Speaker

The Environmental Defenders Office (EDO)

Plugging the gap: working together to combat shortcomings in Tasmania's water management

Tasmania's water resources are under significant pressure with the expansion of irrigation, salmon farming, land use changes and climate change.

As these pressures mount, effective planning and management is being seriously hampered by the lack of effective standards, monitoring and reporting of the state of our waterways.

In response to these issues, the Environmental Defenders Office has commenced the Healthy Waterways Project in Tasmania to advocate for comprehensive improvements to Tasmania's water management framework.

We are engaging with vulnerable communities that are disproportionately impacted by poor water quality and reduced flows in their local waterways. We are also reaching out to expert stakeholders active in this area in recognition of important work already underway. This broad engagement and collaboration will inform our education, advice and law reform work and provide a strong foundation for our advocacy for the community's right to a healthy environment.

Linda works in the Tasmanian office of the EDO after 20 years work in human rights law in NSW, the UK, Cambodia and Vietnam. Her previous academic work focused on the domestic implementation of international nature conservation law.