Greening Australia and Hydro Tasmania Partnership

Derwent River Recovery Program

Overview  Background and History

Greening Australia (GA) and Hydro Tasmania (HT) have been working in partnership on the Derwent River Recovery Program since 2006.  The Derwent catchment is recognised as one of the most important river systems in Tasmania, as it is home to over 40% of the state’s population and  is considered a major asset due to its sheer size, flows, water storage capacity, electricity generation, agricultural, forestry and tourism operations. The catchment contains substantial biodiversity values and several significant environmental gradients. Such natural, economic and social values underpin the importance of the catchment, and consequently the river system is recognised by Greening Australia and Hydro Tasmania as the ‘backbone’, or framework on which the restoration of the catchment’s environmental values can be focused.

Over the past six years the partnership between Greening Australia, an environmental not for profit organisation, and Hydro Tasmania, the water industry’s key regulator, has enabled this visionary program to protect and restore over 200 sites for a direct investment of $439,000, and leveraged funds of $900,000.

The partnership has facilitated a multi-faceted approach towards the management, engagement and restoration of the Derwent River. The projects and programs implemented have focused on multiple aspects of the environment, with social, economic and educational outcomes.

Environmental areas addressed include:

• River condition and health
• River restoration
• Water quality
• Water quantity
• Environmental flows
• Biodiversity
• Weed management, especially Weeds of National Significance
• Conservation of threatened flora and fauna species

This has only been possible through stakeholder and community engagement, and landholder participation. 

Learn more about our work on Tasmania's rivers.

Summary of work and achievements

Recognising Hydro Tasmania’s strength as Tasmania’s leading enterprise and major river manager with operations across Tasmania, and Greening Australia’s strength as Australia’s largest community based environmental organisation focused on landscape scale environmental sustainability, the partnership over the past six years has enabled this visionary Derwent River Recovery Program to protect and restore over 200 sites for an investment of $439,000, and leveraged funds of $900,000. The work has included weed control, the planting of native species, improvements in water quality, the construction of in-stream habitat structures, erosion control, fencing, the installation of off-stream watering points for stock, and the protection of threatened flora and fauna.

The partnership has allowed us to leverage additional funds to increase the number and extent of projects undertaken, as well as integrating additional aspects of river management beyond the environmental science, planning and on-ground work. These additional aspects include greater stakeholder engagement and community participation, additional expertise and resources from stakeholders, increased environmental and economically sustainable and productive land and water management, the establishment of an Ecology and Sustainability Learning Centre, an educational facility, as well as the development of educational programs at the Centre such as the ‘Water for Life’ program.

Location Map

Lake Meadowbank Project

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