North Huon Collective Update – September 2025

The North Huon Collective has had a busy few months, and this update summarises our activities.

Firstly, as you may have noticed, the NHC is now an incorporated association. This will allow us to move and behave in a more strategic way and, as necessary, take on an advocacy role.

Secondly, we now have three active working groups:

1. Roads Working Group – concerned with safety and the condition of our roads.
2. Rivers Working Group – concerned with the health, wellbeing, and amenity of the Huon River and its tributaries.
3. Fire Safety Working Group – concerned with the preparation for, response to, and recovery from bushfires.

We will now summarise the activities of each.

Roads Working Group

We are maintaining dialogue with the Huon Valley Council (HVC) over the state of the roads since they adopted the ARRB guidelines at the request of the NHC and following the NHC petition.

The work undertaken by the road crews has strongly improved the safety, comfort and longevity of Lonnavale Road past Judbury. North Huon Road, which was not subject to repair based on ARRB standards, has not demonstrated the capacity to last between grading and repairs.

Thankfully, HVC has shown a commitment to the safety and comfort of road users and have frequently inspected and filled in pot holes (we think at least six times since the last grading). The NHC look forward to the next repairs that should be to standard and achieve improved longevity.

Rivers Working Group

The Russell and Huon rivers are under a potential threat from reduced flow and pollution from the expansion of the Huon Aquaculture hatchery at Lonnavale. The expansion appears to be occurring irrespective of an incomplete EPA assessment. This is a complex and sensitive issue and the NHC wishes to make it clear that it is not “anti salmon farming” or “anti jobs”, we are however concerned about reduced flow and pollution to our river systems that are integral to the health and prosperity of our community.

The Russell River has previously been badly polluted by the outfall of the hatchery and the Rivers Working Group are expending considerable effort to ensure the integrity of the river systems remain.

The working group is undertaking the following actions:

1. Compiling and analysing all permits, applications and conditions applying to the hatchery.
2. Making regular assessments of water quality at several sites along the river system. These assessments include such factors as:
   • Salinity
   • Turbidity
   • Temperature
   • Acidity
3. In addition, the working group now have several years of data relating to invertebrate life in the river system. This life is the best way to detect and assess the rivers health and wellbeing in particular if the river is polluted with nitrogen from sewage. Currently the Russell River below the hatchery is in good health with many critical indicative invertebrates such as the Stone Fly Larvae are common. The Russell River has been severely polluted in the past by sewage outfall from the hatchery.
4. The working group are also taking daily river flow data as Huon Aquaculture have a permit to take up to 50% of the flow from the Russell River. As the river is relatively small the effects of this could be devastating. The drought of the last two summer/autumn periods suggest that maintaining river flow will be critical.
5. The working group is writing to politicians expressing our concern that the river system will be unsustainably exploited unless there is independent monitoring of the river system and appropriate enforcement. We have suggested the current moratorium on salmon farming expansion (to ensure environment sustainability) be expanded to include river systems.

Fire Working Group

The Huon Valley Council has been working with the NHC to develop a community resilience around fire preparedness, response and recovery.

The working group, at this stage, is largely focused around the Lonnavale area. However it is hoped that there is sufficient community interest to extend this approach to Judbury and towards Ranelagh.

The working group is meeting with HVC and emergency services this month to progress the strategy. We will keep you updated.

If any readers are interested in participating and assisting in the development and roll out of the aforementioned groups in their area, please contact the NHC through our website contact form.

Signed, NHC Committee.