The Tasmanian Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystem Values (CFEV) framework: developing a conservation and management system for rivers.

The Tasmanian Government initiated the development of a State Water Development Plan in 1999, which has been active since 2000/01. The Plan had two main arms:\ exploring and initiating opportunities for further development of water resources through expansion and intensification of infrastructure, water use and trading; and evaluation of environmental aspects of water management. A scoping review of environmental aspects pertaining to the WDP by Davies 1999 made two sets of ecommendations: changes to existing water management and planning processes, and the development of a conservation system for freshwater dependent ecosystems. Davies (1999) recommended the development of a conservation system based on the 'CAR' principles (Comprehensiveness, Adequate and Representative), locally familiar through such processes as the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement. The emphasis of the\ recommendation was on developing a 'reserve system' for freshwater dependent ecosystems involving a suite of formal and informal 'reserves', which were to be coupled\ with improved water management and planning processes.\ Subsequently, during 2000/01, the Tasmanian government approved the development of a CAR-based freshwater conservation system, and allocated funding. This has now\ become the CFEV (Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystem Values) framework project, and has expanded on the initial remit of the Davies (1999) review to include:\ - All freshwater dependent ecosystems (rivers, estuaries, wetlands, other waterbodies, groundwater dependent ecosystems, and saltmarshes);\ - A standardized assessment of conservation values;\ - A standardised assessment of conservation management priority.\ The CFEV framework project is not aimed at establishing 'reserves'. Instead, it is focused on establishing a system in which all examples of each ecosystem type (mapped at 1: 25 000 scale) are assigned a relative conservation value (accompanied by a wide range of biophysical condition and classification data underpinning it's development) and management priority, so that water, catchment and natural resource management and planning for at state and regional level could work from a consistent basis with regard to conservation and management of freshwater ecosystem values. This paper provides a brief introduction to the framework project, which is a 'work in progress'. An overview of the framework is followed by some detail on the conduct of an Audit of river condition and biophysical classes. The project is progressing rapidly and is scheduled for completion in mid 2005.