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Management implications and future assessment

Management response

Multiple issues have caused the degradation of river condition. Recognising the interconnected nature of many of these issues, an approach that deals with single issues (e.g. environmental flows) is unlikely to produce maximum benefits if other issues are neglected.

The condition of the upper part of a catchment and the connectivity along the stream will have major influences on the ultimate condition of river reaches downstream. Management responses that focus only on the symptoms of catchment-generated problems within main stems of rivers will be unlikely to achieve the desired outcomes; problems that are generated in upstream stems and tributaries also need to be considered.

To deal with the scale and complexity of the problems facing Australia's rivers, management responses should be guided by strategies that:

• address issues at appropriate spatial scales;
• are based on a sound understanding of river processes;
• are not focused on single issues; and
• use an integrated catchment management approach.

To advance effective management strategies ecological outcomes need to be defined and agreed.

After desired ecological outcomes have been identified, priorities for action can be formulated. Rutherfurd et al. (2000) have put forward a robust set of principles appropriate to the scale of this assessment of river condition. These principles establish priorities for action and appropriate types of action for the various groups of rivers:

• protecting reaches that support endangered species or communities;
• protecting reaches in the best general condition;
• stopping streams from deteriorating;
• improving the condition of damaged reaches and focusing on those that are easy to fix; and
• rehabilitating reaches that are already extremely degraded (lowest priority).

Once priorities for action have been established there is a considerable body of information on the appropriate planning and land management practices that should be applied to different land use activities (e.g. Lovett & Price 1999). Examples include agricultural practices focusing on minimum tillage and soil conservation, and conservative practices for urban development, stormwater and sewerage. These types of practices are aimed at minimising the delivery of material to rivers.

Other management practices deal with riparian areas, where limited stock access and revegetation can prevent gully and riverbank erosion, and buffer streams from soil and nutrient inputs. The large stores of fine sediment in some lowland rivers may mean that source reduction will not lead to measurable water quality improvements in lowland rivers in the short term.

Rehabilitation of rivers already carrying large amounts of sediment can be slow and made difficult by the scale of the problem. Sand slugs 40-80 km long, will take decades to move past a fixed point. Any conservation/rehabilitation strategy must be considered very carefully before action is taken.

Much of this information on good management practices has been available for a considerable time. If rivers are to be managed sustainably, the crucial step for river managers is to plan strategically and implement management action in the best possible areas. Assessments such as the river assessment provide a framework for inputs into regional natural resource priority setting and regional planning.

State management arrangements and policies

Following are examples of the management arrangements, legislation and policies for rivers in Australia

New South Wales

New South Wales has a range of intergovernmental and stakeholder arrangements for coordinating and consulting on water management issues. The Department of Land and Water Conservation is responsible for overall use and management of water resources.

Intergovernmental forums have been established to ensure whole of government involvement and commitment (e.g. the heads of the key water agencies in New South Wales form the Water CEOs, which meets a number of times a year to advise Cabinet on water policy issues). Key water agencies include:

• Department of Land and Water Conservation (lead agency for water, soil, vegetation resources and crown land management);
• Environment Protection Authority (lead agency for environmental pollution control and New South Wales State of the Environment reports);
• National Parks and Wildlife Service (lead agency for park and reserve management and biodiversity conservation);
• NSW Fisheries (lead agency for aquatic biodiversity and fish resource management);
• NSW Agriculture;
• Department of Urban Affairs and Planning (lead agency for statutory planning);
• Cabinet Office; and
• NSW Treasury.

The Water Advisory Council was established in 1995 to advise the Minister for Land and Water Conservation on water management issues. It is made up of representatives of the peak water user and interest groups (e.g. NSW Irrigators Council, NSW Farmers, NSW Aboriginal Land Council, Australian Conservation Foundation, Nature Conservation Council of NSW, and the Local Government and Shires Association).

At the local level, the Minister for Land and Water Conservation has established 32 water management committees with the key focus of developing draft water-sharing plans for major regulated river and groundwater systems and a number of priority unregulated river catchments throughout New South Wales. These water management committees are made up of representatives of local government; Indigenous, and water interest and conservation groups; catchment management boards; and water agencies.

Eighteen catchment management boards focus on managing land, water and vegetation in a more integrated way including establishing links between water and vegetation committees to ensure that their plans are compatible. These boards prepare catchment management plans that identify the key natural resource issues of the region, set the first order objectives and targets and develop management options, strategies and actions to address them.

Policies

One of the most fundamental changes to the water management framework in New South Wales was the passage of the Water Management Act 2000 (NSW). This integrates a number of previous Acts into a single comprehensive piece of legislation that covers catchments to the sea. The objects of the Act are to ensure that water is used, shared and allocated in ways that will not threaten the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The Act recognises that the fundamental health of rivers and groundwater systems and associated wetlands, floodplains, estuaries and coastal waters has to be protected as a priority.

One of the requirements of the Act is the development of the State Water Management Outcomes Plan. This plan sets the overarching direction and specific targets for water management for the next five years including creation of water sharing and other water management plans and addressing (but not limited to):

• water sharing;
• water use;
• drainage management;
• floodplain management;
• controlled activities and aquifer interference; and
• environmental protection.

The Act also sets requirements for a range of water management plans (e.g. water sharing, water use, drainage and floodplain management) and provides a statutory basis for these. Water sharing plans that are currently being drafted will set the environmental flow rules and provisions to protect ecosystem health and will determine water available for users. The plans will be in effect for ten years.

Activities that may impact on rivers and groundwater and their dependent ecosystems are also to be managed under the Water Management Act 2000. This includes a licensing system and incorporation of environmental provisions into regional environmental plans.

Many existing State management policies will be recognised under the State Water Management Outcome Plan. The NSW Wetland Management Policy was endorsed in 1996 to encourage projects and activities to protect and restore the quality of the State's wetlands. The Weir Review Policy was introduced in the late 1990s to provide a framework for review and management of weirs to reduce their impact on the environment including fish populations. The NSW Groundwater-dependent Ecosystems Policy has been introduced to facilitate the protection of ecosystems dependent on groundwater supply for their survival including some baseflow to wetlands and rivers.

In addition New South Wales has introduced or is introducing a number of strategies that relate to the protection of river health. These include the NSW Water Conservation Strategy that addresses water use efficiency and conservation in urban and rural areas. Currently the NSW Aquatic Biodiversity Strategy is being drafted to protect the native biodiversity and ecological processes of New South Wales' aquatic ecosystems.

State water monitoring strategy

The State Water Monitoring Coordination Committee is responsible for the development of a State Water Monitoring Strategy. The scope of the Strategy includes all aspects of water monitoring (e.g. quality, ecosystem health, flow, height, tidal range, wave amplitude) for groundwater and surface water from freshwater to estuarine and marine waters. The committee is chaired by the Environment Protection Authority and membership includes the Department of Land and Water Conservation, NSW Fisheries, NSW Agriculture, NSW Health, State Forests NSW, Hunter Water Corporation, Sydney Water Corporation, Sydney Catchment Authority, CSIRO, NSW Coastal Council, Murray-Darling Basin Commission and Streamwatch.

In March 2001, the New South Wales Cabinet issued a decision on the development of the State water monitoring strategy. The decision included:

• the implementation of an interim strategy funded from existing resources and largely based on existing programs; and
• the development of a more comprehensive ongoing State water monitoring strategy to meet all government water monitoring needs.

It is anticipated that the ongoing State Water Monitoring Strategy will be put to Cabinet by December 2002 and that additional resources are likely to be required to implement the strategy.

Queensland

Water Resources Act 1989 (Qld)

• Administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines.
• Principal legislation for the protection of the physical integrity of non-tidal rivers, lakes, and springs and their riparian environments.

The Act applies to all lands (Crown and private) within the high banks of a stream or lake as well as imposing limited controls on lands outside of these features. It provides for protection against disturbances that may adversely affect the stability of bed and banks of streams and lakes (e.g. the clearing of native vegetation, excavation, and placement of fill). It also relates to activities outside of these features that may adversely impact on water quality. The protection is managed by way of a permitting system plus powers to issue 'stop work' notices.

Water Act 2000 (Qld)

• Administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines.
• Principal legislation for the allocation and management of water resources, both surface and groundwater, in Queensland.

The Act provides for the establishment of water resource plans, which specify water security objectives and ecological outcomes to be achieved in a basin or aquifer. Water security objectives may include tradable water entitlements to facilitate improved water use efficiency. Ecological outcomes may include environmental flows and other stream health objectives. Performance of the plans is regularly monitored against their objectives.

Vegetation Management Act 1999 (Qld)

• Principal legislation for the management of native vegetation on freehold land for ecologically sustainable use of land, protection of biodiversity and other environmental and social values, prevention of land degradation, and protection of water quality.

River Improvement Trust Act 1940 (Qld)

• Administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines.
• Establishes river trusts and provides powers to undertake works within streams for the purposes of flood mitigation and stream improvement or protection.

The Act does not provide river trusts with powers to permit or control works undertaken by other bodies or persons. It does give river trusts the power to impose a notice on landholders or other persons to prevent them from undertaking a work or activity where the river trust believes that activity may be detrimental to the condition of a stream or may adversely affect the works of the river trust. A notice may also require a person to rectify modification caused by an activity.

Rural Lands Protection Act 1985 (Qld)

• Administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines.
• Principal legislation for the management and control of certain pests and weeds in Queensland.

Certain animals and plants can be declared noxious in various categories under the Act for the purposes of control (destroy, reduce or contain). The Act requires occupiers of private lands to control all declared plants and animals. A person failing to do so may be served a notice by the local government or State to control specified plants or animals, in specified areas and by a set time. If the notice is not complied with, the local government or State may carry out the work listed in the notice and recover costs from the person. A notice binds successors in title.

Coastal Protection and Management Act 1995 (Qld)

• Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Principal legislation for the management of the State's coastline, including tidal streams, estuaries, coastal waters and surrounding lands. It provides powers to control development and activities within these lands.

Fisheries Act 1994 (Qld)

• Administered by the Department of Primary Industries.
• Principal legislation for the protection and management of the State's fresh and marine fishery resources, including marine plants, fish habitats and declared fish habitat areas. The clearing of marine plants (e.g. seagrasses, saltcouch, mangroves, melaleuca) is controlled through a permitting process.

Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Qld)

• Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Principal legislation for the conservation and management of the State's native flora and wildlife. This can be achieved by the declaration of protected areas and the management of these areas.

A key goal of the Act is the preservation of endangered, vulnerable and rare species of flora and fauna. This can be achieved through recovery plans, conservation plans and voluntary conservation agreements. Rivers often contain these species.

Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld)

• Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Principal legislation for the protection of the State's environmental values.

The Act imposes a general environmental duty of care on all persons, requiring them to take all reasonable and practicable measures to prevent or minimise likely environmental harm. The Act controls a wide range of activities (called environmentally relevant activities) by way of licence or permit, many of which could impact on rivers. It also provides power for the agency to issue an environmental protection order on unauthorised activities.

The Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 1997 prepared under the Act establishes the framework for the protection of the environmental values of waters (including bed and banks). The value to protect the 'aquatic ecosystem' of waters would include protection of river values.

Integrated Planning Act 1997 (Qld)

• Principal legislation for land use planning by the State's local governments.

The Act provides powers for local governments to declare and impose development constraints. It also establishes an integrated development application assessment system which involves all State and statutory bodies with powers relevant to a proposed development.

Future assessment of river condition

The results of the river assessment were limited by the available data. The assessment of river condition relied on disparate data sets provided by Commonwealth, State and Territory agencies. There are significant differences in the way data are recorded, stored and analysed across State and Territory borders, making it difficult to collate and synthesise data into an Australia-wide assessment. Standardised site codes and location coordinate systems (including datum, projection and accuracy) would save much effort and reduce a major source of error.

Measures of reliability and confidence in the results are also important to guide users of the information.

The results of the assessment are adequate given the limited data available, but better input data would allow higher resolution outcomes which could form the foundation for more informed decisions. The following improvements in Australia-wide data sets would increase the certainty and robustness of a future river assessment.

• Improved information on hydrology - change to hydrology, a major driver of river condition, was insufficiently represented in the river assessment because of lack of baseline data. Although there are many stream-gauging stations collecting data in a standardised way across Australia, there are very few modelled hydrological data on flow regimes prior to European settlement. Assessments also need updated data on extraction, catchment water yield and structures that modify hydrologic regimes.
• An Australia-wide data set on riparian vegetation - riparian vegetation is a critical ecosystem component, and information on its extent and condition is important for informed management (see box p. 86).
• Data on other aquatic biota (e.g. fish, water birds and vegetation) are needed to augment the Australia-wide coverage of macro-invertebrate information.
• Information on pollutants - the National Pollutant Inventory need to be expanded to include emission of biocides with arrangements put in place to require reporting of biocide use.
• Standardised collection of water quality data - many of the water quality data collected across Australia are collected to provide information on specific issues, or to assess drinking or recreational water quality. The inclusion of additional measures (e.g. water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentrations, and sediment and nutrient loads) would improve our understanding of water quality.
• Improved information on salinity - salinity is a increasing problem in many parts of temperate Australia. The database for stream salinity relies on sampling or continuous recording of salinity at a limited number of sites. This information could be augmented by development of a stream salinity model capable of predicting salinity concentrations based on catchment characteristics analogous to the sediment and nutrient models developed in the river assessment.
• Better understanding of habitat interactions - loss of habitat has been identified a major issue for most ecosystems, including aquatic ecosystems. Methods for assessing both instream and riparian channel form and habitat are needed.
• Information on pests - pest species (plant and animal) are known to have ecological impacts. Information is required about their extent and their interactions with riverine ecology.

Australia-wide reporting of river condition

To undertake the assessment of river condition, the project generated a national set of river reaches. This grouping is an important output and has potential for use as a common reporting unit in future river assessment and management. Reach definitions already in use by States/Territories or regional assessments can be used to refine the reach network and finalise an agreed reporting system. It should also be extended to encompass all parts of Australia.

A national protocol for reporting river condition has been developed for the Australian Natural Resources Atlas reporting and provides for the inclusion of results from river assessments at State/Territory or regional level. It strengthens the overall results of the river assessment, as the best available information can be incorporated from local, regional and State/Territory levels, without compromising the role of the national assessment.

The protocol:

• recognises that the Audit river assessment is an Australia-wide assessment and that more detailed assessments at the State/Territory or regional levels exist in some States;
• recognises that for comparable assessments to be considered they must be conceptually similar to the Audit river assessment;
• recognises that for comparable assessments to be considered they must be able to be linked spatially to the Audit river assessment;
• will adopt a precautionary approach whereby the result presenting the more conservative (least favourable) measure of river health or condition shall be applied;
• maintains the scientific principles and concepts underpinning the Audit river assessment; and
• will ensure that all decisions, results and assumptions are recorded and reported with the assessment results.

The reporting bands, ranges of results and nomenclature from comparable assessments will be evaluated and reviewed to produce a best fit with the Audit river assessment. Where the Audit river assessment or the comparable assessment does not report a value for a particular river reach then the assessment which has recorded a result will be used for that reach. Confidence limits that fall within the range of the results from the Audit river assessment (e.g. in the case of the Index of Stream Condition, results falling within G5% of each other will automatically be ascribed to the reporting range of the Index of Stream Condition) will be determined for results from the comparable assessment. Where results differ by more than the confidence limits or by more than one reporting band, a case-by-case review will be undertaken against underlying data and other relevant information from the Audit river assessment and the comparable assessment, before placing the river reach into a condition class. In all other cases the precautionary principle is applied, thereby assigning the more conservative (least favourable) condition assessment.

Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland each have river condition assessment programs in place. When the protocol is applied to reach results for all States/Territories, a comparable Australia-wide assessment of river condition will have been achieved.

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