Submission on Draft Water Sharing Plan for the Murrumbidgee River

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Inland Rivers Network and Nature Conservation Council submission: Draft Water Sharing Plan for the Murrumbidgee Regulated River Water Source – 14 June 2002 IRN, NCC and ACF has concerns about the lack of SMART targets in relation to the monitoring of water use and water quality. Base-line information is required to gauge on-going impacts of the water sharing proposals. It is imperative that accurate water extraction data is established, as pump diaries are considered inaccurate and unlikely to reveal any breaches of license conditions. The monitoring program should: • evaluate the effectiveness of the WSP in achieving the Plans vision, principles and objectives; • ensure compliance with strategies and proposals within the WSP and it’s implementation plan, and; • improve knowledge regarding the resource and its ecosystems. - 12 -
Inland Rivers Network and Nature Conservation Council submission: Draft Water Sharing Plan for the Murrumbidgee Regulated River Water Source – 14 June 2002 Recommendations IRN, NCC and ACF recommend that: • The performance indicators in Table 3 are added to the WSP: Biological Performance Indicators • Invertebrates - DLWC and community role - require seasonal monitoring (spring/autumn) - AusRivas may be a good model - Need to monitor: - hyporrheic - sediment - water column - surface - vegetative • Fish - NSW Fisheries and Universities role - need to monitor species and abundance (ie fish, oysters, crustaceans etc) - need to monitor seasonally (ie 4 times a year) • Birds - NPWS and community role - Need to monitor species and abundance (including breeding events) • Mammals/vertebrates - NPWS and community role - need to include threatened species and species of local significance • E.coli, bacteria, viruses, algae Table 3: Proposed Environmental Performance Indicators Chemical Performance Indicators • Water quality (ANZECC guideline ‘trigger values’) Need to monitor: - pH - BOD - Turbidity - TDS - Temperature - Total Nitrogen - Total Phosphorus - Pesticides Physical Performance Indicators • DLWC, universities & community role • Erosion • Siltation • Bank stability • Flows - velocity - quantity - seasonality • Depth to water table • Bench wetting • Floodplain inundation • Duration & frequency of cease to flow • Subsidence • Riffle/pool connection • Water usage • Success of demand mgmt strategies • Extraction density Habitat Performance Indicators • Estuarine health (seagrass, mangroves) • Riparian veg extent and health • Aquatic veg extent and health • Snags • Identify GDE's • GDE's condition & extent • High priority • Med priority • Low priority • CAMBA and JAMBA requirements • wetlands • If performance indicator targets are not met, a review is triggered and the findings incorporated into the WSP. • If a new threatened species, populations or ecological community is found, this is an indication that the Plan is not working and it must trigger a complete review of the whole Water Sharing Plan. • The WSP be audited every year. Further, we recommend that the Minister should undertake to monitor water quality and water use applying the SMART targets. Results are to be reported annually in the audit throughout the ten-year tenure of the plan. - 13 -
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Submission on Draft Water Sharing Plan for the Murrumbidgee River

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