Social Research into the community's attitudes to the environment (such as DECCW’s “Who Cares About the Environment” survey series) consistently indicates that water quality is a predominant issue for the NSW community, with water conservation and management often topping lists of major concerns over different survey years.
The NSW Water Quality Objectives are the agreed environmental values and long-term goals for NSW's surface waters. They set out:
- the community's values and uses for our rivers, creeks, estuaries and lakes (i.e. healthy aquatic life, water suitable for recreational activities like swimming and boating, and drinking water); and
- a range of water quality indicators to help us assess whether the current condition of our waterways supports those values and uses.
- Related River Flow Objectives which are the high-level goals for surface water flow management - by identifying key elements of the flow regime that protect river health and water quality for ecosystems and human uses.
The website provides catchment specific links to Water Quality values, objectives as well as catchment maps etc.
The Objectives are consistent with the agreed national framework for assessing water quality set out in the ANZECC 2000 Guidelines (see Related Resources). The ANZECC guidelines provide a framework to assess water quality - in terms of whether water is suitable for a range of values (including environmental and human uses). They also contain technical guidance on how to monitor water quality and how monitoring should 'trigger' management actions.
The guidance outlines how the responsibility for ensuring healthy waterways and protecting water quality in catchments is shared between the community and all levels of government. The intent is that the Water Quality Objectives and the ANZECC 2000 Guidelines help all decision makers to include water quality when:
- undertaking big picture strategic planning (such as regional Catchment Action Plans);
- assessing the state of our catchments, identify and prioritise risks and threats, develop management action plans,
- assessing the impacts of developments.
- making direct on-ground investment to deal with water quality 'hotspots'.
The NSW Government developed accompanying guidance materials to help stakeholders use and apply the objectives in catchment and strategic planning processes. An small booklet (see Related Resources) outlines how local councils and stakeholders can contribute to improving waterway health through strategic plans, local environmental plans, development control plans and assessment of development proposals.
The booklet outlines a six-step process for councils looking to establish a strategic planning approach for improving the health of waterways, which draws upon the experience of councils and state agencies that are applying these planning principles.