Media release – Lake Pedder Restoration Inc, 23 April 2021
Spend the $65m Restoring Lake Pedder not propping up dams
Restore Lake Pedder Committee calls on all political candidates to commit to reallocating the $65m earmarked for maintenance of the Edgar and Scotts Peak dams in the next four years to decommissioning them and restoring Lake Pedder.
“We call on all state political candidates to support spending the $65m on dam decommissioning, to invest in a sustainable, regenerative future for Tasmania, in tourism and rewilding.
Restoring Pedder is key to claiming a place for Tasmania in the global regeneration conversation.” Christine Milne AO, Convenor of Lake Pedder Restoration Committee said.
“It’s time to grab the opportunity that this moment offers. Instead of spending good money after bad, instead of embarking on an expensive and never ending effort to try to maintain old rockwall dams reaching the end of their lives, why not spend $65m positioning Tasmania as a world leader in ecosystem restoration?”
Now almost 50 years old and at the end of their lives, these dams are listed as the second and third highest risk assets for Hydro Tasmania. Tasmanians should be asked whether we want the increasing liability and cost of maintaining aging infrastructure or whether we want to fix a major mistake and free Lake Pedder.
Tasmania has a wealth of renewable energy resources and there is no risk to energy security from the restoration of Lake Pedder. The 57MW from Lake Pedder can easily be replaced from existing wind and demand management.
“With the launch of the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of the inundation of Lake Pedder which drew global condemnation in 1972, now is the time to put Tasmania back on the world stage as a global beacon of restoration and regeneration.”
“This would not only breathe life back into the heart of the South-West wilderness, it will restore the natural watercourse and health to the Huon and Serpentine Rivers, and re-wild the Serpentine Valley wetlands ecosystem, create more habitat for platypus and re-wild the Serpentine Valley wetlands ecosystem. At the same time restoration creates local jobs and builds community cohesion rather than conflict, ” Ms Milne concluded.
