Participating in NAP can make a difference and improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability
of Tasmanian land.

The future of water quality and salinity in Tasmania is in your hands, prevention is better than a cure and in Tasmania we are in a good position to prevent impacts caused by dryland salinity and poor water quality as seen on the mainland.

Not addressing these issues has more of an effect on Tasmanians than simply the loss of agricultural
production areas. It can:

• Substantially lower the incomes of not only the farmers and those dependant on farmers, but also the general local economy;
• Erode the prosperity of the State through export revenue lost from a reduction in exportable agricultural produce;
• Alter the vegetation and wildlife stocks and the environment’s biodiversity, as species who are not tolerant to salinity or changed water conditions are lost;
• Affect amenities such as parks and gardens, infrastructure such as roads and water delivery, quality of drinking water and water-based recreational activities; and
• Affect buildings as salt breaks down the bricks and mortar of both new and heritage buildings and water pipes. Buildings are affected by salt moving into structures through inadequate damp coursing and then cracking mortar and brickwork as it dries and crystallises.

The causes and effects of salinity and poor water quality are wider than in just those areas that show the obvious symptoms and we need you to play a part in attacking these issues. It is not only the land users’ responsibility.

We need you to get involved to:

• Ensure we don’t experience the levels of degradation as in the mainland
• Maintain our productive farmlands and the lifestyle supported by these lands;
• Work together on regional projects and ensuring that our community remains economically viable;
• Keep our Tasmanian clean, green image which effects exports as well as tourism;
• Ensure that our tourism industry remains on a path of growth by maintaining our advantages of wilderness,geographic beauty, lack of pollution, biodiversity and low urbanisation;
• Ensure that invaluable heritage resources are not lost;
• Maintain our current or future property and land values;
• Ensure that future generations can enjoy the benefits, amenities and lifestyle that we take for granted in Tasmanian; and
• Have a say in the direction and allocation of funds available

A number of projects are already on the way, such as salinity and water quality audits, Waterwatch activities, dedicated DPIW resources and the monitoring projects through Mineral Resources Tasmania and DPIW. But we need more help.

We can change things through participation and working together.