SMART Farming Water Initiative

Tasmanian Government Media Release - 30 June 2009

The Government's SMART Farming Water Initiative is providing $7.48 million over the four years from 2006‑07 to foster investor confidence in the development and expansion of water dependent businesses.  This work builds on previous activities under the Tasmanian Water Development Plan, which established the framework for strong confidence in water development and investment by farmers and other water users.

The SMART Farming Water Initiative covers a wide range of activities aimed at continuing our drive to capture Tasmania's water advantage, while ensuring that the health of our water resources is protected to provide the same advantage for future generations.

The work program includes:

• a major increase in the availability of, and public access to, water information to underpin investment decisions, including broader coverage of surface water streamflow information;
• obtaining essential information on water availability from hydrological modelling of our water catchments;
• enhanced access to information through the Water Information System Tasmania website;
• work aimed at strengthening the security of water access entitlements through legislative amendments;
• improvements to the water entitlements register;
• an extension of the general water licence tenure period to 40 years;
• work to identify opportunities for sustainable access to new water entitlements through accelerated water management planning; and
• changes to groundwater management and regulation to protect and encourage investment in groundwater development.