2 Renmark to border LAP area assessment - EPA - Sa.gov.au

River Murray and Lower Lakes catchment risk assessment for water quality: Results and management options
1 Introduction
The River Murray and Lower Lakes areas are intrinsically important as ecosystems, state drinking water
supply sources, and recreational and tourism resources. Thus water quality management in the
Murray–Darling Basin is important for the whole of South Australia. Numerous pressures affect the water
quality and sustainability of the River Murray and Lower Lakes but a lack of integrated information
makes strategic development to protect and improve water quality difficult.
1.1 Study purpose
The River Murray and Lower Lakes catchment risk assessment for water quality project was designed to
engage and provide information to a wide range of interested people and organisations on the sources of
water quality risks within the River Murray and Lower Lakes catchment in South Australia.
The major objectives of the project were to:
• identify the nature and location of hazards that present a potential risk to water quality by consulting
and engaging with community and other stakeholders
• develop a qualitative high-level understanding of those hazards and their risk to water quality using a
risk assessment approach and GIS
• identify potential solutions to mitigate these risks, including on-ground action and capital works,
investigations and enforcement, monitoring, education and awareness raising
• identify gaps in the knowledge and resources required to support the full implementation of
mitigation strategies.
The risk assessment project partners, the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources
Management Board (SAMDB NRMB), Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and SA Water, have a direct
interest in River Murray water quality, and will use the information gathered to develop management
strategies. The SAMDB NRMB also has the important role of managing the region’s investment strategy.
More specifically, the outcomes from the project will:
• provide partner and other agencies with a solid foundation of baseline information to aid future
decision-making and investment strategies
• identify opportunities to work with managers of high-risk activities to proactively address these risks
• provide information for and guidance to the SAMDB NRMB on investment priorities for the water
quality program to achieve the greatest benefits to the River Murray resource
• assist the EPA to identify compliance and licensing requirements, and educational needs, and prepare
business plans
• provide input to SA Water’s risk management framework and water quality improvement strategies
• inform the local action planning (LAP) network along the river to help community-level risk mitigation
strategies and funding submissions.
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