Cover image for Rivers and Water Supply Commission
Agency:
Rivers and Water Supply Commission
Agency Number:
Start Date:
01 Nov 1957
End Date:
01 Jul 2011
Description:
The new Commission took over the functions of the former Water Sewerage and Drainage Board and the North Esk Regional Water Supply Scheme on 1 November 1957.;;;;The Commission was established to manage the maintainance of works for water supply; control of the taking of water from rivers and lakes; the maintainance of natural drainage systems; and prevention of pollution of rivers and lakes. The Act provided for a three member Commission. Its functions expanded to include examining municipal water, sewerage and drainage proposals, measuring stream flows and flood levels, producing statistics and investigating the availability of water for future use, and implementing the fluoridation of water supplies.;;;;As part of a general reorganisation of the Tasmanian State Service, on 17 July 1989, the Commission was amalgamated with the Mines Department to become part of the new Department of Resources and Energy.;;;;Two subsidiaries to the Commission were created in 2008, the Tasmanian Irrigation Development Board pty ltd in March and Tasmanian Irrigation Schemes pty ltd in September.;;;;On 1 July 2011 Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd was established to merge the responsibilities of the former Rivers and Water Supply Commission and the RWSC's two subsidiaries, Tasmanian Irrigation Development Board Pty Ltd and Tasmanian Irrigation Schemes Pty Ltd. The Irrigation Company Act 2011 which created Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd also provided for the RWSC to be abolished.
Information Sources:
Commission annual reports and the Tasmanian Irrigation pty ltd website
Legislation Administered:
Australian Titan Products Act 1945, Clyde Water Act 1898, Cressy-Longford Irrigation Act 1969, Cressy-Longford Irrigation Water Act 1972, Huon Valley Pulp and Paper Act 1959, Irrigation Clauses Act 1973, Lakes Sorell and Crescent Conservation Act 1901, Macquarie Water Act 1892, North Esk Regional Water Act 1960, Rivers Pollution Act 1881, Rossarden Water Act 1954, Sewers and Drains Act 1954, Thomas Owen and Co. (Australia) Limited Act 1948, Water Act 1957, Waterworks Clauses Act 1952, West Tamar Water Act 1960
Legislation Creating:
Water Act 1957 (No.39 of 1957)
Legislation Abolishing Agency:
Irrigation Company Act 2011 (No. 12 of 2011)
Previous Agencies:
Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board (TA165)01 Jan 194431 Dec 1957

North Esk Regional Water Supply Scheme (TA925)12 Apr 194901 Nov 1958
Subsequent Agencies:
Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd (TA1905)01 Jul 2011