DEPARTMENT of PRIMARY INDUSTRIES, WATER and ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT GOALS for TASMANIAN SURFACE WATERS FLINDERS MUNICIPAL AREA CATCHMENTS November 2002 and Pollution Control Act 1994. Environmental Management Goals Ecosystem refers to physical, chemical For Tasmanian Surface Waters: and biological aspects of the aquatic environment. Flinders Municipal Area Catchments This discussion paper is divided into During 2001/2002 Protected five main sections: Environmental Values (PEVs) were set • for the Flinders Municipal Area. A The first part discusses water discussion paper was prepared to reform in general. facilitate public participation in setting • the PEVs. This discussion paper was The second part gives some general intended as a basis for community and information relating to the area stakeholder participation in the process covered in the discussion paper. of developing environmental • management goals for the waterways The third part discusses the State that are located within the Flinders Policy on Water Quality Municipal Area. Management. The discussion paper was prepared by • The fourth part discusses the the Environment Division in Protected Environmental Values for association with the Land and Water the catchment. Management Branch of the Department of Primary Industries Water and • The fifth section discusses water Environment, the Tasmanian Parks and quality and water quantity values Wildlife Service and the Flinders Island Council. This paper has been modified into its current form to reflect that the process Words and expressions used in the for setting PEVs for the Flinders discussion paper have, unless the Municipal Area is now complete. It contrary intention appears, the same was considered, however, that much of meaning as defined in the State Policy the information included in the on Water Quality Management 1997 discussion paper should remain as a and the Environmental Management record of the PEV setting process. 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 FLINDERS MUNICIPAL AREA CATCHMENTS OVERVIEW................................................7 2.1 FURNEAUX GROUP.....................................................................................................................7 2.1.1 Climate and Geology............................................................................................................7 2.1.2 Flora and Fauna ..................................................................................................................8 2.1.3 Employment and Industry.....................................................................................................8 2.1.4 Conservation and Heritage ..................................................................................................9 2.2 WATER QUALITY........................................................................................................................9 2.2.1 Drainage Schemes..............................................................................................................10 2.2.2 Town Water Supply.............................................................................................................10 2.2.3 Water Quality Issues...........................................................................................................10 2.3 FURNEAUX ESTUARINE WATERS ...........................................................................................11 2.4 KENT GROUP.............................................................................................................................12 2.5 HOGAN GROUP .........................................................................................................................12 3 WATER QUALITY : THE STATE POLICY ON WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT .....13 3.1 SETTING PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES................................................................13 3.2 PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES CATEGORIES.........................................................13 3.3 COMMUNITY INPUT..................................................................................................................14 4 WATER QUALITY : PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES FOR THE FLINDERS MUNICIPAL AREA CATCHMENTS ..................................................................................................16 5 WATER QUANTITY VALUES FOR THE FLINDERS MUNICIPAL AREA CATCHMENTS .......................................................................................................................................25 5.1 OVERVIEW.................................................................................................................................25 5.2 WATER QUANTITY VALUES ....................................................................................................25 6 COMMUNITY WATER VALUES FLINDERS ISLAND MUNICIPAL AREA ......................27 Recreational/ Aesthetic......................................................................................................................27 Ecosystem / Basic River Health ........................................................................................................27 Other Values/Issues...........................................................................................................................27 Recreational/ Aesthetic......................................................................................................................28 Ecosystem / Basic River Health ........................................................................................................29 Other Values/Issues...........................................................................................................................31 Recreational/ Aesthetic......................................................................................................................32 Ecosystem / Basic River Health ........................................................................................................32 3 values are protected for the future of the 1 INTRODUCTION State. 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 a healthy environment and a productive water quantity management. economy. (a) water quality management We need water for drinking, for recreational activities like fishing, The State Policy on Water Quality swimming and boating, to provide the Management 1997 is designed to food we eat and export, to generate maintain or enhance the quality of clean electricity, and to support mining Tasmanian surface waters. Principal and other industries. objectives of the Policy include: 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 sometimes take for granted that our condition of the water body. use of water resources is sustainable; that our hard-working water will still be • Ensure that diffuse source and point there in a healthy state to provide the source pollution does not endanger same benefits for future generations. the achievement of water quality Our waterways are not immune from objectives, and that pollutants problems, however, and many of our discharged to waterways are river systems are showing signs of reduced as much as possible by the stress. use of best practice environmental Tasmanian rivers range from relatively management; short, swiftly flowing rivers fed from • mountain sources to slowly flowing Facilitate and promote integrated rivers which may be reduced to a series catchment management. of pools during dry periods. • Focusing on overall water quality River health, and the health of the management strategies by economies that depend upon them, is identifying those water quality clearly linked to the way we use the values and uses that are considered waters; the degree of regulation we worthy of protection. impose; the quantity of water we take out; and the quality of water we return. The first purpose of the discussion paper was to explain how the water In response to a general recognition quality values have been identified and across the community of the importance could be used. Local communities had a of having clean water and appropriate key role in identifying these values in river flows, the Tasmanian Government their catchments. has recently introduced a range of reforms designed to ensure that these (b) water quantity management 4 Do you draw water from it to irrigate The Government had recently finalised your farm? How often do you need to new water management legislation to draw water from it, and when? replace the Water Act 1957. The Water Management Act, 1999