout, (probably in a form which is bound Redfin perch, Tench, Short-finned eel to eroded sediments). and Pigmy perch. • Maintenance and enhancement of The vulnerable green and gold frog habitat quality and diversity for (Littoria raniformis) , which is found in aquatic flora and fauna. permanent swamps and dams of the lower South Esk catchment, is also • Flow related issues: potential for sensitive to disturbance from water excessive extraction of water and regulation and diversion. the impact on in-stream flows.

Exotic species, both animal and plant, • Consequences of clearing and are an ongoing threat in terms of their draining flood plains and marshes in ability to out compete or displace local terms of regional habitat diversity. species in disturbed aquatic environments. The redfin perch, which • Consequences of clearing and is an introduced fish in the lower South draining flood plains and marshes in Esk, may be having a negative effect on terms of increasing flood peaks and native fish species because of it highly reduction of summer flows. predatory behaviour. Trout, and possibly tench, may also be having a • Erosion through forestry activities similar detrimental impact. (road construction, harvesting etc.) and associated loss of, or stress to, Pest plants, particularly willows, are aquatic and riparian habitats; excluding native riverside vegetation (and associated fauna) along many • Heavy metal contamination from stretches of these waterways. Prolific Storeys Creek degrading waterways. willow growth can strangle or alter

12 December 2005 • Contamination of Long Gully Creek (near Mathinna) due to past mining activity.

• Ensuring minimal waterway impacts from open-cut coal mining operations near Cornwall.

• Maintaining viable populations of endangered animal and plant species

• Environmental flow requirements.

• The impact of exotic fish, such as redfin perch, which prey upon smaller native fish.

• Willow infestations along many waterways clog existing channels; divert water to new channels with subsequent erosion; replace native riparian flora; and have impacts on water quality.

13 December 2005 4 WATER QUALITY: PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES

4.1 Setting Protected sources (such as runoff from highways, Environmental Values urban areas, farms, forest harvesting etc.) will not endanger the achievement The first step in the implementation of of the Water Quality Objectives. the State Policy on Water Quality Management 1997 is the identification The Board and local planning of Protected Environmental Values authorities will use these strategies in (PEVs) of the surface waters in each land use planning and approvals region. PEVs are the values or uses of processes, and in ongoing regulation, to the water body for which it is ensure that the PEVs for a given water determined that any given area of body are maintained or enhanced over that water body should be protected. time. These values and uses should be clearly 4.2 Protected Environmental in evidence at the time of the Values categories implementation of the Policy. The Policy lists a range of PEVs which The Policy specifies a range of PEVs are used to describe the identified which may be applied to a given water values and uses of a given water body. body. More than one PEV may be These are: applied to a water body. The PEVs are:

A. Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems

B. Recreational Water Quality and (i) Pristine or near pristine ecosystems; aesthetics (ii) Modified (not pristine) ecosystems: C. Raw Water for Drinking Water (a) from which edible fish, Supply crustacea and shellfish are harvested, or D. Agricultural Water Use (b) from which edible fish, E. Industrial Water Supply crustacea and shellfish are not harvested. These values are described in more What does pristine mean? detail in Section 5.2. "Pristine" means waters not subject to The Board of Environmental human interference through discharges Management and Pollution Control will or other activities within the catchment then specify a range of pollutant limits (Australian Water Quality Guidelines called Water Quality Objectives. These 1992). will be designed to ensure the quality of water in that water body is maintained B: Recreational Water Quality & at a level which will allow the chosen Aesthetics values to be protected. (i) Primary contact The Policy then sets out a range of strategies which are aimed at ensuring (ii) Secondary contact that waste water discharges from point (iii) Aesthetics sources (such as industrial or sewage treatment plant discharges) and diffuse

14 December 2005 ‘Primary contact’ means recreation involving bodily immersion / submersion where there is direct contact with water, & includes swimming, diving, surfing, water skiing.

‘Secondary contact’ means activities where there is some direct water contact, but it is unlikely that water will be swallowed (e.g. paddling, boating, and fishing).

‘Aesthetics’ means visual appearance of the water, being free from oil, grease, floating debris, unnatural colour, algal blooms etc.

C: Raw Water for Drinking Supply

(i) Subject to coarse screening only; (ii) Subject to coarse screening and disinfection. This PEV applies to water used as the intake source for public use (town water supply, in other words) and to registered private water supplies.

It does not apply to the taking of water from surface waters by individuals for private use for the purposes of drinking etc.

The Director of Public Health recommends that raw water from any surface waterbody should be boiled before use.

D: Agricultural Water Uses

(i) Irrigation (ii) Stock watering E: Industrial Water Supply

The actual industry type must be specified in order to identify appropriate guidelines.

15 December 2005 5 PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES FOR THE MACQUARIE RIVER & SOUTH ESK RIVER CATCHMENTS

5.1 PEV Setting Process The PEVs detailed in Table 1 have been endorsed by The Board of Between 2000 and 2004 the Board of Environmental Management and Environmental Management and Pollution Control, local government Pollution Control, local government (Northern Midlands, Break O’Day, (Northern Midlands, Break O’Day, Dorset and Central Highlands Councils) Dorset and Central Highlands Councils) and the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife and the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service. Service set Protected Environmental Values (PEVs) for surface waters 5.2 Notes on PEVs (rivers, lakes and streams) of the Macquarie and South Esk catchments as The PEVs chosen from the Policy are required by the State Policy on Water those values and uses that are currently Quality Management 1997 (‘the in evidence and apply only for surface Policy’). waters within the Macquarie and South Esk catchments. A public discussion paper – Proposed Environmental Management Goals for Information collected on PEVs and Tasmanian Surface Waters: Macquarie Community Water Values will be River and South Esk River Catchments incorporated into the future – was developed by the Department of development of water management and Primary Industries, Water & catchment management plans. Environment in consultation with local government and Parks officers. This Community Water Values should be paper explained the Policy, how the incorporated into the future PEVs are identified and used, and development of water management and proposed draft PEVs suitable for the catchment management plans. catchments. The PEVs apply to all surface waters within each land tenure category, other Draft PEVs provided the basis for 9 discussion with regional stakeholders than : and interest groups at workshops at • privately owned waters that are not Campbell Town (14 March 2000), accessible to the public and are not Cressy (15 March 2000) and Fingal connected to, or flow directly into, (16 March 2000). Information and waters that are accessible to the comment arising from these workshops public; or were incorporated into the Discussion • waters in any tank, pipe or cistern. Paper to further develop the PEVs. Public meetings to provide opportunity “Privately owned waters” means any for wider community input into the PEV surface waters confined within the setting process were then advertised in boundary of privately owned land and the Examiner and Tasmanian Country which do not flow into, or do not newspapers. These meetings were held communicate with: at Campbell Town (3 April 2000), Cressy (4 April 2000) and Fingal (5 April 2000) followed by an extended th period for comment until 12 May 9 State Policy on Water Quality Management 2000. 1997

16 December 2005 (a) the sea or arm or creek of the sea; In general, diffuse source pollution can (b) a source of supply for a water be managed to protect the PEVs by district or irrigation water district; compliance with approved codes of practice, or by development and (c) any river, stream, watercourse, lake, implementation of best practice pond or marsh. environmental management guidelines where codes are not available. Management of all surface waters within the catchment shall focus on the In general, point source pollution should achievement of water quality be managed to protect the PEVs by objectives. implementation of best practice environmental management, and by The water quality objectives will be compliance with emission limits set by determined by the Board of the regulatory authority. This may also Environmental Management and require the setting of a mixing zone by Pollution Control in accordance with the Board of Environmental the State Policy on Water Quality Management and Pollution Control. Management 1997 . For specific details refer to Part 4 of the Policy. Achievement of these water quality objectives will maintain or enhance the Protected Environmental Values water quality of those surface waters to reflect current values and uses of a ensure the protection of all of the water body but do not necessarily following values and uses applying to imply that the existing water quality each land use category. These values will support these values and uses. and uses are derived from the formal PEVs listed in Clause 7 of the Policy.

17 December 2005 Table 1: Protected Environmental Values for the Macquarie River Catchment

Land Tenure Protected Environmental Values, upper Macquarie River* (see notes on page 17)

For all surface A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems waters within (ii) Protection of modified (not pristine) ecosystems from which edible fish are private land harvested (including forest on private land) B: Recreational Water Quality & Aesthetics

(i) Primary contact water quality (Campbell Town weir; where most public roads cross over rivers - not the Lake River) (ii) Secondary contact water quality (iii) Aesthetic water quality

C: Raw Water for Drinking Water Supply (Ross, Campbelltown)

(ii) Subject to coarse screening plus disinfection

D: Agricultural Water Uses

(i) Irrigation (ii) Stock watering

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a modified, but healthy aquatic ecosystem from which edible fish may be harvested; that is suitable to supply town drinking water (subject to coarse screening plus disinfection) at Ross and Campbelltown; that is acceptable for irrigation and stock watering purposes; and which will allow people to safely engage in primary and secondary contact recreation activities such as swimming (at specified sites), paddling or fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

For all surface A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems water on Hydro (ii) Protection of modified (not pristine) ecosystems from which edible fish are land. harvested

B: Recreational Water Quality and Aesthetics

(i) Primary contact water quality (where primary contact recreation permitted) (ii) Secondary contact water quality (iii) Aesthetic water quality

D: Agricultural Water Uses

(i) Irrigation (ii) Stock watering

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

18 December 2005 Land Tenure Protected Environmental Values, upper Macquarie River* (see notes on page 17) irrigation purposes; and which will allow people to safely engage in primary and secondary contact recreation activities such as swimming, paddling or fishing (where Hydro operations permit) in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

For all surface A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems waters within (ii) Protection of modified (not pristine) ecosystems from which edible fish are State Forest harvested taking into consideration Forestry Tasmania’s Management (managed under Classification System. the Forestry Act 1920 ) B: Recreational Water Quality and Aesthetics

(i) Primary contact water quality (ii) Secondary contact water quality (iii) Aesthetic water quality

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a modified, but healthy aquatic ecosystem (recognising the designation of the area for multiple use forestry activities) from which fish may be harvested; that allows people to safely engage in primary and secondary contact recreational activities such as swimming and wading in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

Surface waters A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems flowing through (ii) Protection of modified (not pristine) ecosystems from which edible fish are Forest Reserves harvested having regard to the management objectives for forest reserves from private outlined in Schedule 3 of the Forestry Act 1920 land, hydro land, state forest or un-allocated B: Recreational Water Quality & Aesthetics crown land (i) Primary contact water quality (ii) Secondary contact water quality (iii) Aesthetic water quality

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a modified, but healthy aquatic ecosystem from which edible fish may be harvested; which will allow people to safely engage in recreation activities such as swimming, kayaking, paddling or fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

Surface waters A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems that have their (i) Protection of pristine or nearly pristine ecosystems having regard for headwaters the management objectives for forest reserves outlined in Schedule 3 within Forest of the Forestry Act, 1920 Reserves B: Recreational Water Quality & Aesthetics (i) Primary contact water quality (ii) Secondary contact water quality (iii) Aesthetic water quality

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

19 December 2005 Land Tenure Protected Environmental Values, upper Macquarie River* (see notes on page 17) That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a pristine or near pristine aquatic ecosystem and which will allow people to safely engage in recreation activities such as swimming, paddling or fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

Surface waters A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems having their (i) Protection of pristine or nearly pristine ecosystems having regard for the headwaters management objectives for conservation areas outlined in Schedule 1 of within the National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002 Conservation Areas B: Recreational Water Quality and Aesthetics (managed under (i) Primary contact water quality the National Parks and Reserves (ii) Secondary contact water quality Management Act 2002 ) (iii) Aesthetic water quality

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a pristine or near pristine aquatic ecosystem that allows people to safely engage in primary and secondary contact recreational activities such as swimming, rafting and fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

Surface waters A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems flowing through (ii) Protection of modified (not pristine) ecosystems from which edible fish are Conservation harvested and having regard for the management objectives for Areas from state conservation areas outlined in Schedule 1 of the National Parks and forest, un- allocated crown Reserves Management Act 2002 land, hydro or private land B: Recreational Water Quality and Aesthetics (i) Primary contact water quality (managed under the National Parks (ii) Secondary contact water quality and Reserves Management Act (iii) Aesthetic water quality 2002 ) E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a modified, but healthy aquatic ecosystem from which edible fish may be harvested; that allows people to safely engage in primary and secondary contact recreational activities such as swimming, rafting and fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

20 December 2005 Land Tenure Protected Environmental Values, upper Macquarie River* (see notes on page 17)

Surface Waters A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems on Un-allocated (ii) Protection of modified (not pristine) ecosystems from which edible fish are Crown Land harvested

B: Recreational Water Quality and Aesthetics (i) Primary contact water quality (ii) Secondary contact water quality (iii) Aesthetic water quality

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a modified, but healthy aquatic ecosystem from which edible fish may be harvested; that allows people to safely engage in primary and secondary contact recreational activities such as swimming, rafting and fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

21 December 2005 Table 2: Protected Environmental Values for the South Esk River Catchment

Land Tenure Protected Environmental Values, upper South Esk* (see notes on page 17)

For all surface A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems waters within private land (ii) Protection of modified (not pristine) ecosystems from which edible fish are (including forest harvested on private land) B: Recreational Water Quality & Aesthetics (i) Primary contact water quality ( Fingal upstream of sewage treatment plant past railway; Mathinna; Avoca; Briar Corner on Break O’Day; Royal George; Ormley between Avoca and Fingal and where most public roads cross over rivers) (ii) Secondary contact water quality (iii) Aesthetic water quality

C: Raw Water for Drinking Water Supply (Mathinna, St Marys, Fingal, Rossarden, Avoca, Conara, Epping Forest, Evandale & Perth) (ii) Subject to coarse screening plus disinfection

D: Agricultural Water Uses (i) Irrigation (ii) Stock watering

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation, Fingal Coal Washery, Powranna Feedlot)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a modified, but healthy aquatic ecosystem from which edible fish may be harvested; that is suitable to supply town drinking water (subject to coarse screening plus disinfection) at Mathinna, St Marys, Fingal, Rossarden, Avoca, Conara, Epping Forest, Evandale & Perth; that is acceptable for irrigation and stock watering purposes; and which will allow people to safely engage in primary and secondary contact recreation activities such as swimming (at specified sites), paddling or fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use in the Fingal Coal Washery, Powranna Feedlot and (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

22 December 2005 Land Tenure Protected Environmental Values, upper South Esk* (see notes on page 17)

Surface Waters A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems on Un-allocated Crown Land (ii) Protection of modified (not pristine) ecosystems from which edible fish are harvested

B: Recreational Water Quality and Aesthetics (i) Primary contact water quality (ii) Secondary contact water quality (iii) Aesthetic water quality

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a modified, but healthy aquatic ecosystem from which edible fish may be harvested; that allows people to safely engage in primary and secondary contact recreational activities such as swimming, rafting and fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

For all surface A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems waters within State Forest (ii) Protection of modified (not pristine) ecosystems from which edible fish are harvested taking into consideration Forestry Tasmania’s Management (managed under Classification System. the Forestry Act 1920 ) B: Recreational Water Quality and Aesthetics (i) Primary contact water quality (ii) Secondary contact water quality (iii) Aesthetic water quality

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

Surface waters A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems flowing through Forest Reserves (ii) Protection of modified (not pristine) ecosystems from which edible fish are from private harvested having regard to the management objectives for forest reserves land, state forest outlined in Schedule 3 of the Forestry Act 1920 or un-allocated crown land B: Recreational Water Quality & Aesthetics (i) Primary contact water quality (ii) Secondary contact water quality (iii) Aesthetic water quality

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a

23 December 2005 Land Tenure Protected Environmental Values, upper South Esk* (see notes on page 17) physical and chemical nature to support a modified, but healthy aquatic ecosystem from which edible fish may be harvested; which will allow people to safely engage in recreation activities such as swimming, kayaking, paddling or fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

Surface waters A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems that have their headwaters (i) Protection of pristine or nearly pristine ecosystems having regard for within Forest the management objectives for forest reserves outlined in Schedule 3 Reserves of the Forestry Act 1920. *

B: Recreational Water Quality & Aesthetics (i) Primary contact water quality (ii) Secondary contact water quality (iii) Aesthetic water quality

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a pristine or near pristine aquatic ecosystem and which will allow people to safely engage in recreation activities such as swimming, paddling or fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

Surface waters A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems flowing through National Parks or (ii) Protection of modified (not pristine) ecosystems from which edible fish are Nature Reserves harvested having regard for the management objectives outlined in from private land, Schedule 1 of the National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002 state forests or un-allocated B: Recreational Water Quality & Aesthetics crown land (i) Primary contact water quality (managed under (ii) Secondary contact water quality the National Parks and Reserves (iii) Aesthetic water quality Management Act 2002 ) E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a modified, but healthy aquatic ecosystem from which edible fish may be harvested; which will allow people to safely engage in recreation activities such as swimming, kayaking, paddling or fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

24 December 2005 Land Tenure Protected Environmental Values, upper South Esk* (see notes on page 17)

Surface waters A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems that have their headwaters (i) Protection of pristine or nearly pristine ecosystems having regard for the within National management objectives outlined in Schedule 1 of the National Parks and Parks or Nature Reserves Management Act 2002 Reserves B: Recreational Water Quality & Aesthetics (managed under the National Parks (i) Primary contact water quality and Reserves Management Act (ii) Secondary contact water quality 2002 ) (iii) Aesthetic water quality

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a pristine or near pristine aquatic ecosystem and which will allow people to safely engage in recreation activities such as swimming, kayaking, paddling or fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

Surface waters A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems flowing through reserves (i) Protection of modified (not pristine) ecosystems from which edible fish are dedicated under harvested having regard to the management objectives for objectives for the Crown Lands reserves Act 1976 (inc. Lake Leake) B: Recreational Water Quality & Aesthetics from private land, (i) Primary contact water quality state forests or un-allocated (ii) Secondary contact water quality crown land (iii) Aesthetic water quality

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

That is, as a minimum, water quality management strategies should provide water of a physical and chemical nature to support a modified, but healthy aquatic ecosystem from which edible fish may be harvested; which will allow people to safely engage in recreation activities such as swimming, kayaking, paddling or fishing in aesthetically pleasing waters; and is suitable for use (following impoundment) in the Trevallyn Power Scheme.

25 December 2005 Land Tenure Protected Environmental Values, upper South Esk* (see notes on page 17)

Surface waters A: Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems that have their headwaters (i) Protection of pristine or nearly pristine ecosystems having regard to the within reserves management objectives for reserves . * # dedicated under the Crown Lands B: Recreational Water Quality & Aesthetics Act 1976 (inc. (i) Primary contact water quality Lake Leake). (ii) Secondary contact water quality (iii) Aesthetic water quality

E: Industrial Water Supply (Hydro-Electric Power Generation)

* Subject to assessment under the Regional Forest Agreement (Land Classification) Act 1998

# Historic mining activities or other historic land uses may have resulted in long term water quality impacts to some streams or rivers within these reserve classes and to their associated ecosystems. This may mean that the water quality in these rivers or streams may not currently support pristine or nearly pristine ecosystems or primary contact recreational activities. This should be taken into consideration at the time that management decisions are being made for individual rivers or streams. Water quality data is not currently available for most surface waters in these areas.

26 December 2005 6 WATER QUANTITY VALUES FOR THE MACQUARIE RIVER & SOUTH ESK RIVER

6.1 Overview • Ecosystem values; • Physical landscape values. While water quality is a very important part of any water management regime, • Consumptive and non-consumptive the issue of how much water a river or use values; stream carries, and how that flow is • Recreation values; managed, is of equal importance. Water quality and quantity are closely • Aesthetic landscape values; linked. The information from the publics input, and gathering water management values The State Government proposes to re- from stakeholders, community groups organise the way water flow in our and government agencies will be rivers and streams is managed, and one utilised when water management of the key understandings is that there planning for the catchment is needs to be a specific allocation of undertaken. water for the river or stream itself. This is necessary not only to protect the An appraisal of water quantity values aquatic life of the river, but also to will be undertaken in order to develop maintain basic "river health". If there is water management goals for the insufficient flow at crucial times of the catchment. This will be undertaken year, the overall quality of the during the water management planning remaining water may be badly affected. process. This will very likely have a negative effect on human uses of the water, as An explanation of the water quantity well as on the environment. value categories and examples of specific values are given below: In some instances there may be competing uses for the available Ecosystem values resource, and that there may need to be trade-offs to ensure a balanced sharing The term is used to identify those values arrangement between human uses and which are to be protected and/or the needs of the river environment. enhanced in the current state of aquatic and adjacent land ecosystems. Specific The allocation of water for the water values associated with the environment must be based on scientific ecosystem value category may be: information, and also on legitimate community values and uses. This • protection of an endangered species community values information was (plant or animal); collected as part of the community • protection or improvement in native consultation process. fish populations; 6.2 Water quantity values • protection of riverine vegetation; • provision of adequate water for Five broad categories of water quantity stream habitat for flora and fauna; values have been identified, and as with the water quality PEVs, it is likely that • provision of water for wetland most rivers will attract more than one and/or estuary ecosystems. value/use category. The categories are:

27 December 2005 as kayaking, canoeing, sailing, Physical Landscape values swimming, fishing etc. This type of These values are closely related to the value is difficult to quantify, but is an physical nature of the catchment. This essential part of our way of life in includes the nature and constitution of Tasmania. Water quality issues are also channels, the frequency of floods and important, especially where primary droughts, soil and rock types, and contact occurs (swimming for example), vegetation coverage. These values are or where the recreational activity relies also closely associated with ecosystem on a base of good quality water, such as function, and may overlap with the a recreational fishery. Examples may protection of ecosystem values. include: Specific water values associated with • maintenance or improvement of the physical landscape values may include: quantity (and quality) of water for • provision of variable flows; recreational fishery (trout, blackfish etc); • prevention of erosion; • provision of sufficient water for • protection or improvement of whitewater rafting; riparian zone. • provision of sufficient water (of Consumptive and non-consumptive use adequate quality) for swimming. values Aesthetic Landscape values These are related to the current and potential human uses of water bodies. These values relate to human Consumptive use refers to the appreciation of water and adjacent extraction of water from the water body, environments. It is often extremely with no return of it to the waterbody. difficult to address these types of Examples may include: values, or work out the flow requirements to ensure their protection. • provision of water for irrigation; They are, however, legitimate values • provision of water for town supply; which must be acknowledged in any good management process. Examples • provision of water for industry. may include: Non-consumptive use refers to • maintenance or improvement of extraction or use of water, where the flow through gorges or over water is eventually returned to the river. waterfalls; Examples may include: • protection of scenic features in a • use of water for hydro-electricity river. generation; The community Water Values identified • use of water for fish farming. through the PEVs and water management processes can be Recreational values considered when making management decisions for water quality. These include the range of direct human uses of water bodies for purposes such

28 December 2005 7 Community Water Values The following community water values were collected at a number of workshops in the Macquarie River and South Esk River Catchment Areas. These values relate to both water quality and water quantity.

Table 3: Nominated Water Values - Campbell Town stakeholder workshop (14 March 2000) and advertised public meeting (3 April 2000).

Water Value Nominated Water Values Categories

Ecosystem • Water for maintaining riparian vegetation values • Waterways with less willows and more tea-trees • Less cumbungii in waterways (possibly related to flows or spread by birds) • Successful translocation of Swan galaxiids (native fish) to upper South Esk tributaries • Pygmy perch in the Macquarie and South Esk rivers • Brown trout in some of the regions waterways • Rainbow trout at Lake Leake • Platypus widely distributed • Eels • Fresh water mussel in parts of the South Esk & Macquarie • Provides bird habitat • Astercopsis franklinii (freshwater crayfish) • Provision of seasonal flow cycles • Maintaining fish life • Maintain instream habitat for animals and plants • Maintain environmental flow in Elizabeth/Macquarie system (3 ML/day suggested) Consumptive or • Water storage values of broadwaters non-consumptive • Irrigation use values • Hydro electricity generation (Hydro has primary control over waters in South Esk Basin) • Stock and domestic use • Coal washery at Fingal • Town water supply • Feedlot supply on South Esk at Powranna • Swimming pools at Campbelltown and Ross • Use for forestry activities (new growth reduces catchment yield as opposed to old growth, this change in yield is particularly significant over low flow summer periods) Recreational • Fishing for trout and eels (particularly Tooms Lake, Lake Leake and lower reaches of values Macquarie and South Esk rivers) • Canoeing on the Macquarie (starting at Ross) • Camping (Griffen Park on South Esk; Bridge at Mathinna) • Swimming at all towns without pools. At Mathinna. Possibly weir at Campbell Town but broken glass. • Power-boating on broadwaters • Duck shooting all waterways • Bird watching

29 Water Value Nominated Water Values Categories

Aesthetic • Rivers at Ross, Campbell Town and Perth as part of townscape landscape values Physical • Water over Perth weir landscape values • Riffle (rapids) zones along rivers • Broadwaters on the Macquarie and South Esk Other issues • Hydro operations and interactions with u/s users in terms of peak flows periods • Relative economic values of different water usages • Need for well-controlled weirs • Storage of excess winter flows and releases which mimic seasonal flow variations • Call for construction of dam at Longmarsh on upper Macquarie

30 Table 4: Nominated Water Values - Cressy s takeholder workshop (15 March 2000) and advertised public meeting (4 April 2000).

Water Value Nominated Water Values Categories

Ecosystem values • Native vegetation instead of willows on waterways (while willows generally undesirable because they block river and reduce habitat, they may be preferable to no vegetation cover) • Macquarie free of ‘ricegrass’ (probably reed Phragmites australis ), some patches upstream of Woolmers Bridge • Waterways free of blue-green algal blooms • River flows which maintain native vegetation of waterways • Maintaining variable flows in waterways • Breeding habitat (flow over gravel bed ideal for breeding trout) • Clear water in tributary streams • Maintaining threatened galaxiids in Woods Lake Consumptive or • Rivers have value as transport mechanism for tradeable water non-consumptive • Town drinking water values • Stock and domestic use for riparian landowners • Homestead use (drawing water from waterways for individual domestic use [this may include drinking but the Director of Public Health requires all drinking water to be treated]) • Watering gardens (domestic) • Irrigation (increasing demand) • Water supply for power generation at Trevallyn (ability to undertake works allowed for under the water licence) • Stable regulated flow regimes arising from Hydro operations (opportunity for community input into these operations) • Industrial use at Sevrup fish farm and Longford abattoirs (however PEVs have already been set for these areas) • Use by small scale commercial enterprises in the area – vehicle wash downs etc Recreational • Swimming at varied locations. Particularly over summer where public roads cross values over rivers. Not on the Lake River. • Angling • Kayaking (scouts use the Macquarie between Campbell Town and Longford) • Duck shooting along the Macquarie and South Esk • Camping & bushwalking on riverbanks Aesthetic • General appeal of native riparian (riverside) vegetation landscape values Physical • Unblocked streams (no blockages due to sediment build-up around willows) landscape values Other issues • Woods Lake used for flood control • Minimise sewage input into waterways • Private storages – could be used as flood buffer for downstream areas by keeping empty over high rainfall period, alternative view that should fill up at these periods • Higher water levels in Woods Lake provide higher water values – in terms of the ecology, water quality and downstream use • Lake Sorell related to upper Macquarie river and catchment health.

31 32 Table 5: Nominated Water Values – Fingal stakeholder workshop (16 March 2000) and advertised public meeting (5 April 2000).

Water Value Nominated Water Values Categories Ecosystem • Protection and retention of riparian vegetation values • Water filtering role provided by wetlands (including Epping Marshes) • Galaxiids (native fish) translocated to sites in upper South Esk • Blackfish • Waterways free of weeds (willows, cumbungii etc.) • Visits by white breasted sea eagle • Role of floods in maintaining floodplain and wetland health Consumptive or • Stock watering non-consumptive • Household/Domestic (this may include drinking but the Director of Public Health values requires all drinking water to be treated) • Town drinking water supply (both river and groundwater) • Irrigation • Other water used in food production • Coal washery at Fingal • Electricity generation Recreational • Tourism related values • School camping and water related activities at Rostrevor • Photography • Fishing • Duck shooting • Water skiing (Ormley between Avoca and Fingal) • Bird watching • Swimming (Fingal upstream of sewage treatment plant past railway; Mathinna; Avoca; Briar Corner on Break O’Day; Royal George) • Camping (Griffen Park at Mathinna; State Forest areas; where permitted on private land) Aesthetic • Tourism related (waterfalls etc.) landscape values • Provides more interesting surroundings • Aesthetic value of river as whole Physical • Meadstone Falls in St Pauls catchment landscape values • Falls at Mathinna Other issues • Educational value as resource for schools • Waterways have historical and cultural value in determining the pattern of settlement • Scientific value for water quality & ecological studies • Water has range of economic values • Social value for recreation, tourism and aesthetic appreciation • Use of waterways as drain (runoff from private dwellings, irrigation etc)