DEPARTMENT of PRIMARY INDUSTRIES, WATER and ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT GOALS for TASMANIAN SURFACE WATERS 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