Pristine waters of Tasmania? An analysis of water quality governance using a polycentric environmental governance framework

Tasmania, an island state in Australia, is renowned for its unspoiled natural environment. However, ongoing pollution in Tasmania’s rivers, estuaries, and coastal regions, driven mainly by primary industries, raises significant concerns. This pollution will likely worsen without more effective mitigation measures. In this study, we apply a polycentric environmental governance framework to critically examine Tasmania’s water quality challenges. The limited regulatory actions taken to address water pollution reflect an asymmetric power dynamic between major industry players and state-level governance bodies, potentially obstructing state-based regulatory reforms. Instead of relying upon state-level interventions, we argue that a national-level policy initiative could strengthen water quality governance in Tasmania and other Australian states and territories. Our findings also emphasize that the value of a polycentric governance framework lies in its capacity to uncover hidden obstacles and to address multi-scalar challenges, offering valuable policy insights at broader levels.