Media Release
HUON VALLEY REGIONAL WATER SCHEME LAUNCHED
The Federal Member for Franklin, Julie Collins MP, has today officially launched Southern Water’s Huon Valley Regional Water Scheme.
Ms Collins said the Federal Government has provided $12 million towards the upgrade and construction of water supply infrastructure that would service expected demand in the Huon Valley until 2040.
“I’m pleased to be delivering on this 2007 election commitment, which will provide reliable treated drinking water to residents living in major population centres including Huonville, Franklin, Cygnet and Geeveston,” Ms Collins said.
“The scheme will make water supply and water pressure for homes and businesses more reliable as well as assisting tourism and economic development in this growing area of Tasmania.
“This regional water project will not only benefit the health and well being of the local community by upgrading the water supply across the Huon Valley it will also be an important infrastructure project that will support local jobs and the economy,” said Ms Collins.
Southern Water’s CEO, Mr Mike Paine, said the $30 million dollar scheme would ensure water quality in the population centres of the Huon Valley consistently met Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
“Developed initially by the Huon Valley Council in response to increasing pressures placed on the council’s existing water schemes, the Huon Valley Regional Water Scheme will solve recurring problems of operational deficiencies and poor reliability.”
Mr Paine said the Huon Valley Regional Water Scheme would enrich environmental biodiversity in by returning water to reliance on stressed catchment areas.
“The Huon Valley Regional Water Scheme will reduce pressure on several degraded creeks and rivulets by using single sustainable water supply from the Huon River.
“The scheme will return around one gigalitre of water back to these overstretched environmental sources. That’s about 400 Olympic swimming pools worth of water that will be returned in environmental flows to improve biodiversity.”
Mr Paine said the pipeline infrastructure and associated treatment plant, reservoirs and pump stations was planned to be finished in 2012.
The Australian Government has contributed $12 million towards scheme through the National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns, part of the Australian Government’s long term Water for the Future plan. The remaining balance of the project funds will be provided by Southern Water.
Southern Water
