Geoff Smedley
The first stand out problem is the fact that the next major flood, due at any time, would devastate the lower areas. Inveresk and Invermay would without doubt become exposed to enormous dangers by not only the ravages of angry water but the presence of huge quantities of potentially lethal flotsam and jetsam, hundreds of tons of untethered timber stacked directly near the main residential areas, flimsy tin sheds not designed to withstand the pressures that they would be exposed to, making these added dangers extremely costly players in the carnage that must be expected. The North Esk has potential to create its own catastrophe when one looks at the confused approach it takes toward the Tamar Estuary via a channel that has lost more than 50% of its capacity, certainly unable to dispel the flood of a capacity of the well remembered 1929 episode when some 22 people lost their lives, and records show even greater events have occurred in earlier time.
I BEGAn my campaign in 1998 in despair of the ever worsening and unwholesome appearance of Launceston’s waterways, once the icons of the city, now reduced to nothing more than putrid open drains of convenience in the city’s heart.
The radical decline in the 50 years since I began an apprenticeship as a shipwright with William Holyman & Sons in lower Chares Street, close to Town Pier, or Holyman Wharf as it was later known, was unimaginable over that period as this was then a very busy area for smaller trading ketches that plied Bass Strait to the mainland, along with servicing the island communities with supplies and relied upon as the lifeblood of all those island dwellers at that time.
This was in 1945, a time when the Tamar River at Launceston was a bustling port with Kings Wharf handling the bulk of the larger vessels, Town Pier being the last wharf structure remaining in the North Esk after the construction of the old wooden Charles Street bridge in the 1900s. The main Kings Wharf was always busy and I have seen 17 ships, including the ‘Taroona’ and the ‘Nairana’, both mainland passenger ferries (Launceston being their home port) all at this wharf together with some having to lay two abreast. With these visions in mind it was hard to come to terms with the decay and what looked like total abandonment of the waterways with almost all vital past gone for ever, including the river.
My first reaction was to find out why this could be so and what could I do to change things around to draw attention to the fact that Launceston’s greatest asset was rapidly dying, and in what way could the problem be solved, or even held at a level until such time as some interest could be mustered to change things around and start on a road to recovery. By taking into consideration all the major issues now surrounding this sizeable undertaking, I felt that if a solution of worth was to be had all these issues must be taken aboard, so almost three years later a plan was conceived to rectify this man made disaster — much of which has been caused in the past few decades.
The first stand out problem is the fact that the next major flood, due at any time, would devastate the lower areas. Inveresk and Invermay would without doubt become exposed to enormous dangers by not only the ravages of angry water but the presence of huge quantities of potentially lethal flotsam and jetsam, hundreds of tons of untethered timber stacked directly near the main residential areas, flimsy tin sheds not designed to withstand the pressures that they would be exposed to, making these added dangers extremely costly players in the carnage that must be expected. The North Esk has potential to create its own catastrophe when one looks at the confused approach it takes toward the Tamar Estuary via a channel that has lost more than 50% of its capacity, certainly unable to dispel the flood of a capacity of the well remembered 1929 episode when some 22 people lost their lives, and records show even greater events have occurred in earlier time.
During heavy flooding the power from the South Esk virtually shuts a gate at the Tamar estuary while fighting against a flood tide forcing the North Esk to exit via its original flood plain — which is Invermay — and simply placing faith on earth mound levees, is certainly gambling with the power of nature. The chances of these unsuited levees breaching is extremely high making reliance on such a proposal risky in the extreme, while giving rise to an increased disaster by creating the means to trap the water within these dirt embankments, extending the overall destruction to a new level altogether. This proved to be the case in New Orleans (perhaps the only thing that could be aligned with the Tamar situation), the breaching of their levee system increased that tragedy some 30 fold.
Surprisingly, the powers that be have suddenly taken an interest in the river, and it becomes very obvious that thought has not been wasted on the many problems that stand out, but only how to fight against these dangers, and this approach obviously has been the root cause leading to the problems that now exist, and a continuation of these same short-sighted measures is an insult not only to Launceston but Tasmania as a whole, a blight for all to see.
With the realisation happening from most corners of the globe that climate change is already upon us, meaning a completely different and more responsible approach, more professionalism must come into play and guesswork a thing of the past. With global warming comes the rise in sea levels, hastening more severe conditions while changing forever the playing fields of old (literally so). Of particular concern is the realisation of the value of fresh water, where we are allowing more than 40 cubic metres per second to slip into the polluted Tamar to oblivion 24/7 which does not raise an eyebrow. This major issue should be taken into account now and acted upon. The worldwide effects of sea levels being emphasised today is on a far greater scale than it was when first brought to my attention in 1998; this in itself is sound reason to fix the causes rather than wasteful attempts at patching the effects for ever more. There is no place for dicky dykes now or in the future.
It is safe to say that even more bribery handouts to mainland football clubs will have little effect on our new future. The holy ground (Aurora Stadium) will become the new swimming centre, while Windmill Hill becomes the refugee centre, not forgetting the old railway aquarium and bureaucrat fossil sheds at Inveresk.
The now professionally rejected Lake Batman plan, compiled in an attempt to generate some sort of dialogue into the various ways this ever worsening problem might be approached, covered these serious matters along with returning some civic pride to Launceston. Initially this concept plan was shown to a chosen few who backed the idea 100% and considering the work had been done primarily as a starting point in rectifying the river’s health and overcoming the dangers it now threatens to life and property, it was never considered to be worthy of the frenzied reaction it received, particularly in the lengths that were taken to debunk the outrageous suggestion.
The Lake Batman proposal became a failed attempt to promote the dialogue necessary to find the right methods in which to rectify the major problems these waterways now hold. This plan did provide the ability to control these waters into the future and retain the now discarded fresh water within the city, creating a valuable, stable shoreline that would attract worthy future developments plus a myriad of other pluses. Perhaps the main one to stand out is the natural asset it provided, something that would undoubtedly become the most priceless of all for Launceston, Lake Batman, holding an abundance of fresh water on the doorstep into the future.
Very few of Tasmania’s natural icons have survived industrial vandalism. The Cataract Gorge in Launceston is an example of this when the then Hydro Electric Commission of Tasmania, decimated one of this state’s greatest assets, now finally leading to the total collapse of the Tamar Basin itself. The Premier of the day (“Electric Eric” Reece) revered for his drive and wisdom, Wisdom?? The vote buying dollar overrules any form of commonsense as we all know. This type of decision making is a government speciality. The bulk purchase of ferries to bring all visitors here before we manage to get our house in order and as expected imposing a poor impression that will take a few decades to overcome, no matter now much money is spent. This is yet another typical example. The cost to this state over the years in monetary terms would be staggering, but the lost opportunities have cost Tasmania far more.
In Launceston it appears that unless a project is a financial burden to the city it is unworthy of consideration and should be put to rest by any means that is appropriate at the time, fair or foul. Until a proper understanding of the problems confronting the rivers and the serious damage that has been allowed to affect all our rivers’ rapid decline in recent time, the effects are showing up in the cruellest of ways throughout the state, but none more so than the beleagured Tamar Basin where no fish life now seem to survive. This in itself must send a clear message.
A different approach is long overdue and all stops should be pulled out to see the waterways of Launceston get the attention they are crying out for and not simply more bandaids and painted poles this time.
Earlier:
The lessons of New Orleans
The unmentionable crisis
The saga of Tamar silt
