The imminent introduction of Stage Three water restrictions for Orford and Triabunna has raised significant questions in the community about water allocations to salmon farming operations in the area.
There are significant water supply issues facing the Prosser catchment. Locals in the Orford and Triabunna area have already been dealing with Stage Two water restrictions which are planned to be tightened further next week to Stage Three – the second highest level of restriction.
While the community understands their role with water restrictions in place, there are questions about whether these measures are being applied to industries. In particular, salmon farming operations at Okehampton Bay, or nearby hatcheries, require a significant amount of fresh water supply.
It’s unclear whether any Tassal facility is subject to any restrictions, as the local community is. Without public facing documents for the community to understand Tassals’ current water take arrangements, or usage from any other local industries, people are rightfully asking if large consumers are subject to fair restrictions to help conserve limited water too.
Under Tasmania’s rules for water allocation, town water supplies are supposed to be the higher priority – above commercial and other industrial uses. If that principle is being applied properly, Tassal would have had restrictions put on them before stricter measures were applied to the public. But with no publicly available information, who knows if that’s happened.
With communities facing escalating restrictions, the Rockliff Government should come clean on exactly what expectations have been enforced with Tassal – if any.
With water restrictions being placed on these East Coast communities for yet another year, the Liberal Government must urgently plan for the years to come with a changing climate drying the landscape and water catchment area, so locals are not left high and dry.
