1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Derwent estuary lies at the heart of the metropolitan area and is an asset of great natural beauty and diversity (Figure 1.1). It is an integral part of ’s cultural, economic and natural heritage. The estuary is an important and productive ecosystem and was once a major breeding ground for the southern right whale. Areas of wetlands, underwater grasses, tidal flats and rocky reefs support a wide range of species, including black swans, wading birds, penguins, dolphins, platypus, seadragons and the endangered spotted handfish.

13 State of the Derwent Estuary 2015 Figure 1.1 Derwent Estuary Program area

SOUTHERN LOCATION MIDLANDS

SOUTHERN MIDLANDS Brighton

River BRIGHTON N Bridgewater SCALE 05 Conservation Area kilometres

Jordan Green Bridgewater Island Causeway Herdsmans Green Point Cove Nature Reserve Murphys M E E H A N Flat Goulds Boyer UPPER Lagoon ESTUARY Norske Skog New Paper Mill Norfolk SORELL Dogshear R A N G Windemere Pt Bay MIDDLE ESTUARY E DERWENT Elwick Risdon VALLEY Bay Cove East Risdon CLARENCE Prince of Wales GLENORCHY Bay Nature Reserve (CITY) (CITY) GLENORCHY Pasminco Hobart Smelter own GeilstonBay New T Lindisfarne Bay Cornelian Bay Bay Lindisfarne Tasman Bridge HOBART Bellerive MT Battery Point KangarooBay Howrah WELLINGTON Sullivans HOBART Cove Tranmere (CITY) Sandy Bay Rokeby Lauderdale Nutgrove Racecourse Flats

Browns

Taroona Droughty Pt RALPHS BAY LOWER

ESTUARY DERWENT River Alum Mary Ann Cliffs Bay KINGBOROUGH Kingston Mortimer Opossum SOUTH AR Bay HUON Bay Blackmans VALLEY Bay

Program Area RIVER Half M Boundary Moon Bay Local Government Area Boundary South Arm Seacroft HOBART NORTH Bay Local Government Tinderbox (CITY) Area Name WEST Cape Direction • Iron Pot BAY Tinderbox Marine Bruny Reserve Island STORM BAY

State of the Derwent Estuary 2015 14 Approximately 210,000 people – 40% of Tasmania’s During the period from 2009 to 2014, the DEP’s partners and population – live around the estuary’s margins. The Derwent supporters have included: is widely used for recreation, boating, fishing and marine transportation, and is internationally known as the finish line • Tasmanian State Government for the Sydney–Hobart Yacht Race. The Derwent supports • Brighton Council several large industries, including paper and zinc production, • Clarence City Council boat-building and chocolate manufacturing. Upstream, the • Derwent Valley Council Derwent supplies most of Hobart’s drinking water and is an • Glenorchy City Council important source of hydro-electric power. • Hobart City Council A number of environmental issues affect the Derwent • Kingborough Council estuary, in particular: • TasWater • Heavy metal contamination of water, sediments and • Norske Skog Boyer seafood; • Nyrstar Hobart • Loss of estuarine habitat and species; • Tasmanian Ports Corporation • Introduced marine pests and weeds; • Hydro Tasmania • Altered river flow regimes and blocked fish migration • Australian Government routes; • Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies/University of • Elevated levels of nutrients, and low dissolved oxygen Tasmania levels in localised areas. • CSIRO Marine Research • NRM South Sources of contaminants to the Derwent include sewage, stormwater and industrial wastes, as well as agricultural, Despite the pressures it faces on a daily basis, the Derwent forestry and aquaculture inputs from the adjacent Derwent is showing promising signs of recovery in response to and Jordan River catchments and D’Entrecasteaux Channel. management actions undertaken by councils and industries. Although there have been major improvements in recent As the condition of the estuary improves, there is growing years, the Derwent remains a significantly modified estuary. interest in conserving and enjoying the Derwent’s natural A strategic and coordinated management approach across all features. levels of government, industry and the community remains our best prospect for a cleaner and healthier estuary in the The DEP is underpinned by a comprehensive integrated future. monitoring program that documents environmental conditions and trends, and also supports scientific research The Derwent Estuary Program (DEP) is a regional into key issues such as heavy metals and nutrient processing. partnership between the Tasmanian Government, local Cooperative monitoring arrangements between the State governments, industry, scientists and the community to Government, industries, local governments and the scientific restore and promote our estuary. The DEP was established community have generated a wealth of new information on in 1999 and has been nationally recognised for excellence water and sediment quality, seafood safety and estuarine in reducing water pollution, conserving habitats and species, habitats and species, which have been analysed and monitoring river health and promoting greater use and interpreted in this new report. enjoyment of the foreshore. In 2010, the DEP was awarded Australia’s National Riverprize, and in 2014 a new partnership The new State of the Derwent estuary report reviews agreement was signed to continue the partnership environmental quality data collected since 2009 to give a arrangements for a further five years. representation of current estuary health and to highlight

15 State of the Derwent Estuary 2015 environmental trends. Sections 2 and 3 review Derwent estuary values and uses and provide an overview of the estuary’s physical setting. Section 4 reviews pollutants associated with point and diffuse sources and documents trends over the past six years. Sections 5 through 8 give more detailed information about water quality, sediment quality and seafood safety. Section 9 reviews the latest information on Derwent habitat and species, including introduced pests and weeds. Section 10 provides an overview of several integrated studies, carried out in recent years. Section 11 reviews several key foreshore issues and opportunities. Finally, Section 12 contains a summary and recommendations and Section 13 provides an up-to-date list of references.

State of the Derwent Estuary 2015 16