Sewage Management Directives

​​​​​​Tasmania has two Sewage Management Directives that specify where boat owners and operators may and may not release disinfected and untreated sewage into local waters. The purpose of the Directives is to protect the environment and public health.

The main Directive - 'Discharge of Sewage from Certain Vessels into State Waters' - applies to most recreational and commercial vessels under 400 gross tonnes. If you must dispose of sewage in a waterway or at sea, you can legally do so if you comply with the rules in this Directive. Areas where sewage can and can’t be discharged are described in the accompanying Boat Sewage Discharge Maps​.

The 'Lady Nelson' D​irective applies only to sewage discharge from the Lady Nelson Sail Training Vessel.

Background to the Directives

The first and main Directive, covering 'The Discharge of Sewage from Certain Vessels into State Waters' took effect on 18 December 2013.

The second Directive, covering 'The Discharge of Sewage from the STV Lady Nelson into State Waters' took effect on 24 November 2014.

The Directives were developed following detailed consultation with boating organisations and the Director of Public Health, in response to public concerns about the potential health and environmental impacts of sewage discharge into Tasmanian waters.  Both Directives were updated in June 2021 to reflect changes in the enabling legislation and to include other administrative updates.​