CLARENCE ENVIRONMENT CENTRE INC 31 Skinner Street South Grafton 2460 Phone/ Fax: 02 6643 1863 Web site: www.cec.org.au E-mail:
[email protected] Date: 10th April 2018 SUBMISSION to Department of Industry on the Water Reform Action Plan Introduction The Clarence Environment Centre (CEC) has maintained a shop-front in Grafton for over 28 years, and has a proud history of environmental advocacy. The conservation of Australia's natural environment, both terrestrial and and marine, has always been a priority for our members, and we believe the maintenance of healthy ecosystems and biodiversity is of paramount importance. As a major contributor to the protection of the largest river system in coastal NSW, the Clarence, the CEC is determined to ensure that the River's relatively pristine ecosystems are not vandalised, and to improve outcomes for all rivers in Australia. This submission will focus on local issues and concerns, using case studies from the Clarence Valley. However, we strongly suspect that the concerns raised will be relevant across all of NSW and possibly Australia. Discussion This submission focusses on two aspects of water use: 1. Harvestable rights water for irrigation, and 2. Water extraction from rivers for irrigation under licence. Currently on the north coast, neither of the above require the pumps to be metered, although 'noises' are being made in relation to metering some river extraction licences. Harvestable rights grant landowners the right to construct dams on 1st and 2nd order streams, large enough to hold their total entitlement. They can even destroy native vegetation in the process, as dam building is considered a routine agricultural management action (RAMA), and therefore exempt from native veg laws, all without the need to seek approval.