Draft Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy

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1 Draft Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy

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3 Have Your Say This brochure provides a brief summary of the key issues and management actions of the Draft Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy that has been released for public comment. You are invited to Have Your Say on the Draft Strategy by forwarding your comments to: Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy Hobart Water, PO Box 1060, Glenorchy, TAS, 7010 Facsimile or hobartwater@hobartwater.com.au The closing date for your comments is 14 August 2002 If you would like to look at the fully documented Draft Strategy, a copy can be viewed at: If you would like to obtain a complete copy of the Draft Strategy for the cost of $10.00 (inc. GST) please contact Hobart Water on , facsimile or hobartwater@hobartwater.com.au. Public Information Day A special public information and consultation day will be advertised in the Mercury newspaper, and on Hobart Water s website. You and your family and friends are invited to visit Wellington Park, find out about the proposals for the catchment, talk with steering committee representatives and enjoy the surroundings. Hobart Water Offices, 2-4 Negara Crescent, Goodwood, Glenorchy; Fern Tree Shop, Ferntree; Service Tasmania Shop, Lands Building, 134 Macquarie Street, Hobart; Local council offices at Derwent Valley, Southern Midlands, Brighton, Glenorchy, Hobart City, Clarence City, Kingborough and Sorell; and, Website:

4 2 Draft Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy Background The Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchments are a vital component of Hobart Water s bulk water supply system that provides the drinking water to eight councils in south-east Tasmania. The water from these catchments accounts for nearly one-quarter of the water that the councils supply to households and industries in their respective municipalities. It is therefore imperative that action be taken now to protect and preserve these catchments because if they are lost it will almost certainly mean that consumers of the future will suffer: water shortages in the Hobart area during peak supply periods (and the complete loss of water supply to Fern Tree, which relies solely on water from Wellington Park); and Because the water from the Wellington dramatically increased water costs. Park catchments is of a very high quality, it requires only to be The Draft Wellington Park Drinking disinfected before it is supplied to Water Catchment Management Strategy councils. However, water from other (the Draft Strategy) is designed to sources requires expensive additional prevent this from happening. It pumping and/or treatment before it identifies potential threats to water can be piped to councils for on-supply quality and quantity within the to the community. Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchments and formulates The Wellington Park Drinking Water management actions that will allow Catchments are therefore of enormous Hobart Water, the stakeholders and the economic and social value to the community to work together to protect community and to metropolitan both the quality and quantity of the councils. However, they are vulnerable Park water. because the water undergoes minimal storage time before disinfection, and it In this way, the Draft Strategy is is at risk of contamination from the consistent with, and a key part of, effects of land erosion, fire, landslips Hobart Water's broader strategy to and human and animal behaviour. By ensure that the supply of high quality way of example, water from some drinking water from all water catchments does not currently meet the catchments in southern Tasmania can required drinking water guidelines for be sustained for the benefit of future at least part of the year and it is generations of water users. therefore excluded from Hobart Water s supply system. The Draft Strategy is also an important component of the Wellington Park Management Plan (1997), which recommends the preparation of a coordinated strategy plan to manage water quality issues in the catchments of the Park. The various stakeholders and organisations that had input to the preparation of the Draft strategy are shown on page 3; and the Draft Strategy s vision and objectives are listed on page 4. A summary of the key management actions that are recommended in the Draft Strategy are shown on page 5. These are designed to protect the future quality and quantity of water harvested from these important catchments while still enabling other uses of Wellington Park to continue. Hobart Water, in consultation with the Wellington Park Management Trust, has already begun to implement a number of these management actions. These initiatives will be progressed by way of short-term and ongoing programs that are integral to the overall drinking water catchment management strategy. The co-operative approach used for the development of this Management Strategy has demonstrated the importance that stakeholders have placed on the sustainable delivery of high quality water. It is now Hobart Water's responsibility, in conjunction with the stakeholders, to implement the Strategy actions and to provide progress reports until a formal review is undertaken in five years time.

5 Draft Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy 3 The Steering Committee An overall committee was established comprising a core Steering Committee and a Reference Group. Alliances were formed between each Steering Committee member and Reference Group members to ensure that the views of the latter were represented on the Steering Committee. Steering Committee members represented the following organisations: Wellington Park Management Trust, Hobart Water, Hobart City Council, Glenorchy City Council, Kingborough Council, National Parks & Wildlife, Tasmanian Fire Service, Hobart Walking Club, Cascade Brewery, Huon Valley Council, and North West Bay River Catchment Committee. Reference Group members represented the following organisations: Mountain River Landcare & Waterwatch, Hydro Tasmania, Trail Riders Action Club, Waterwatch, Tasmanian Landcare Association, Cascade Landcare Group, Fern Tree Community Association, Fern Tree Community & Landcare Group, Ridgeway Progress Association, Huon Healthy Rivers, Tourism Tasmania, Collinsvale Precinct Committee, Transend, Humphrey Rivulet Care Group, State Bicycle Advisory Committee, Tasmanian Outdoor Recreational Council, Department of Health, Derwent Valley Council, and Trail Riders Recreational Council. The project consultant is WATER ECOscience Pty Ltd.

6 4 Draft Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy Vision and Objectives Vision Statement The Wellington Park Catchments to be effectively managed in an environmentally responsible manner to ensure preservation of sustainable quantities of high quality drinking water. Management Objectives The management objectives for the Wellington Park drinking water catchments are: To develop a management strategy for the protection and sustainability of the water resources in the Park. To make recommendations for amendments to the Wellington Park Management Plan that will improve protection and sustainability of the water resources in the Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchments. To meet the objectives specified under the Wellington Park Management Plan Water Supply Management Objectives (including protection of the existing character and features of the Park whilst providing tourism and recreational opportunities) and comply with the content of the Wellington Park Management Plan. To preserve the naturally high quality of water from the Wellington Park Catchments by protecting them from physical disturbances and inappropriate use and by managing compatible recreational pursuits. To meet the following water quality guidelines: NHMRC Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (1996) - for treated water supplied to Councils, NHMRC Australian Guidelines for Recreational Use of Water "Schedule 1, Primary Contact Recreation" relating to microbiological faecal indicators - for source waters prior to treatment. To adopt a risk management plan so that downstream consumers (excluding waysiders) are protected from disruptions to water quality following major catchment disturbances such as high rainfall or snowmelt events. To minimise adverse impacts on environmental flows in North West Bay River, Browns River, Knights Creek and Humphrey Rivulet through appropriate demand management and system operational strategies.

7 Draft Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy 5 Specific actions of the draft Strategy include: Access to catchments and proximity of trails to intakes/buffer strips Wellington Park s network of access trails (fire, water supply and power infrastructure) and walking tracks allow human access to the drinking water catchments. Because of this, the drinking water can be contaminated by the behaviour of people and the domestic animals that accompany them. Management actions include the implementation of a public education campaign to increase awareness of issues relating to the catchment and intakes; enforcement of existing Park regulations; and promotion of the development and use of alternative areas outside the Park for activities that are incompatible with the Park. Public awareness and education, regulation enforcement Users of the Park are often unaware of drinking water catchment areas in the Park, their importance to the Hobart area, as well as the regulations covering community activities that may adversely affect water quality. Management actions include an increase in the presence of Authorised Officers in the Park during times of high public usage; a publicity/education program; and encouraging committed people living locally to educate and advise others in the Park. Summary of Management Actions Storage capacity and storage time At most of the Wellington Park drinking water catchments there is insufficient storage time for the sedimentation of particulate material and pathogens to occur. Other processes which decrease pathogen numbers also have insufficient time to run their full course. Also, there is little capacity to supply water to Fern Tree from other sources if the Mountain catchments become unavailable. Management actions included the provision of online monitoring for turbidity and flow of water at key intakes; and the development of contingency plans in the case of an inability to use the catchments.

8 6 Draft Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy Agency coordination Coordination between agencies managing the Park under the auspices of the Wellington Park Management Trust is essential to ensure management actions are effective. Management actions include initiatives to facilitate a high degree of cooperation and information dissemination through the WPMT; and the enforcement of Park regulations in a coordinated manner between agencies. Maintenance access and pipeline failure The pipelines leading from the Hobart mountain catchments are generally old and pass through steep and rough terrain prone to landslips. Also, some intakes cannot be accessed for OH&S concerns for inspection and cleaning. Management actions include the implementation of measures that allow for safe access to intakes and investigation of options for rapid detection of leaks in pipelines. Domestic, feral and native animals The most commonly encountered domestic animals in the Park are dogs, usually unrestrained, on the more accessible lower slopes. Management actions include public education directed at those who illegally exercise dogs in the water catchments (coupled with enforcement and adequate signage). Horse riding will remain prohibited in catchment areas and consideration will be given to caging intakes to exclude animals, with controlled water release for native fauna. Landslips Landslips are an important water quality and quantity issue in the Wellington Park because they can generate large amounts of sediment and increase stream turbidity for periods of time. Landslips may be natural in occurrence or triggered by poor management practises. Management actions include undertaking a landslip risk assessment to identify catchments most at risk; examining (where possible) high risk areas for signs of instability after heavy rain; and eliminating any identified potential causes of landslips such as the wash-outs on Knights Creek Trail. High rainfall High rainfall events increase turbidity because streams and surface runoff carry higher sediment loads. This may increase microbiological contamination after extended dry periods. Management actions include increasing the inspection & cleaning of intakes following heavy rainfall; and investigating the installation of selfcleaning screens on intakes where possible. Drought Climate variability is a feature of the climate of Wellington Park and droughts are common. These may reduce both the quality and quantity of

9 Draft Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy 7 water to the extent that some catchments may cease to flow. Management actions include encouraging water conservation measures within the community at times of low water yield from the catchments, and formulation of contingency plans to meet supply in times of severe drought. Bush fires Wellington Park has a long history of fire, with the 1967 fires the most extensive in recent times. Few fires are natural occurrences, with most either escaped fuel reduction burns or arson. Erosion after bush fires can mean that harvested water will be unsuitable for months or years due to ash contamination and increased turbidity. Management actions include implementation of the Wellington Park Fire Management Strategy; and commissioning a risk assessment of the likely impact of fire on the Wellington Park drinking water catchments. Vandalism and sabotage With ready community access to the water catchments and associated infrastructure there is already considerable evidence of vandalism in Wellington Park. Vandalism, sabotage and other illegal activities in the Park can lead to contamination of the water supplies. Management actions include implementing the public education program (backed by enforcement) as noted previously; increasing the frequency of catchment inspection including weekends and public holidays; and fostering a high level of agency coordination to allow uniform enforcement of regulations. Operational knowledge/contingency plans Water flow within the water supply system is mostly controlled manually by Hobart Water personnel, who have a considerable understanding of how the system operates over a wide range of environmental conditions. The system is vulnerable to loss of this expertise and the availability of contingency plans. Management actions include ensuring all operational procedures/practises are documented; examining options for automatic or centralised control of appropriate parts of the system; and implementing selected options. Proximity of landfill The Glenorchy landfill is less than one kilometre north of the Tolosa Reservoir and close to Limekiln Reservoir and Knights Creek Dam. The landfill attracts large numbers of birds that then congregate around the water storages. Pathogens may be transferred to the water storages by the birds moving to and from the landfill. Management actions include an examination of the option to cover the Tolosa storage; continuation of regular water quality monitoring of these storages; and an examination of available methods to deter birds from congregating around the storages.

10 8 Draft Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy Proximity of development or proposed developments Developments on a scale that may threaten water quality values are likely only in the Springs Zone and the Recreation Zones. The management objectives for these zones do not include water quality protection (Wellington Park Management Plan 1997). Management actions include efforts to have water conservation measures included as a fundamental requirement for any Council approved development in the Fern Tree area; and ensuring that development within the Glenorchy Recreational Zone is consistent with maintaining water quality in the nearby catchments. Tracks Tracks and trails not only have the potential to facilitate water contamination by humans, but in some cases may also directly compromise water quality because they are poorly constructed or positioned. This can lead to erosion and the movement of sediment into waterways. Management actions include repairing the Knights Creek Trail washout; abstracting water from Browns River above Silver Falls (instead of existing location) to avoid poorly maintained and exposed trackworks; and providing an alternative venue for trail bike riders. Chemical herbicides and others, including spills Chemical contamination of the catchments may occur from herbicides, spills at the Springs and the Pinnacle Road, as well as from the use of fire retardants and deliberate contamination. Management actions include a review of vehicle barriers and access routes into Glenorchy catchments; inclusion of safeguards in any development proposal for The Springs to prevent contamination; and preventing the use of fire retardants within drinking water catchments. Weeds and plant pathogens Exotic weed species have been recorded near the Park boundaries (WPMT, 1996). These species are spread by visitors, domestic animals and vehicles. Due to the clearing of other plants, the weeds can proliferate along vehicle access routes and at other disturbed sites. These weeds have the potential to impact on water quality. Management actions include limiting vehicle usage along the Pipeline Track and Glenorchy fire trails; minimising disturbances within catchments that promote weed proliferation; and controlling the spread of weeds where detected. Climate change Weather variability is likely to increase in the future as a result of climate change. Natural variability will continue to be the dominant factor in the climate system for the immediate future. Management actions include the formulation of contingency plans for unusually dry or wet periods. Water quantity The Department of Primary Industries Water and Environment is currently assessing environmental flow requirements for water supply catchments in Wellington Park. Management actions include assessing the impact of the environmental flow provisions on water supply and ensuring that approval of developments takes into account the availability of water both now and in the future.

11 Draft Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment Management Strategy 9 GLENORCHY Collinsvale Tolosa Park MOUNT HULL Knights Creek Reservoir Lime Kiln Reservoir MOUNT CONNECTION MOUNT ARTHUR Big Bend P I N N A C L E R O A D MT WELLINGTON 1270m Organ Pipes Dead Island MOUNT MONTAGU Wellington Falls North West Bay River Smiths Monument The Springs Silver Falls Fern Tree St Crispins Well Pipeli ne Track Neika Wellington Park Drinking Water Catchment area

12 Hobart Water 2 4 Negara Crescent PO Box 1060 Goodwood, Glenorchy Tasmania 7010 T F E. hobartwater@hobartwater.com.au