The Australian and New Zealand Environment Conservation Council (ANZECC) published the revised Australian and New Zealand guidelines for fresh and marine water quality in 2000.
These guidelines, which are usually called the 'ANZECC guidelines' and are available on the internet at www.deh.gov.au/water/quality/nwqms, provide government and the community – especially regulators, industry, consultants, community groups and catchment and water managers – with a framework for conserving ambient water quality in our rivers, lakes, estuaries and marine waters.
The ANZECC guidelines document is a large one, containing detailed scientific information and instructions for a vast array of water-quality issues. However once the basic approach of the guidelines is understood, they become much easier to use. It is the aim of this booklet to explain the principles behind the ANZECC guidelines.
The guidelines form the central technical reference of the National Water Quality Management Strategy, which the federal and all state and territory governments have adopted for managing water quality.
This booklet is designed for technical practitioners applying the ANZECC guidelines in New South Wales.
