Dear Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority,

The Tasmanian Giant Freshwater Lobster (Astacopsis gouldi) is an endangered crustacean that lives only in cool water streams in Tasmanian forests.

As an animal native to our country, Tasmania has an obligation to protect and restore the population.

My recent enquiries appear to suggest that the last Tasmanian State recovery plan for this species, developed in 2006, ceased to be in effect from 2010.

I therefore request the following Government Information documents:

a) Documents describing the latest EPA's assessment of efforts undertaken to protect, restore and enhance the breeding habitat of the Tasmanian Giant Freshwater Lobster;

b) Documents describing the last population count of Tasmanian Giant Freshwater Lobster undertaken by the EPA, including number of animals, date the count was undertaken and methodology of the population count;

c) Documents describing the EPA's latest records of areas where acid mine drainage, arising as an impact from disused mine sites, overlaps with Tasmanian Giant Freshwater Lobster habitat; and

d) Documents describing the EPA's latest records of assessing water quality where Tasmanian Giant Freshwater Lobster occurs to ensure that the waters are free of significant levels of nutrient, sediment, pesticide and other pollutants, consistent with the ANZECC guidelines for water quality (ANZECC 2000) and to maintain high dissolved oxygen and a natural temperature regime with 20°C maximum; and

e) Documents regarding the EPA's most recent activities in relation to assessing the appropriateness of revising the Tasmanian Government's 2006 Tasmanian Giant Freshwater Lobster (Astacopsis gouldi) Recovery Plan.

If this can be answered as informal request, please do so.

Otherwise, please proceed with this as a formal request under the Freedom of Information principles & framework, i.e. the Right to Information Act 2009 & other associated guidelines and regulations.

I wish to apply for a wavier of the application fee as per s16 of the Act based on the critical public importance & benefit of this information.

I submit that I intend to use the information to raise awareness of the importance of conserving the Tasmanian Giant Freshwater Lobster, which is of itself, of great public benefit.

Yours faithfully,

Richard Smith