Guy Barnett,Minister for Primary Industries and Water
Community input sought for managing liquid gold
The Tasmanian Government recognises the value of water and strongly supports the jobs and opportunities it unlocks for rural and regional Tasmania.
Today’s release of the Draft Rural Water Use Strategy provides an opportunity for stakeholders and the community to give feedback to ensure that Tasmania continues to manage our water resource effectively.
The Draft Strategy sets out proposed key reforms to Tasmania’s water management framework to guide future water management arrangements to ensure better, fairer and more efficient regulation of our water resources.
Water is liquid gold and our commitment to deliver water infrastructure will ensure it continues to transform Tasmanian agriculture while creating jobs and expanding farm production to meet the growing demand for Tasmania’s premium produce.
We are also working to develop our strategic opportunities in renewable energy production and our freshwater resources will play a key role. Freshwater is also vital to a range of other uses and values such as town water supplies, industrial and commercial uses, tourism, fishing, and environmental values.
The Government has sought input from key stakeholders and the general public in the development of the Draft Strategy to ensure that it is meaningful and relevant to the rural communities, industries and water resource systems it aims to support.
Feedback received on the Draft Strategy will inform the priorities and actions of the final Strategy which is due to be completed in early 2021.
I am passionate about managing our water resources to benefit the whole of our State and I encourage everyone to make a submission, with public comment open until 5pm, Wednesday 16 December 2020.
The Draft Strategy can be viewed at https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/water/water-legislation-policies-and-strategies/rural-water-use-strategy
