A Coalition Government will provide $500,000 to undertake scoping works to help prevent sewerage entering the Tamar River.
“The Coalition is determined to clean up the Tamar River”, Andrew Nikolic, Liberal candidate for Bass, said today.
“Silt in the Tamar is a serious problem, which is why we have announced a plan to address it through raking and improved catchment management.
“But we also recognise that the issue of raw sewerage entering the river after heavy rains needs addressing.
“The $500,000 will be provided to the Launceston City Council to conduct scoping works to prevent raw sewerage entering the Tamar River from the city’s combined water and sewerage system.”
Mr Nikolic said that the project had the support of both the Launceston City Council, and the Launceston Flood Authority.
“The Coalition is committed to the health of the Tamar River, and is determined to help the river achieve its full potential,” Mr Nikolic said.
Launceston City Council says:
After discussions between the Launceston Council, the Launceston Flood Authority, the Federal Opposition and the Liberal candidate for Bass Andrew Nikolic, Mr Nikolic today pledged $500,000 to allow the Launceston City Council to conduct scoping works to prevent raw sewerage entering the Tamar River from the city’s combined water and sewerage system.
Mr Nikolic said the Liberal Party was committed to the health of the Tamar River and determined that the river should realise its full potential.
The $500,000 pledge is in addition to the party’s existing $2.5m commitment to river improvement projects.
“We are obviously aware of the importance of silt removal, but we are also conscious of the high community concerns regarding raw sewage entering the Tamar River,” Mr Nikolic said.
“I am pleased to announce that after conversations with the Council and the Launceston Flood Authority we will make available an additional $500,000, on top of our standing Tamar River commitment, for scoping works which stop raw sewage entering our river. This is important not only from an environmental point of view — there will be benefits for our tourism sector, for recreation, and for the general enjoyment of the river by the people of Launceston.
“The city’s combined system operates to transport both stormwater and sewerage, making it a unique system in Tasmania. In high rainfall or stormwater events, if the system is pushed beyond capacity, sewerage outflow occurs into the river; something which we cannot allow to continue.”
Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten applauded the announcement.
“Launceston’s combined water and sewerage system was a feat of engineering in its day, and indeed Launceston was the first Australian city to boast underground sewers,” Mayor van Zetten said.
“However, that system is today presenting us with challenges as a city and the community is rightly concerned about discharge into the Tamar River, which occurs during high rainfall events.
“It is clearly unacceptable for a contemporary society.
“This funding will allow the Council to work with TasWater to conduct research, analysis and scoping to determine future works to augment the system and resolve the issue of sewerage contamination in the upper Tamar estuary.
“We believe there are a variety of measures that could provide an effective buffer between the Tamar River and stormwater and sewerage overflows from the combined system.
“This funding will allow the Council to determine coherent measures to improve the health, amenity and functionality of the river.”
Andrew Nikolic, Liberal candidate for Bass. Launceston City Council
