Media release – Environment Protection Authority (EPA), 11 January 2024
EPA considers proposal for the upgrade of the Tarraleah Power Scheme’s conveyance no. 1 intake at Lake King William
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has concluded its assessment of a proposal by the Hydro-Electric Corporation for the upgrade of the Tarraleah Power Scheme’s conveyance no. 1 intake at Lake King William in the Central Highlands municipality.
The upgrade of the intake includes construction of an approach channel, intake structure, intake tunnel portal, 1 km long tunnel and downstream tunnel portal. Activities to support the construction works include, drilling, blasting, excavation, crushing / screening and on-site concrete / shotcrete batching.
The EPA Acting Executive Director, Environmental Assessments, Helen Mulligan, who made the determination under delegation from the EPA Board, concluded that the proposed development could be managed in an environmentally sustainable and acceptable manner, with certain conditions applied. These conditions are included in an Environment Protection Notice served by the EPA to the Hydro-Electric Corporation.
“Various environmental issues were considered in the assessment, particularly water quality, which will be managed through a suite of conditions requiring diversion of clean water away from the construction site, installation of drains and sediment ponds to capture and treat stormwater within the construction site before being discharged, and monitoring of water quality in Lake King William and the River Derwent, as well as reporting any exceedances of water quality performance criteria set in the Water Quality Monitoring Plan,” Ms Mulligan said.
Public consultation was open for 14 days from 11 November 2023. No representations were received in relation to the proposal.
The proposal was considered by the Board’s delegate in the context of the sustainable development objectives of the Resource Management and Planning System of Tasmania (RMPS), and in the context of the objectives of the Environmental Management and Pollution Control System (EMPCS) established by the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994 (EMPCA).
The functions of the EPA are to administer and enforce the provisions of EMPCA, to further the RMPS and EMPCS objectives and, in particular, to use its best endeavours to protect the environment of Tasmania.
The Acting Executive Director, Environmental Assessments assessed the proposal in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Principles defined in Section 74 of the Act.
The environmental assessment report, including the environmental conditions, has been issued to the Hydro-Electric Corporation.
This decision and all assessment documents can be viewed on the EPA website at https://epa.tas.gov.au/business-industry/assessment/proposals-assessed-by-the-epa/hydro-electric-corporation-tarraleah-power-scheme-upgrade-works-lake-king-william.
