Natural Resource Management Tasmania


	- The NRM North Vision - How we Began - Meet the Committee - Meet the Staff - About our Region - Strategies & Proposals - Our Region's Priorities: Land Water Biodiversity Coastal, Estuarine & Marine Atmosphere Cultural Heritage Building Sustainable Communities - How we reached our priorities

Our Region's Priorities:

LAND
Priority Issues:

Increasing Salinity
Decline in Soil Condition
Protection of Geo-heritage Values
Loss of Landscape Values

Increasing Salinity is caused by changes in land use, primarily from native vegetation to other land uses such as pasture, cropping, irrigation and drainage

A Decline in Soil Condition (including acidification, erosion, and contamination) is caused by various land use and management activities (eg. forestry, agriculture, or urban development) as well as climate and other biophysical processes.
Sulphide-rich sediments have the potential to form Acid Sulfate Soils (ASS) when they are drained and exposed to the air. ASS have the potential to seriously impact on infrastructure through the corrosive effects of the highly acidic subsurface materials, crop and pasture production, and inland and offshore fisheries.
Accelerated Soil erosion is caused by human intervention in activities such as vegetation clearance or soil disturbance. Wind erosion in agricultural areas within the Northern Midlands can be severe, especially following spring cultivation of soils. Erosion in forestry areas is known to occur along tracks and access roads, while in National Parks and Reserves erosion can result from tourist and recreational activity.

Contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water can potentially be caused by the disposal of solid and liquid wastes on land. Contamination by pesticides and herbicides may also occur in Northern Tasmania leading to a decline in soil biodiversity and production, however data on this issue is limited.

Geoconservation sites are under threat from the effects of human interaction, either directly through recreational activities, or indirectly through changes in land use affecting the hydrological cycle and fluvial processes.

Loss of Landscape Values of agricultural and natural landscapes is caused by urban encroachment. Areas at risk include those around major urban centres such as Launceston, and coastal areas undergoing development such as much of the East coast.