A review of the Mersey Water Management Plan 2005 was conducted between 2020 and 2024. Amendments were made through a statutory plan review process that considered input from the public and licenced water users:
Mersey Irrigators Group
Hydro Tasmania
Tasmanian Irrigation
Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association
Tasmanian Agricultural and Productivity Group
Cradle Coast NRM
Paddle Tasmania
Anglers Alliance Tasmania
Six Rivers Aboriginal Corporation
Key differences
There are several key differences between the 2005 and 2024 plans:
simplified and modernised Plan format
inclusion of an Acknowledgement of Country
removal or amendment of unnecessary provisions – i.e. provisions that duplicate those in the Water Management Act 1999, and removal of groundwater and metering provisions to reflect current policy and the level of risk in the catchment
updated objectives of the Plan and inclusion of a vision and outcomes
comprehensive information on water dependant values that are important to stakeholders in the Plan area and how they relate to the objectives and rules in the Plan
defining clear allocation limits and take periods to be consistent with contemporary policy
constant monthly cease-to-take of 195 ML/day (measured at the Shale Road steam flow gauge) from 1 December to 31 May that reflects an improved minimum environmental release from Lake Parangana by Hydro Tasmania
reviewed monthly cease-to-take thresholds for 1 June to 30 November to implement more consistent level of access in each month. The cease-to-take thresholds for October and November were not changed
An opportunistic take – access threshold to allow water to be taken during high flow events.
Supporting Information
A range of supporting documents were produced during the review and development of the 2024 Plan. The documents below informed the development of the 2024 Plan. They provide:
information on the important freshwater values in the catchment
scientific and technical information about the water resource
how we came to make certain decisions when reviewing and updated the Water Management Plan.
Summary of Key Findings in the Mersey River Catchment Water Resources Information 2022 (PDF 636Kb)
Mersey River Catchment Water Resources Information (PDF 6Mb)
Surface Water Hydrology of the Mersey River Catchment 2020 (PDF 5Mb)
The Impact Assessments document below supported the development of the Mersey River Catchment Water Management Plan 2024. it compared the different management options considered during the Plan review process, and why the preferred option was chosen:
Draft Amended Mersey Water Management Plan 2023 - Impact Assessments (PDF 740Kb)