DEPARTMENT of PRIMARY INDUSTRIES, WATER and ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT GOALS for TASMANIAN SURFACE WATERS NORTH-CENTRAL COAST CATCHMENTS AND THE GREATER RUBICON CATCHMENT FINAL PAPER June, 2003 Environmental Management Coast Catchments and the Greater Goals for Tasmanian Waters: Rubicon Catchment. is now complete. It was considered, however, that Betweeen late 2001 and 2003 much of the information included in Protected Environmental Values the discussion paper should remain as (PEVs) were set for the North-Central a record of the PEV setting process. Coast Catchments and the Greater Words and expressions used in this Rubicon Catchment. A discussion discussion paper have, unless the paper was prepared to facilitate public contrary intention appears, the same participation in setting the PEVs. This meaning as defined in the State Policy discussion paper was intended as a basis for community and stakeholder on Water Quality Management 1997 and the Environmental Management participation in the process of and Pollution Control Act 1994. developing environmental Ecosystem refers to physical, management goals for surface waters chemical and biological aspects of the in catchments draining into the central aquatic environment. coast of Northern Tasmania, which included the catchments of the Emu, This paper is divided into six main Blythe, Leven, Wilmot, Forth and sections: Don Rivers; and the greater Rubicon • The first part describes water catchment which drains into Port reforms in general. Sorell and includes the catchments of the Rubicon River and Franklin • The Second part provides a brief Rivulet. The Mersey River catchment description of the catchments was dealt with in a separate draining into the north-central discussion paper. The Blythe River coast and the Greater Rubicon estuary, and adjacent Minna Creek catchment. and Tip Creek catchments were also • Part three discusses the State covered in an earlier paper. Policy on Water Quality This paper was prepared by the Management. Environment Division, in consultation • The fourth part discusses with the Burnie City Council, Central Protected Environmental Values Coast Council, Devonport City for the catchments draining into Council, Kentish Council, Meander the north-central coast and the Valley Council, Latrobe Council, the Greater Rubicon catchment. West Tamar Council and the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife • Water quantity values are Service. discussed in part 5, and • This paper has been modified into its Part six discusses the community current form to reflect that the process water values for the catchments. for setting PEVs for the North-Central 1 2 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 4 1.1 WHY DO WE NEED WATER REFORM? ...........................................................................4 1.2 WHAT ARE THESE REFORMS?.......................................................................................4 1.3 WHAT DID WE WANT THE PUBLIC TO DO? ...................................................................5 1.4 HOW WILL THE PUBLIC INPUT BE USED? .....................................................................5 2 CATCHMENT DESCRIPTION ......................................................................................... 7 2.1 OVERVIEW......................................................................................................................7 2.2 WATER USES ..................................................................................................................8 2.3 WATER QUALITY ISSUES...............................................................................................9 3 WATER QUALITY: PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES (PEVS) ............ 12 3.1 SETTING PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES.....................................................12 3.2 PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES CATEGORIES .............................................12 3.3 COMMUNITY INPUT .....................................................................................................13 4 PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES FOR THE NORTH-CENTRAL CATCHMENTS & THE GREATER RUBICON CATCHMENT ....................................... 14 5 WATER QUANTITY VALUES ....................................................................................... 34 5.1 OVERVIEW....................................................................................................................34 5.2 WATER QUANTITY VALUES .........................................................................................34 6 COMMUNITY WATER VALUES FOR NORTH-CENTRAL COAST CATCHMENTS AND THE GREATER RUBICON CATCHMENT .................................. 36 3 2 Introduction 2.2 What are these reforms? 2.1 Why do we need water reform? Two major aspects of the water reforms A good supply of fresh, clean water is are water quality management and an essential requirement for human life, water quantity management. a healthy environment and a productive economy. (a) water quality management The State Policy on Water Quality We need it for drinking, for recreational Management 1997 is designed to activities like fishing, swimming and maintain or enhance the quality of boating, to provide the food we eat and Tasmanian surface waters. Principal export, to generate clean electricity, and objectives of the Policy include: to support mining and other industries. • We also expect our rivers and lakes to Move on from reliance on ‘end of look healthy, and provide a healthy pipe’ controls to take into environment for a wide range of aquatic consideration the number of plants and animals. discharges into a given water body, or the sensitivity or current We take for granted that our use of condition of the water body. water resources is sustainable; that our • Ensure that diffuse source and point hard-working water will still be there in source pollution does not endanger a healthy state to provide the same the achievement of water quality benefits for future generations. objectives and that pollutants discharged to waterways are Tasmanian rivers range from relatively reduced as much as possible using short, swiftly flowing rivers fed from environmental best practice. mountain sources to slowly flowing rivers which may be reduced to a series • Facilitate and promote integrated of pools during dry periods. Our catchment management. waterways are not immune from • Focusing on overall water quality problems, however, and many of our management strategies by river systems are showing signs of identifying those water quality stress. values and uses which are considered worthy of protection. River health, and the health of the economies that depend upon them, is The first purpose of this paper is to clearly linked to the way we use the explain how water quality values will be waters; the degree of regulation we identified and used. Local communities impose; the quantity of water we take have a key role in identifying these out; and the quality of water we return. values in their areas. In response to a general recognition (b) water quantity management across the community of the importance The introduction of the Water of having clean water and appropriate Management Act 1999 to replace the river flows, the Tasmanian Government Water Act 1957 provides for: has introduced a range of reforms designed to ensure that these values are protected for the future of the State. 4 • major changes to the institutional Does your river supply the local arrangements for water town water supply? management; Do you draw water from it to irrigate your farm? • the ready transfer of water rights between different users; The catchment stakeholders/publics answers to questions such as these then • enhanced stakeholder and helped to develop the community water community input into water values for regional wetlands and allocation and management; and waterways. People had different views • a more transparent and equitable on these questions. What was needed to water allocation system, including do was to try to think about the "big" formal allocation of flows to picture, and how our own objectives maintain a healthy river may impact on the whole catchment and environment. the wider community. The second purpose of this paper is to Planning to ensure sustainable use of advise of what the publics views were these waters and protection of river and what was valued in the water health requires sound knowledge of resources from a water quantity local water quality and quantity issues. perspective. Therefore the public submissions providing local knowledge was 2.3 What did we want the public to important. do? Local communities have a valuable 2.4 How will the public input be understanding of their regional used? waterways. The following questions of Information from the public on values the catchment stakeholders were asked. particularly relating to water quality Which of your activities rely upon assisted the Board of Environmental maintaining or enhancing the flow Management and Pollution Control and of water into catchment waterways? the councils to finalise the range of What uses or values do you have for Protected Environmental Values for the surface waters in this area that rely surface waters of the regional upon maintaining or enhancing waterways. These values will be shown water quality? in management plans for the region. Are there certain places on your rivers that you traditionally use for Information from community swimming or other recreational