Greater Launceston Area Urban Salinity Strategy 2016
The Greater Launceston Area Urban Salinity Strategy 2016 is the culmination of five year’s work by West Tamar Council, City of Launceston and Meander Valley Council through the Launceston Salinity Action Group (LSAG).
Engaging with a model of salinity hazard mapping being rolled out in urban and rural New South Wales, LSAG coordinated data input and on-ground surveys to inform what would become a comprehensive vision of salinity drivers at a local landscape scale. Different types of salinity hazards were identified in seventeen discrete salinity landscape units across the Greater Launceston Area. Importantly, the salinity hazards evaluated are matched to recommended management actions that may mitigate or prevent salinity impacts.
The ability to map salinity hazard at a local scale opens up opportunities for building, planning and asset management sectors to develop appropriate responses, and forward plan with evidence- and science-based information. Importantly, too, it delineates areas of Greater Launceston where salinity is unlikely to be a concern.
Urban salinity costs our community through direct impacts on public and private infrastructure, heritage values, public recreation spaces, water quality, and natural environments. Improved knowledge of salinity hazard and mitigation options such as considered low-risk locating, use of salinity-resistant materials and sympathetic groundwater management are examples of ways we can offset impacts and associated costs into the future.
Bush Care
The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment (DPIPWE) has developed the Tasmanian Bushcare Toolkit : a guide to managing and conserving the bushland on your property. The Toolkit provides landowners and community groups with a comprehensive guide to the management and conservation needs of native bush. The toolkit covers a wide variety of topics including different vegetation types, threatened species, revegetation and weed management.
Landcare
Landcare builds partnerships between communities, businesses and governments to care for Australia's environment now and for future generations. Council actively supports the Landcare project. For further information, please visit Landcare's website: www.landcareaustralia.com.au.
Coastcare
Coastcare is communities caring for their coast. Coastcare volunteers identify local environmental problems and work together to achieve practical solutions. Council actively supports the Coastcare project. For further information, please visit Coastcare's website: www.coastcare.com.au.
Wildcare
Wildcare Inc is the largest and fastest growing incorporated environmental volunteer group in Tasmania, with membership of around 6000. This group supports natural and cultural heritage conservation and reserve management throughout the State. For further information, please visit Wildcare's website: www.wildcaretas.org.au.
Tamar NRM
The Tamar Region Natural Resource Management Strategy Reference Group Inc. (or Tamar NRM for short) in northern Tasmania is an independent not-for-profit natural resource management group that brings together a wide range of community, Landcare, education, business and Local and State Government representatives. Tamar NRM is built upon a strong history of land care and grass-roots involvement in environmental and agricultural issues in the Tamar Valley. Council actively supports the Tamar Region Natural Resource Management Strategy. For further information, please visit their website: www.tamarnrm.com.au.
Fire Hazards
Council's Municipal Inspector undertakes regular inspections of properties in residential areas to determine whether they constitute a fire hazard. Where necessary, notices are issued requiring the landowner to abate a fire hazard. If you have a concern with a potential fire hazard near your property please contact the Municipal Inspector at the Riverside Office.
GAMS - George Town Air Monitoring Station
What is GAMS?
The George Town Air Monitoring Station (GAMS) is the first collaborative air monitoring station to be established in Tasmania. State government, local government and industry have come together to address a question: what is the air quality like in George Town?
The project participants are:
• Bell Bay Power
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Department of Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts (EPA Division)
• George Town Council
• Rio Tinto Aluminium (previously Comalco)
• TEMCO
• West Tamar Council
More information about air monitoring in Tasmania is available from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) website.
Real time data can be found here: https://epa.tas.gov.au/epa/air/monitoring-air-pollution/real-time-air-quality-data-for-tasmania