naomi dumbrell environmental watering...

NAOMI DUMBRELLENVIRONMENTAL WATERING POLICY SECTION

DEWHA

Presentations were made by individuals as theme coordinators of Audit activity. They do not represent the views of the National Land & Water Resources Audit or respective agencies. You are encouraged to discuss these findings with the various partners and contributors that have provided this information.

Presenter�

Presentation Notes�

This presentation will cover the rivers component of the inland aquatic ecosystems matter for target area, addressing : What we were tasked to do What we have done & what else happened during the period related to the national river health assessment agenda What we have learnt The future �

WHAT WAS OUR TASK?

• 2004 NRPPC tasked DEWHA to sponsor the development of rivers component of the Inland Aquatic Ecosystems Integrity MfT

– Determine indicators for river condition - initially 7 condition indicators “for advice”

– Develop national protocols

Presenter�


The following indicators were proposed: Benthic macroinvertebrate community assemblages Fish community Assemblages Benthic diatom community assemblages Riparian vegetation community assemblages Riverine physical structure and in-stream habitat Water quality Hydrology In July 2004 the NRPPC tasked DEWHA to sponsor the development of river and wetland indicators and protocols for monitoring river and wetland health, in order to report progress against the matters for target. �

• Period prior to NM&EF, significant national activity in river health monitoring & assessment:

– NHT1 (1996 to 2002-03) $ to develop & ‘use’ the Australian River Assessment System (AusRivAS) – house suite tools - macroinvertebrates first ‘cab off rank’

– Built coordinated & standardised river health assessment capacity across jurisdictions for macros

PRIOR ACTIVITY

Presenter�


Prior to the task for developing national indicators and protocols to be able to report river condition nationally, there had been a deal of national investment and activity in river condition assessment. This investment provided some key underpinning for the work during 2004-2008 and into the future Key among these was the development of AUSRIVAS under NHT1 (1996 to 2002-03) with the aim of building coordinated and standardised river health assessment capacity across all states and territories. It was designed to contain a suite of tools based on several ecological health components (e.g. fish, riverine vegetation), with macroinvertebrates the first tool to be developed. �

PRIOR ACTIVITY

• 2002 NLWRA delivered Australian Catchment, River and Estuary Assessment

– First comprehensive assessment of approx 14 000 river reaches across more intensively used catchments

– Drew on AusRivAS data; instigated the Framework for Assessment of River and Wetland Health (FARWH)

Presenter�


Moreover, the Audit had previously delivered a national assessment of Australia’s rivers, which drew on the AusRivAS tools & data & instigated the development of the FARWH�

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED?

• NWI signed in 2004 – and NWC established

• NWC prepared baseline assessment: Australian Water Resources 2005 including a snapshot assessment of river and wetland health

• NWC baseline led to further development of the FARWH

Presenter�


There were other happenings during the period from 2004-2008 which have helped achieve the task and help set the future agenda A key among these is that the NWI signed in 2004 and the National Water Commission (NWC) was established NWC undertook a baseline of Australia's water resources which included an assessment of river & wetland health – utilised data from a number of broad scale assessments, to provide snapshot of river health. The assessments include: The Intensive Landuse zone of Australia covered by the Assessment of River condition (ARC) (2000) The Snapshot of the Murray-Darling Basin Condition (2001) The Victorian Index of Stream Condition (ISC), and The south-east Queensland Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP) �

• FARWH integrate data & report across multiple scales – facilitate comparative condition assessment.

• Specifies 6 key components for comprehensive assessment - align with Inland Aquatic Integrity

• NWC funded a trials of FARWH – QLD; WA & NT

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED?

Presenter�


The NWC undertook to utilise existing river (and wetland) health assessments and develop a national framework for river (and wetland) health assessments This led to the further development of the Framework for the Assessment of River and Wetland Health (FARWH) catchment disturbance, hydrological change, water quality and soils, physical form, fringing zone and aquatic biota �

THE TASK - WHAT WE DID

Collaborative Development of Indicators & Protocols • Formed multi-jurisdictional River Health Contact Group

(RHCG) & the Aquatic Ecosystems Task Group (AETG). Guide river health indicators & overall policy.

• Of 7 “for advice” indicators, May 2007 RHCG confirmed 3 critical & 3 contextual indicators. Driver context indicators (e.g. catchment condition) may need evaluation.

Presenter�


To progress work on inland aquatic ecosystems, DEWHA facilitated the formation of the Aquatic Ecosystems Task Group (AETG) and the River Health Contact Group (RHCG) The RHCG was tasked to develop the nationally agreed river health indicators and protocols The AETG oversees this work Have agreed to critical indicators: benthic macroinvertebrates, fish and riverine vegetation The protocol work is undertaking a review of existing jurisdictional methodologies and recommending approaches suitable for national reporting �

Indicators & Protocols• Late 2007/early 2008 RHCG commenced work

on national protocols for 3 critical indicators - benthic macroinvertebrates; fish & riverine vegetation

• Work on protocols for 3 agreed contextual indicators (hydrology, water quality, physical form) not yet commenced


Presenter�


Have agreed to contextual indicators: hydrology, water quality, physical form, drivers (e.g. catchment condition) - protocols yet to be developed Exploring options to secure short-term and long-term support for AUSRIVAS - includes possible expansion to include other inland aquatic indicators and protocols �

AusRivAS• Late 2007-2008 considering how to better

support AusRivAS into the future – secure it as key component of river health condition assessment

• Includes its ‘expansion’ to other inland aquatic indicators & protocols, beyond macros


Presenter�


RHCG & ATEG has also been considering how to secure AusRivAS into the future & sustain the collective efforts in standardised river health assessments. This is because indicators and protocols work is further supported by common toolsets in place & we also do not want to loose the previous collective efforts in this area. Might also possibly expand AusRivAS to include other inland aquatic indicators and protocols �

WHAT HAVE WE DONE?

• January 2008 obtained NRPPC agreement to consider a business case for a national river and wetland health assessment using the FARWH

• Business case cover – rationale; scope; scale; timing; costs – preliminary proposal to August 2008 NRPPC meeting

Presenter�


National Assessment systems The NRPPC tasked the AETG to investigate the alignment and integration of the FARWH and the NRM M&EF. The NRPPC has endorsed advice from the AETG that the two frameworks align and can integrate. The objective of the FARWH is to provide governments with the ability to compare outputs from monitoring and assessment activities for river and wetland health across a number of areas (within and between states). The FARWH is an overarching, integrating framework to facilitate comparative condition assessment. It does not generate data itself but rather provides a methodology to integrate data and report across multiple scales. �

WHAT DID WE LEARN?

• Need for multijurisdictional collaboration connected to policy decision making (i.e. AETG/RHCG - NRPPC)

• Need for continuity in $ & directions. Lost some ‘national consistency’ momentum from NHT1-NHT2.

Presenter�


We have learnt that the essential ingredients are that 2003 onwards – the NHT2 did not continue investment in standardised national tools and data collection related to river health Jurisdictions continued to use AusRivAS as a standardised package for monitoring and reporting on macroinvertebrates developed differing methodologies for other river health components such as fish, riverine/riparian vegetation etc �

• Not an easy task; long development timelines• Strategic overview/plan is essential to link all

components together– Work on indicators and protocols connected

to a reporting ‘vision’ & to supporting ‘tools’ e.g. AusRivAS

WHAT DID WE LEARN?

Presenter�


We have learnt that Work program end date ambitious A complex task to get national agreement on consistent methodologies; that can be used at a number of scales (for efficiencies) & that are workable across contrasting conditions of northern, central and southern Australia. A strategic overview/plan is essential to link all components together the tools/nuts and bolts, for example, the indicators and protocols and the assessment frameworks, such as the FARWH The scale of assessments e.g. catchment level to national level The scope of assessments e.g. what questions are to be answered Obtaining agreement for a national assessment of river and wetland health is essential to ensure the current work and gains are not lost, and to ensure the work continues The challenge is: to obtain agreement on consistent collection methodologies to ensure quality data to provide an indicator that is suitable to be combined with other indicators to provide an assessment of overall river condition; and to provide an indicator/protocol that is useful for management. For example, jurisdictions want individual indicators that can have targets set against them, to assist assess the success of management actions. Challenge: to provide a comparative assessment across very different climatic and typographical conditions of southern and northern Australia The FARWH requires individual indicators and standards and protocols for data collection to be in place to obtain information on condition �

THE FUTURE

River Health Indicators and Protocols• Critical indicator protocols to be finalised &

agreed – late 2008 - $ secured• Contextual indicator protocols to be

developed and agreed – timing uncertain as dependent on $

Presenter�


The Future Indicators and protocols The critical indicator protocols are to be agreed. The contextual indicator protocols are to be developed and agreed. �

National Assessment• Preparing the business case for a national

river and wetland health assessment, using the FARWH, for the August NRPPC meeting

• All going well expect to put a more detailed proposal to NRPPC in late 2008

THE FUTURE

AusRivAS• Secure system into future & expand to include

other indicators

• Form a steering committee to oversee its development/consistency nationally, comprising scientific experts

THE FUTURE

Presenter�


AUSRIVAS Securing short-term and long-term arrangements, including possible expansion to include the other inland aquatic indicators Requires a steering committee Engaging Brendan to continue development of indicators and protocols, and Develop a combined business case to progress river and wetland indicators to completion �

OVERALL• Engage a consultant to:

- Continue development & finalisation of the indicator protocols- Assist the preparation of business cases re a national river and wetland health assessment & progression of the indicator work to completion

THE FUTURE

Presenter�


AUSRIVAS Securing short-term and long-term arrangements, including possible expansion to include the other inland aquatic indicators Requires a steering committee Engaging Brendan to continue development of indicators and protocols, and Develop a combined business case to progress river and wetland indicators to completion �

THANK YOU

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