Business viability threatened: Although the amount of water that could be taken into farm dams had been allowed to be maximised, this amount had been limited due to low inflows over the 2007 winter/spring period. If nothing was done, the viability of farm businesses in the River Clyde Valley would be threatened. This was the second successive year of drought in the Valley, and the release of a limited amount of irrigation water would provide certainty for farmers to maintain fodder and poppy crops over the coming months.
Previous exemption: The Commonwealth Minister had previously exempted (7 November 2007), under section 158 of the EPBC Act, the release of water from Lake Crescent for critical human and stock needs (total volume up to 2,000 megalitres) from the usual requirements of assessment and approval under the Act. If approved, the referred action to release 3,300 megalitres of water from Lake Crescent for irrigation purposes would be managed concurrently with the release of water for critical human and stock needs.
Reference: Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; Release of water from Lake Crescent, Tasmania for the purpose of irrigation. Referring party: Hon David Llewellyn MHA, Minister for Primary Industries and Water. First Floor, Franklin Square Offices HOBART TAS 7000
(03) 6233 6454, david.llewellyn@parliament.tas.gov.au.
Erisk Net, 13/12/2007