When the first edition of the Tamar Region Natural Resource Management
Strategy was published in May 1999, the foreword signed by the Mayors
of the three local councils of the region stated the Strategy was a
dynamic document which would evolve over coming years and be subject
to regular review and updating.
Since then the Reference Group and Management Committee of Tamar NRM
have asserted that dynamism by firstly recognising the need to expand
on the action plans relating to each of the ten priority issues outlined
in very broad terms in the initial document. The first essential step
towards implementing the Strategy, the major purpose of this organisation,
was to put flesh on the bones of the action plans by developing a set
of specific actions, time frames and responsible agencies relevant
to each issue.
This task was undertaken by establishing a range of Working Groups
consisting of individuals having either a personal interest as a member
of the community or relevant professional expertise. The importance
of representation from the latter group was recognised and pursued
to ensure the scientific integrity of the Strategy. The final compilation
of the results of the deliberations of the Working Groups into the
Action Plans incorporated in this second edition has been the work
of our Project Manager, Jacky Williams, to whom we are deeply indebted.
We also thank those many people who made their time available to attend
meetings and review early drafts.
This document now provides the basis from which we can move forward
to the implementation of the Strategy and the blueprint against which
we can assess and evaluate the many projects put forward for funding
through the Natural Heritage Trust’s devolved grant process.
It continues, however, to be a dynamic document and will be subject
to regular further reviews in the light of experience, changing circumstances
and community expectations.
The need for a natural resource management strategy in the Tamar
Region will not expire with the passage of time or with any future
changes in funding arrangements. We therefore look forward to the continuing
development of this Strategy as a joint enterprise of local, state
and federal governments and the community.
John Beswick
President
Tamar Region Natural Resource Management.
The
Strategy and its Development
The Tamar Region NRM Strategy provides direction for the future management
of the Region’s land, atmosphere, inland waters and wetlands,
coastal, estuarine and marine environments, and biodiversity within
these.
The Strategy links community, local government, state government
agencies and industry with the aim that they will work cooperatively
to achieve the agreed goals and actions.
The Strategy is underpinned by six principles of natural resource
management adapted from the Queensland Government’s Strategy
for Land, Water and Related Biological Resources (1991). They are:
a) natural resources are basic and interactive components of natural
ecosystems and their management should be based on an understanding
of these interactions and ecosystem dynamics, with a commitment to
manage and plan for natural resource-use, development, and conservation
within ecosystem and regional contexts;
b) ecosystems such as rivers, wetlands, forests, coasts, estuaries
and marine environments, soils, and rural land are continuously changing
in response to natural processes and human activity, and their management
must account for these changes over time;
c) the management of natural resources must be integrated rather
than fragmented, with decisions based on the best available information
and be conducted in partnership with relevant stakeholders (including
individuals, community groups and organisations, local and state
governments, and relevant industry companies or organisations);
d) natural resource management and planning must take into account
the environmental, economic, and social implications of decisions
and aim for a balance between the short and long-term socio-economic
needs of the region and the short and long-term conservation and
rehabilitation needs of the environment. In other words, it must
operate according to the principles of ecologically sustainable development.
e) all resource-users and managers (ie. the whole community) have
a responsibility to ensure that their actions do not have adverse
impacts on the environmental values of the region; and
f) the management of natural resources is best achieved through
the informed actions of individual users and managers.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Strategy are to:
1. provide background information covering the natural resources
of the Region;
2. identify issues relating to the allocation and
use of the regional resources;
3. prioritise the NRM issues for the Region; and
4. identify goals,
actions and priorities to address these issues.
What’s
in the Document
This Strategy document comprises five key components:
1. |
A description of the natural resources, resource use and competing
demands for resources in the Region. |
2. |
A list of the shared concerns relating to NRM issues within
the Region. |
3. |
An assessment of priority issues in the Region. |
4. |
A list of goals to address the identified issues. |
5. |
A set of priority actions to address the top
ten priority issues. |
Background
The
project commenced in April 1998 with the appointment of a project manager.
In July 1998, following an extensive Statewide search, the Tamar
region (the Region) was selected for the Case Study. In August 1998,
nominations were sought from individuals, community groups, industry,
local councils
and State agencies for representation on a Reference Group. All interested
persons were welcome to join the group. The Reference Group that developed
through this process had the role of overseeing and guiding the formation
of the Strategy. A smaller NRM Executive Committee was later drawn
from
the membership of the Reference Group to work towards the Strategy's
refinement and implementation.
Natural Resource Management as defined in the document Regional NRM
in Tasmania: A Framework for Developing Strategies and Setting Priorities
(the Regional Framework) refers to any activity relating to management
of the use, development or conservation of:
I. rocks and soils;
II. inland waters(including ground water), estuaries, and seas;
III. vegetation (native, introduced, wild and controlled); and
IV. fauna (native, introduced, wild, and domesticated) (Greening Australia,
1998).
The approach taken in the Regional Framework was to broaden the NRM
definition to specifically include activities and management associated
with the major themes of the Tasmanian State of the Environment Report
(SoE) as shown in Table 1:
|
Atmosphere
|
indoor and outdoor atmosphere
|
|
Land
|
all land environments - alpine to coastal and rainforest
to grassland and heathland communities. Includes the components
(ie. soil and vegetation as well as landscapes) and life
within and dependent on these environments.
|
|
Inland Waters and Wetlands
|
rivers, streams, lakes, dams and shallow, permanent or
ephemeral, fresh or saline waterbodies. Includes all life
within and dependent on these environments.
|
|
Coastal, Estuarine and Marine Environments
|
coastal and marine environments including inshore areas
affected by tidal waters. Includes all life within and dependent
on these environments.
|
|
Biodiversity
|
diversity of native flora and fauna at species and community
level, particular concern with threatened species and their
habitat.
|
Table 1: Natural Resource Themes
In addition to the natural resource management themes, consideration
was given to the economic and social implications of issues, including
the competing needs for various resources, the impacts of NRM issues
on those sectors, and the potential impacts of activities designed
to resolve them. The principles of ecologically sustainable development
underpin this holistic approach to management. An issues paper was
developed, using the five themes of the SoE as its basis, and released
for public comment during September 1998. The Paper identified influences
on the condition of the natural resources and the natural environment
of the Region.
The issues were then grouped and prioritised using a criteria based
system (See Regional Natural Resource Management in Tasmania: Case
Study and Regional NRM in Tasmania: A Framework for Developing Strategies
and Setting Priorities).
Priority issues identified in the Region and detailed in the Strategy
are shown in Table 2:
|
1.
|
Declining water quality
|
|
2.
|
Lack of knowledge, research & education about biodiversity
|
|
3.
|
Nuisance fauna & flora
|
|
4.
|
Loss of native vegetation
|
|
5.
|
Adverse sedimentation impacts on the Tamar Estuary & North Esk
River
|
|
6.
|
Unsustainable land use
|
|
7.
|
Conflicting demands for water & seasonal variations in water
availability
|
|
8.
|
Habitat loss, modification & isolation & its impact on biodiversity
|
|
9.
|
Particulate & gaseous emissions
|
|
10.
|
Solid waste management
|
Table 2: Priority Issues detailed in the Strategy.
Goals, actions and activities to address the priority issues were
then identified at a public workshop.
The Strategy is a dynamic document that will undergo regular review
and continued development as issues are addressed and more issues identified
through changes in the use and allocation of resources.
Description of the Region
Local government municipalities have been used as the spatial unit
for the development of the Strategy. The advantages of using local
government boundaries for NRM are outlined in the Regional Framework.
The Strategy covers the municipalities of George Town, West Tamar and
Launceston (See Plate 1). Each Council has developed a vision. These
visions reflect the desire for an attractive, safe, clean and enjoyable
place to live, work and visit, providing opportunities for future development
and encouragement for young people to stay in the Region. They express
a desire for the Region to offer a blend of residential communities
and rural landscapes abundant with natural features, heritage and cultural
attractions that will be promoted and maintained to provide maximum
usage for the residents, enterprises and visitors.
Mindful of the three Council visions, the Reference Group identified
an NRM vision for the Region:
"an attractive and prosperous place to live and
work based on a healthy environment".
Plate 1: Map of the Region covered by the Strategy
Natural Resource
The Tamar Region (the Region) covered by the Strategy extends from
Badger Head in the west to the mouth of the Little Pipers River in
the east and Launceston in the south. The area covers approximately
2,800km 2 , with a maximum altitude of 1,413 metres at Mt Barrow in
the east. The Region includes most of the catchments of the North Esk,
Pipers, Supply and Curries Rivers, the lower reaches of the South Esk
and other, lesser parts of the Tamar Estuary catchment.
The natural resources of the region include soil, water, vegetation
and air which supports life and activities in the Region on social,
environmental and economic levels. This definition acknowledges the
fact that the resources of the Region provide for economic activities
such as forestry, mining and agriculture as well as environmentally
based recreation and conservation.
Climate
The Region lies between latitudes 40 degrees S and 42 degrees S
and no part of it is more than 80 kilometres from Bass Strait. The
regional climate is classified as temperate maritime and has an average
maximum temperature of 18 degrees C. The average maximum temperature
in summer ranges from 25 degrees C in Launceston to 20 degrees C in
coastal areas with the minimum winter temperature ranging from 0.5
degrees C to 6.7 degrees C. The average annual rainfall recorded at
the Launceston airport station is 690mm. A temperate climate, rainfall
distributed throughout the year, and long hours of sunlight provide
a pleasant living environment as well as ideal growing conditions for
pastures and a range of agricultural enterprises.
Economy
Economic development in the Region has focussed mainly on the wholesale
and retail trade and community services (See Table 4), manufacturing,
agriculture, and tourism. The core industries are generally based around
a range of natural advantages such as energy, timber resources, grazing,
the natural environment and heritage values. Launceston acts as the
business centre for the northern region of Tasmania providing banking
and finance.
Population
The 1996 Census revealed that Northern Tasmania had a population
of 129,764, 28.3 % of the State's total.
About 70% (See Table 3) of the people in Northern Tasmania live in
the Tamar Valley (the Greater Launceston Statistical Subdivision),
which includes both sides of the Valley from George Town in the north
to Evandale in the south.
|
MUNICIPALITIES
|
POPULATION
|
% OF NORTHERN TASMANIA
|
|
George Town
|
6,929
|
5.4
|
|
Launceston
|
63,918
|
49.2
|
|
West Tamar
|
19,840
|
15.3
|
|
Tamar Valley
|
90,687
|
70.0
|
Table 3: Tamar Valley Municipalities as a percentage
of the Northern Tasmanian population Source: Australian Bureau
of Statistics Catalogue No. 2790.6, 1996
Employment
Over the last 20 years there have been significant changes in the
composition of the work force in Northern Tasmania as depicted in Table
4.
Employment in traditional primary industries has fallen
from 11% to 8 % of the Northern Tasmanian workforce, or almost 15%
in population terms. Manufacturing has also fallen 17%. These figures
imply a shift in the allocation and use of resources away from traditional
primary industries and manufacturing.
Industry
Four major companies operate within the Region:
1. Comalco Aluminium (Bell Bay) Ltd
2. Tasmanian Electro Metallurgical Company (TEMCO)
3. Boral
4. North Forest Products
Comalco Aluminium (Bell Bay) Limited, an
aluminium smelting facility commenced operation in 1955. In 1995, the
plant had a production capacity of 120,000 tonnes per annum (tonnes
per annum) which increased to 138,000 tonnes per annum by 1996.
In 1996, Comalco announced a $200 million capital expenditure
program which allowed for an increased plant capacity and significant
environmental improvements including installation of dry scrubbing
technology that significantly reduced the amount of airborne fluorine
emissions, and the development of an environmental buffer zone of 3500
hectares around the site.
TEMCO has been in operation since 1962
and is located 2 km south east of George Town. TEMCO is Australia's
only ferro-alloy producer, supplying approximately 210,000 tpa of manganese
alloys to the steel industry. A joint water treatment plant with George
Town Council treats TEMCO water and George Town's sewage waste. Storm
water run-off is treated through a constructed wetland system.
Boral's operations at Long Reach on the
Tamar handles woodchip exports to Japan for conversion to paper products.
The value of these exports is near $65 million annually.
North Forest Products also operate at Long
Reach where their headquarters for the north, north-east and Central
Highlands forestry operations is located. Over 80 people are employed
directly and over 400 associated contractors. This facility processes
up to 1.4 million tonnes of hardwood and softwood timber each year.
This is also the headquarters of the company Tamar Tree Farms, a farm
forestry joint venture between Japanese firms and North Limited to
supply Eucalypt pulpwood to mills in Japan.
Additionally, The Starwood Plant, producing
medium density fibreboard, was commissioned between January and March
1998 and commenced production in late March. The plant's full capacity
is 130,000 tpa which will be reached when operating seven days a week.
Emerging Industries
Viticulture and aquaculture are emerging industries in the Region.
The wine industry in Tasmania has seen a twenty fold expansion in yield
since 1986. The Tamar Region has 31 vineyards covering 139 hectares,
producing 30 % of Tasmania's wine. The viticulture industry and associated
tourism are fast becoming a major economic focus for the region.
Aquaculture is also becoming an industry with potential
for growth following a successful captive breeding program of seahorses
for the Asian medicinal market at Beauty Point and the establishment
of a trial ocean trout and salmon farm at Rowella. A $41 million aquaculture
based tourism development is also planned for Beauty Point.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing was listed as the largest single employer in Northern
Tasmania in 1997 (ABS Labour Force Survey, August 1997). It is the
larger companies in Northern Tasmania that form the manufacturing core.
The most significant manufacturing employment areas are
in wood handling, wood products and furniture, and basic metal products.
Northern Tasmania has long been regarded as one of the
State's major manufacturing areas. The large industrial employers in
the Region are Comalco and Temco at Bell Bay and ACL Bearings at Rocherlea.
There are some significant food manufacturers in the Region, including
Blue Ribbon Meat Products, Four Roses and Boags Brewery. Companies
such as Gunns, Seas Sapfor, Koppers, North Forest Products and Boral
Resources Tasmania represent the timber industry.
Over 2000 people are employed in seven main manufacturing
companies in the Region. Blue Ribbon, Gunns, Comalco, TEMCO, ACL Bearing
Co, North Forest Products and Boral Timber export most of their production.
These companies operate in the Region for a range of reasons. Comalco
and TEMCO operate in the Region due to the competitive price of electricity;
Gunns, North Forest Products and Boral Timber, due to the forest resource.
Sea freight is the main method of transporting finished
products of the manufacturing core economy. Launceston Airport supports
the majority of airfreight for the State.
Tourism
Tasmanian tourism is centred around a quality lifestyle which incorporates
local food and wines, history and natural beauty. Tourism plays an
important part in the Region's economy. In 1996 Tasmania received about
472,900 tourists, 60% of whom visited Launceston and 33% of these entered
the State at Launceston airport. Northern Tasmania has 30% of the State's
accommodation. The estimated net expenditure by tourists in 1996 was
$568 million for the whole State, with the value to Northern Tasmania
being about $75 million per annum.
Agriculture
Northern Tasmania has a strong agricultural base, with a reputation
for high quality. Island isolation has provided some protection from
pests and diseases. Tasmania's image of being Ôclean and green' gives
value added rural based food products a distinct marketing advantage.
Wool, beef, fat lamb and dairy are the main agricultural
commodities within the area. In more recent years viticulture has become
a growth industry within the Region with exports of wine going to Europe,
(including the United Kingdom), Canada and Hong Kong. Viticulture,
an industry with developing Ôhigh-tech' aspects to it, requires high
capital input and is becoming a large employer within the Region. Cereals,
apples, potatoes and poppies are also grown and there are several emerging
crops including asparagus, peas, strawberries, cherries and other orchard
fruits.
Education
The Tamar Region is home to the Launceston campus of the University
of Tasmania, which offers a wide range of courses, the Australian Maritime
College and Cooperative Research Centre for Aquaculture.
Transport
Bell Bay is Tasmania's leading port with an annual cargo through-put
of 3.59 million tonnes in 1995/96. Each year over 500 vessels ranging
in size up to 55,000 tonnes make use of the port's 5 deep-water berths.
The major export commodities from Bell Bay are woodchips, aluminium,
ferro-manganese, and general cargo. The major import commodities are
alumina, manganese ore, coal and coke, petroleum, and general cargo.
Launceston is the transport hub for the Region, with main highway and
rail access to the State capital, major urban centres in the North
West and the port of Bell Bay.
Natural Environment
The Region has a wide range of protected natural environments including
important reserves, parks, conservation areas and sanctuaries. Areas
commonly used for a variety of recreational pursuits include the Trevallyn
State Recreational Reserve, the Asbestos Range National Park, Mt Barrow
State Reserve, the Notley Gorge State Reserve, and the Cataract Gorge.
Both the developed and undeveloped areas of the Region's coastline
offer valuable recreation opportunities. The rivers, creeks, streams
and beaches provide recreation assets for fishing, swimming, boating
and sailing.
Heritage
The built heritage of the Region is important because of its relative
age and integrity. Due to gentle pressure from growth and change it
has retained a representative cross-section of buildings and styles
reflecting not only the growth and development of an Australian colonial
city, but also the evolution of its hinterland of rural villages and
relics of early industrial enterprise.
Goals, Actions and Priorities
This section provides an overview of the natural resources of the Region identified
under the five themes of the State of the Environment Report:
1. Atmosphere
2. Inland Waters and Wetlands
3. Coastal, Estuarine and Marine
4. Land
5. Biodiversity
It also provides background to the ten priority issues
for the Region and sets out goals and actions to address those issues.
The process of identifying the priority issues, goals and actions is
outlined in Regional Natural Resource Management in Tasmania: Case
Study. A discussion of the issue and action as recorded at the Public
Workshop is also provided. The ten priority issues are:
1. Declining water quality
2. Lack of knowledge, research & education about biodiversity
3. Nuisance fauna & flora
4. Loss of native vegetation
5. Adverse sedimentation impacts on the Tamar Estuary & North Esk River
6. Unsustainable land use
7. Conflicting demands for water & seasonal variations in water availability
8. Habitat loss, modification & isolation & its impact on biodiversity
9. Particulate & gaseous emissions
10. Solid waste management
Implementation of the Strategy will be achieved through stakeholder representation
(including community groups, local and State government, industry and individuals)
on the Reference Group working cooperatively to develop strategies and action
plans, identify funding opportunities and undertake on ground work to achieve
identified goals and actions.
Table 4: Major Employment Groups by industry
in Northern Tasmania Source: ABS Census data, 1996
|
INDUSTRY
|
NUMBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED
|
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Agriculture, fishing, forestry
|
|
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Mining
|
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Manufacturing
|
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Electricity, gas, & water
|
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Construction
|
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Wholesale, & retail trade
|
|
|
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Transport and storage
|
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Communications
|
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Finance, property, & business services
|
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Public administration & defence
|
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Community services
|
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Recreation, personal & other services
|
|
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Not stated
|
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TOTAL
|
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Abbreviations
BOD |
Biochemical Oxygen Demands |
CAR |
Comprehensive Adequate & Representative
Reserve System |
CBD |
Central Business District |
CO |
Carbon Monoxide |
DELM |
Department of Environment & Land Management |
DPAC |
Department of Premier and Cabinet |
DPIF |
Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries
(now DPIWE) |
DPIWE |
Department of Primary Industries Water & Environment |
EPA |
Environment Protection Authority |
FPC |
Forest Practices Code |
GA |
Greening Australia |
GTC |
George Town Council |
HRB |
Hazard Reduction Burns |
ICM |
Integrated Catchment Management |
LCC |
Launceston City Council |
LEC |
Launceston Environment Centre |
NEPA |
National Environment Protection Agency |
NHT |
Natural Heritage Trust |
NPI |
National Pollutant Inventory |
NRM |
Natural Resource Management |
NTMO |
Northern Tasmanian Municipal Organisation |
PEV |
Protected Environmental Values |
PWS |
Parks and Wildlife Service |
RPDC |
Resource Planning Development Commission |
SDAC |
Sustainable Development Advisory Council |
SO2 |
Sulphur Dioxide |
TDR |
Tasmania Development & Resources |
TEMCO |
Tasmanian Electro Metallurgical Company |
TFGA |
Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association |
TSS |
Total Suspended Solids |
TVWS |
Tamar Valley Weed Strategy |
WTC |
West Tamar Council |
Glossary
Biodiversity: the variety and diversity of living things,
the sum of the species, ecosystems and genetic diversity. The different
plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genes they contain, and the
ecosystems they form. It is usually considered at four levels: genetic
diversity, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and community diversity.
Community Diversity: means the variety of communities in
an area.
Ecosystem Diversity: means the variety of ecosystems in
an area.
Species Diversity: means the variety of species and their
relative abundance in an area.
Genetic Diversity: means the variety of genetic information
contained in the total genes of individual plants, animals and micro-organisms
in an area.
Geodiversity: refers to the range of earth features including
geological (bedrock), geomorphological (landform), palaeontological,
soil features, assemblages, hydrological and atmospheric features,
systems and earth processes. Geodiversity includes evidence for the
history of the earth (evidence of past life, ecosystems and environments)
and a range of processes (biological, hydrological and atmospheric)
currently acting on rocks, landforms and soils (RFA National Estate
Report Part H., Australian Natural Heritage Charter).
Habitat Loss: Elimination of existing or naturally occurring
environment to the extent that few, if any, of the endemic flora and
fauna can survive; or critical components have been removed for a large
range of species. The area is not available for the range of endemic
flora and fauna that it originally supported. Examples include vegetation
clearing for agriculture and urban development, drainage of wetlands
and river clearing.
Habitat Modification: modification describes changes that
occur to predominantly natural environments that alters the vegetation
structure or other components to reduce (or increase) the abundance
of certain populations and/or eliminate others. Processes which lead
to habitat modification include: inappropriate grazing regimes (overgrazing
may lead to elimination of more palatable species); wood production
(forestry may lead to changes in age structure and floristic diversity);
trampling caused by recreation; collection of plants and animals and
habitat fragmentation. Two primary effects of habitat fragmentation
are the alteration of the microclimate within and surrounding the remnant,
and isolation of each area of the landscape. Effects of microclimate
changes include altered radiation fluxes associated with cleared surrounds,
increased exposure to wind, and modification of water balance as a
result of increased run-off and decreased interception. Modification
of water balance is a cause of increased soil erosion and sedimentation
of the river systems. Fragmentation of habitat disrupts movement of
insects and birds and can affect pollination and seed dispersal of
plants.
Land Capability refers to the capability of the land for
agricultural production without impairing the long term, sustainable
productive potential of the land.
Nuisance Fauna and Flora: animals or plants which are or
have the potential to become serious threats to primary production,
the environment or community health. Animals may be classified as pests
for a variety of reasons such as: they compete with native and agricultural
animals for food and shelter; may prey on native or agricultural animals;
may cause significant losses to crop production; and may contribute
to soil degradation. Pest animals may include native fauna (eg: wallabies
and possums) where modified environments have given rise to population
imbalance of certain species. Plants may be classified as pests for
a range of reasons such as they: compete with more useful plants for
nutrients, moisture, and light; taint and contaminate agricultural
produce, may be poisonous to humans or livestock; harbour pest animals
and disease; and interfere with transport, essential services or recreation
and can invade or overwhelm endemic communities.
Protected Environmental Values: means the value or use for
which it has been determined that a given area of the environment should
be protected. There can, and often will be, more than one protected
environmental value for a given area. Water quality objectives may
be set for surface waters and ground waters in Tasmania by determining
which of the following protected environmental values should apply
to each body of water.
I. Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems
A. Pristine or nearly pristine ecosystems
B. Modified (not pristine) ecosystems
1. from which edible fish, crustacea and shell fish are harvested
2. from which edible fish, crustacea and shell fish are not harvested
II. Recreational Water Quality and Aesthetics
A. Primary contact
B. Secondary Contact
C. Aesthetics only
III. Raw Water for Drinking Water Supply
A. Subject to coarse screening only
B. Subject to coarse screening only plus disinfection
IV. Agricultural Water Uses
A. Irrigation
B. Stock watering
V. Industrial Water Supply
The specific industry type for which the water is to be used must
be specified to identify appropriate guidelines.
Australian Water Quality Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Waters,
ANZECC, 1994
Remnant vegetation: patches of native vegetation
which have survived progressive clearing of land for uses such as agriculture,
forestry, mining and urban development.
Sedimentation: Sedimentation occurs naturally
in streams and wetlands. This is the result of either soil erosion
or in-stream scouring. Causes of sedimentation include increased broadscale
soil loss from clearing, agricultural practices, logging (including
the construction of roads) and fire. Localised disturbances along streams
caused by dam construction, road crossings, mining (including instream
gravel extraction) and construction works can be a major source of
sediment. Sedimentation refers to the deposition of particles on the
stream bottom, wood debris or rocks.
Stakeholder: is any person or institution
who:
- has a controlling influence in the project
- benefits in some way from the project
- has an interest in the process and/or outcome of the project
- has resources invested in the program, or
- has other projects that may depend on the effectiveness of the
project
Unsustainable Land Use/Soil Degradation: Soil
degradation takes many forms, from soil acidity, nutrient decline,
and structural decline. Soil acidity may occur naturally or be induced
by agricultural practices such as the use of acidifying nitrogen and
elemental sulphur fertilisers, and the use of legume dominant pastures.
Soils with a low buffering capacity, such as sandy soils, are more
susceptible to induced salinity than loams and clay soils. Soil acidity
begins to suppress productivity at a pH of less than 5.5 (in water).
High soil acidity can depress plant and root growth and increase the
risk of soil erosion. Nutrient deficiencies in soils can result from
leaching to the subsoils; erosion of topsoil; denitrification and export
of produce. Water logging of some soil types may induce copper deficiency;
whilst restricted root development because of hard pans development
or sub soil collapse reduces plants nutrient uptake ability. Pastoral
and cropping systems can also deplete earth worms and soil microbes
which aid recycling of organic matter and nutrients. Soil structure
refers to the 3-dimensional arrangements of soil aggregate and their
distribution, continuity and pore size. Clearing of native vegetation,
cultivation and grazing have caused widespread decline in soil structure
which results in reduced: air and water penetration; soil biological
activity; root penetration; and plant growth. Increased surface run-off
from soil structure decline may cause erosion down slope.
Water Quality: Within urban areas declining
water quality may be caused by industrial and domestic waste discharges,
run-off from contaminated, exposed soils and polluted storm water.
Within agricultural areas the use of pesticides and herbicides and
the application of artificial fertilisers may have detrimental impacts
both on and off site. Eutrophication of waters can be caused by nutrient
run-off from fertilisers, manure, sewage and other wastes, from agricultural,
industrial and domestic sources.
Water Quantity: water resource development,
clearing of native vegetation and drainage works have substantially
altered flow regimes (frequency, intensity, volume and water depth)
on the South Esk River. Changes in stream flow can cause serious disruptions
to many aquatic species. In drier periods diversion of water accentuates
low flow conditions which may contribute to algal blooms.
Extended
bibliography
ATMOSPHERE
Air Pollution, Environmental Health and Respiratory Diseases Working
Party (1996) Report on an Investigation by an Expert Working Party
into Air Pollution, Environmental; Health and Respiratory Diseases.
Launceston and Upper Tamar Valley; Tasmania, 1991 - 1994, Launceston
City Council, Launceston.
Carnovale, F. (1997) Ambient Air Monitoring of Particulate Matter
in Tasmania. Department of Environment and Land Management.
Todd, J.J & Singline, R. (1989) The Impact of Woodheaters on
Air Quality on Australia. Fuelwood Report No.2 Centre for Environmental
Studies, University of Tasmania.
LAND
Eastoe, C. J. (1979) Geological Monuments in Tasmania - West Tamar
Municipality. Geological Society of Australia. Forestry Commission
of Tasmania. A Manual for Forest Landscape Management. Forestry Commission
of Tasmania.
Forestry Tasmania, (1997); (Map Data) Tasmania: Land Tenure Edition
3, 1997, Forestry Tasmania, Hobart.
DEGRADATION
Barson, M. and Temple-Smith, M. (1997) Tasmanian Soil and Land Resource
Assessment Needs. Third Draft 14th April 1997.
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Private Land in Tasmania. Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries,
Tasmania.
Grice, M. S. (1995b). Assessment of Soil and Land Degradation on
Private Freehold Land in Tasmania. Department of Primary Industry and
Fisheries, Tasmania
Land Management and Rehabilitation Services Pty Ltd (1994) West Tamar
Council Waste Disposal Facility - Soils, Vegetation and Rehabilitation.
Land Management and Rehabilitation Services Pty Ltd, Hobart.
McKenzie, N., 1991; A Strategy for Coordinating Soil Survey and Land
Evaluation in Australia; CSIRO Division of Soils; Canberra
FLORA & FAUNA
Askey Doran and M. Fry (1994) Remnant Vegetation In the West Tamar
Municipality. Report to the Australian Nature Conservation Agency,
Launceston Environment Centre, Launceston.
Bushcare Reference Panel, 1998; Vegetation Management Strategy for
Tasmania: Guidelines for Determining Bushcare Priorities Within a Proposed
New Set of Interim Bio-geographic Regions; Department of Primary Industries,
Water and Environment; Hobart
Kirkpatrick, J.B. (ed)., 1991; Tasmanian Native Bush: A Management
Handbook; Tasmanian Environment Centre; Hobart [Tasmanian Environment
Centre]
Forestry Commission, 1993; Forest Practices Code; Forestry Commission;
Hobart [Forestry Tasmania, Hobart]
Kirkpatrick, J.B., and Harris, S., 1995; The Conservation of Tasmanian
Dry Coastal Vascular Plant Communities; Department of Environment and
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Neyland, M. (1996) Tree Decline in Tasmania: A review of the factors
implicated in tree decline and management recommendations for its control.
Division of Silverculture Research and Development Forestry Tasmania.
Neyland, M., (1996); Tree Decline in Tasmania, Land and Water Management
Council, Tasmania.
Noble K.E. (1991), Land Capability Survey of Tasmania. Pipers Report.
Department of Primary Industry, Tasmania.
Noble K.E. (1992), Land Capability Survey of Tasmania. Tamar Report.
Department of Primary Industry, Tasmania.
Noble, K.E., and Noble, R.B., 1992; Land Capability Survey of Tasmania:
Land Capability Handbook; Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries;
Hobart [DPIF Library, New Town]
Pinkard, G. J. (1980) Land Systems of Tasmania Region 4 Department
of Agriculture, Tasmania.
Private Forests Council, (1991) Managing Your Dry Forests.
TBA Planners Pty Ltd & Armstrong Agricultural Services (1996)
Sustainable Use of intensive Cropping Land. Draft Strategy. Prepared
for Tasmanian Department of Primary Industry & Fisheries in association
with Armstrong Agricultural Services, Simon McGuiness & Associates
and William Wood & Associates.
NUISANCE FAUNA AND FLORA
Bishop, A., 1996; Tasmanian Weed Mapping Guidelines; Department of
Primary Industry & Fisheries; Tasmania [DPIF Library, New Town]
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, 1996; Spartina:
A Threat to Estuaries and Coastal Wetlands in SE Australia; Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources; Melbourne [DELM Library, Hobart]
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Group for the Development of the Tasmanian Weed Management Strategy.
Hedge, P. (1997) Strategy for the management of rice grass (Spartina
anglica) in Tasmania, Australia (draft for public comment). Report
to the Rice Grass Advisory Committee, DPIF.
Hyde-Wyatt, B.H., and Morris, D.I., 1989; Tasmanian Weed Handbook;
Department of Primary Industry, Tasmania; Hobart [DPIF Library, New
Town]
Ministerial Working Group, 1996; Weed Plan: A Tasmanian Weed Management
Strategy; Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries; Hobart [DPIF
Library, New Town]
Parker, G. and Bower, D., 1996; Willow Management Guidelines; Department
of Primary Industries and Fisheries; Hobart [DPIF Library, New Town]
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Estuary, Tasmania; Royal Society of Tasmania; Hobart [University Library,
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Tamar Valley Weed Strategy Working Group (1994) The War Against Weeds
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Tamar Valley Weed Strategy Working Group (1996) Tamar Valley Weed
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Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, 1994; Rice Grass: An Estuarine
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INLAND WATERS AND WETLANDS
Bobbi, C., Fuller, D. A. and Oldmeadow, D. F. R., 1996; South Esk
Basin - State of Rivers Report; Department of Primary Industries and
Fisheries; Hobart [DPIF Library, New Town]
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of the Meander, Macquarie, and South Esk Rivers, Tasmania; Department
of Primary Industries and Fisheries; Hobart [DPIF].
Esk Water, (1998). Esk Water Annual Report. Esk Water.
Fuller, D. A. and Graham, B., 1998; Environmental Flow Estimates
- Meander River at Strathbridge; Department of Primary Industries and
Fisheries; Hobart [DPIF Library, New Town]
Fuller, D. A. and Katona, G. G., 1993; An Overview of Water Quality
Data in Tasmania; Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries; Hobart
[DPIF Library, New Town]
Munks, S., 1996; A Manual for the Rehabilitation and Management of
Riparian Vegetation; Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries;
[DPIF Library, New Town]
Nelson, M., 1997; Environmental Flows Assessment Methods - A Technical
Review; Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries; Hobart [DPIF
Library, New Town]
Tasmanian State Government (1997) State Policy on Water Quality Management,
1997. Government Printer.
West Tamar Landcare Inc., (1998) The Supply River Catchment Resource
Report. A Community Recourse and Feedback Report.
COASTAL ESTUARINE AND MARINE
City of Launceston (1994) Launceston River Environs Study, by TBA
Planners et al, Bendigo Victoria.
Edgar, G.J., Barrett, N.S., and Graddon, D.J. (1998) A Classification
of Tasmanian Estuaries and Assessment of their Conservation Significance:
An Analysis using Ecological and Physical Attributes, Population and
Land Use. Report to Environment Australia from Parks and Wildlife Service,
Department of Environment & Land Management.
National Environmental Consultancy, 1989; Tamar Estuary: Environmental
Baseline Monitoring Program: Coastal and Estuarine Water Quality; Department
of Environment and Planning; Hobart [DELM Library, Hobart].
Northern Tasmania Regional Development Board (1996) Tamar River Environs
Study - Final Report. by TBA Planners Pty Ltd et al, Bendigo Victoria.
Pirzl, H. and Coughanowr, C. (1997) State of the Tamar Estuary: A
review of environmental quality data to 1997. Supervising Scientist
Report 128, Supervising Scientist, Canberra.
Smith, B. J., (1995) Tamar Invertebrates: Atlas of the Common Species.
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston.
BIODIVERSITY
Australian Committee for IUCN (1996) Australian Natural Heritage
Charter: Standards and principles for the conservation of places of
natural heritage significance, Sydney.
Beatley, T., 1991; Protecting Biodiversity in Coastal Environments:
Introduction and Overview; Coastal Management, 19(1): 1-19
Bieda, K. Launceston: Environmental Problems Resulting from Low Density
Development.
Brown, M. J., Hoggins, D. D. and Bayley-Stark, H. J., 1977; Conservation
of Flora in Tasmania: The Status of Plant Species which are Primitive,
Endemic, or of Geographical Significance; PWS; Hobart [DELM Library,
Hobart]
Department of Environment and Land Management, 1996; Tasmanian State
Coastal Policy; Department of Environment and Land Management; Hobart
[DELM Library, Hobart]
Department of Environment, Sport, Territories 1996, The National
Strategy for the conservation of Australia’s Biological Diversity,
Department of Environment, Sport, Territories, Canberra.
Jackson, J., and Taylor, R., 1995; Threatened Fauna Manual for Production
Forests in Tasmania; Forestry Tasmania; Hobart [Forestry Tasmania Library]
Mesibov, R., 1996; Inverterbrate Bioregions in Tasmania; Public Land
Use Commission; Hobart [DELM Library, Hobart]
PLANNING
Banks, A.J., 1999; Regional Natural Resource Management in Tasmania:
A Framework for Developing Strategies and Setting Priorities; DPIWE,
Hobart.
George Town Council (1997). George Town Council Strategic Plan 1997
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George Town Council, (1997). George Town Council Operational Plan
1997/98.
Launceston City Council (1995) Draft Cataract Gorge Reserve Management
Plan, by Jerry de Gryse et al for Launceston City Council.
Launceston City Council (1996) Launceston Planning Scheme 1996 Policy
Papers, Launceston.
Municipality of Beaconsfield (1975) Strategy Plan, by Guthridge Haskins & Davey
Pty Ltd, Melbourne.
Natural Resources and Environment (1997) Using Multi-Criteria Analysis:
A Manual for Ranking Impacts of Land and Water Degradation Version
1. Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria.
Rowland, C.J., 1999; Regional NRM in Tasmania: Case Study – Tamar
Region; DPIWE,Hobart.
Sustainable Development Advisory Council, (1996) State of the Environment
Tasmania, Volume 1 - Conditions and Trends, compiled by the State of
the Environment Unit, Land Information Services, Department of Environment
and Land Management, Tasmania
Sustainable Development Advisory Council, 1996; State of the Environment
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Tamar Region Master Planning Authority, (1990) Rural Report Launceston.
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Tamar Regional Master Planning Authority (1989) Siltation Report.
Tamar Regional Master Planning Authority, Launceston.
Tamar Regional Master Planning Authority (1990) Draft Industrial
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Tamar Regional Master Planning Authority (1990) Draft Strategy Papers
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Tamar Regional Master Planning Authority (1990) Draft Strategy Papers
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Tamar Regional Master Planning Authority (1990) Rural Report, Launceston.
TBA Planners Pty Ltd, (1996) West Tamar Council and Northern Midlands
Council Rural Land Conservation Strategy Issues and Ideas Identification
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in association with Armstrong Agricultural Services, Alex Brownlie
planning Consultant, The Centre for Land Protection Research and Neil
Clarke and Associates.
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Victorian Catchment and Land Protection Council, 1995. Guidelines
for Preparation of Regional Catchment Strategies.
West Tamar Council (1986) Beaconsfield Planning Scheme, West Tamar.
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