A new funding model announced by Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania re-invest 80 per cent of the fees it collects to support sustainable use of the state's freshwater assets.
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Primary Industries Minister Jo Palmer announced last week the new retention investment model. It comes after scrutiny of the issue of water management following concerns made by water ecologists and academics.
"Our government is investing up to an additional $360,000 per annum in a new revenue retention model that will be used to improve the sustainable management of our freshwater resources," Mrs Palmer said.
"The retention model will see the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania re-invest up to 80 per cent of the fees it receives from water managers under the Water Management Act, meaning water users are making a direct financial contribution towards the sustainable management of our state's waterways."
An internal NRE report showed nearly half of Tasmania's rivers had experienced a level of ecological decline, due to complex factors as a result of industrialisation - for example from agriculture, irrigation, mining, aquaculture and forestry.
The expansion of irrigation schemes in Tasmania and the impact of agriculture was named as the reason for the ecological decline, and has water experts worried about the increasing competition for the resource.
Tasmania is pursuing expansion of its hydro schemes with Marinus Link and Battery of the Nation, along with the fledgling hydrogen industry, and exponential expansion of irrigation schemes. It also has ambitious goals for the agriculture sector - aiming for a farmgate value of exports of $10 billion for 2050 as part of AgriVision 2050.
Mrs Palmer said the additional funding would be used to implement priority actions identified in the Rural Water Use Strategy including the review of Tasmania's water allocation policy, upgrading monitoring infrastructure and activities to support water managers to develop a monitoring program.
However, it will not be used to find the three new science water projects also announced in previous weeks, including the Groundwater Assessment.
"This investment is in addition to the more than $1.8 million in joint Tasmanian and Australian Government investment announced last month to deliver three freshwater science projects as part of the Rural Water Use Strategy," Mrs Palmer said.
Last financial year, NRE collected a total of $1.175 million in water fees.
Based on 2021-22 revenue, it is expected that the Department will now retain about $939,000 per annum from water fees.
It is expected to increase the total annual retained revenue from $579,000 to $939,000. A total increase of by $360 000 per annum.
Ms Palmer said the government was serious about protecting Tasmania's precious freshwater resource and was proud to have delivered other measures to support this action.
Other funding includes $5 million in the past two years for the River Health Action Plan to improve water quality by fencing livestock from waterways, investing $1.5 million to deliver initiatives from the Rural Water Use Strategy, and securing $26.5 million from the federal government for water infrastructure projects to deliver improved environmental outcomes.
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Caitlin Jarvis
I have worked in the Tasmanian digital/print media for 11 years, spanning two newsrooms. I have developed a keen interest in agricultural, development and education news, as well as issues-based long-form journalism. Contact me at caitlin.jarvis@examiner.com.au
I have worked in the Tasmanian digital/print media for 11 years, spanning two newsrooms. I have developed a keen interest in agricultural, development and education news, as well as issues-based long-form journalism. Contact me at caitlin.jarvis@examiner.com.au
