Hydro Tasmania’s Environmental Sustainability Management System requires all capital works projects with potential to impact on the environment to be assessed through an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or similar risk assessment depending on the risk potential. Particular works are also required to have an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to manage impacts during works. Generally EIAs are completed on a voluntary basis rather than due to any regulatory requirements.

During 2006/07, 58 of the 238 capital works projects required an EIA or similar risk assessment and 41 required an EMP. 50 EIAs have been completed, with three in the planning stages. 36 EMPs have been completed, with four in the planning stages.
Projects managed well during 2006/07 in regard to EIA and EMP process and implementation include:

• Tungatinah intake upgrade
  
• Lake Echo dredging
  
• Tarraleah Canal scrubbing
  
• Trevallyn Dam instrumentation and drainage
  
• Poatina modernisation.
  

Sixteen EMP audits were conducted under the internal audit schedule and assessed for compliance with EMPs. There were a total of eight internal non-conformance reports raised from EMP audits, two of which were major. These were:

• no oil water separator installed at the Tungatinah switchyard
  
• bird strike mitigation was not fitted to the entire transmission line from Studland Bay.
  

Land ecosystems

Hydro Tasmania is consolidating data on our land assets, including contaminated sites, and obtaining baseline information on ecological values. This data, stored in the Land Environment map database, provides a basis for prioritising actions and guiding future directions in land management programs.

Stakeholder engagement is an essential part of the land management program. Hydro Tasmania participates in working groups focusing on recreational activities on land and water managed by the business, biodiversity management, weed management, land rehabilitation, and sharing data from research programs. Stakeholders include government agencies, adjacent landholders and other businesses that affect, or are affected by, Hydro Tasmania’s assets and operations.

Contaminated sites
Contaminated sites projects identified as priorities in this reporting period included the replacement of underground fuel storage tanks at Wayatinah village and investigations of old tip sites at Lake Margaret and Waddamana. The Lake Margaret site is being stabilised and rehabilitated. Further investigations of the contents of the Waddamana tip sites are planned for the coming year.

Ecological studies
Baseline ecological studies included a habitat survey for two species of pygmy mountain shrimp, Allanaspides hickmani and A. helonomus, monitoring populations and an assessment of habitat of Ptunarra butterfly (Oreixenica Ptunarra) on land managed by Hydro Tasmania and a study of terrestrial ecological values of land surrounding the Lagoon of Islands. Additional populations of both species of pygmy mountain shrimp were found, extending the known ranges of these species. Grazing pressure was identified as the major threat to habitat and populations of the Ptunarra butterfly and terrestrial ecological values of the Lagoon of Islands. Options for managing these impacts will be investigated in consultation with stakeholders in the next reporting period, with habitat and population monitoring to continue in order to assess the success of any management actions.

Rehabilitation
Land rehabilitation plans are required for all new developments and Hydro Tasmania has been rehabilitating lands disturbed by past developments. However, it is recognised that there is a need for a database of all disturbed lands and rehabilitation works, including public use areas, so that results can be monitored and a strategic program developed to plan, measure and ensure success of rehabilitation works. Capturing this information will be a focus of the next reporting period.