What area of plantations is acceptable?

MIKE CASSIDY
Thanks for clarifying the TWS thinking on plantations. However, I couldn’t find in your policy anything about the maximum area of plantations that is acceptable. I ask this in relation to the impact of plantations on water supplies.

David Bartlett has recognised the importance of water but doesn’t seem to have any idea about the impact of plantations on hydrology and the need to limit their spread particularly in the upper catchments. Maybe he is paid not to notice this inconvenient fact.

I would like to suggest that TWS policy include limiting plantations to a maximum area of 10% of a catchment. David Leaman’s studies show that river levels begin falling above an area of 10% due to evapotranspiration losses from thirsty plantations. Incidently, this comes from real data, where as the rule of thumb is an area of 20%.

Above an area of 10%, someone else downstream (I include the riverine ecosystem here as well) begins to pay for the reduced water supplies. There needs to be some compensation mechanism in place to protect the community.

South Australia are addressing the plantation problem by charging for the water they use.

Trouble is, many catchments in northern Tasmania already exceed 10% and some exceed 30% including the North Esk that supplies drinking water for Launceston. A few catchments near Burnie are now at 50%.

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