Tamar Estuary River Health Action Plan

Our River. Our Future

Revitalising kanamaluka/Tamar estuary

The kanamaluka/Tamar estuary is a special landscape that connects our community. We appreciate its importance to Launceston and the wider community, which is why we are making investments today to ensure its health for future generations.

As part of the Tamar Estuary River Health Action Plan (TERHAP), we will be delivering new sewerage infrastructure for the city to improve the health of kanamaluka/Tamar estuary and the environment that surrounds it.

What's this project all about?

The Tamar Estuary River Health Action Plan (TERHAP or the Plan) is an initiative of the Tamar Estuary Management Taskforce (TEMT) and the Launceston City Deal , to improve the health of kanamaluka/Tamar Estuary.

A total of $129.2 million is being invested by the Australian Government, Tasmanian Government, TasWater and City of Launceston under the Launceston City Deal to implement the key actions in the plan.

Improvements
We're delivering projects to improve the operation of Launceston's combined system which manages the flow of both sewage and stormwater. The projects will help to divert sewage and stormwater flows away from kanamaluka/Tamar estuary, reducing the frequency and volume of overflow events.
Upgrades of existing and construction of new pump stations to increase pumping capacities
Constructing new network storages to reduce overflows
Building additional pipelines to transfer greater flow volumes.
Benefits
Delivery of these projects will provide measurable benefits to kanamaluka/Tamar estuary.The forecast benefits include:
A reduction in combined sewage and stormwater overflow volumes in an average rainfall year
Reducing the presence of human waste-related bacteria concentrations in Tamar Estuary Zone 1 in an average rainfall year.

Works undertaken to date

We're making good progress on the TERHAP combined system improvement projects. Activities undertaken to date include:

Esplanade/St John Street pipeline upgrade – in November 2022 we completed construction of our new pipeline section and new connections.

Margaret Street Diversion Project - During September 2023 we completed the final phase of major construction by lifting the large concrete lid into place for this new underground diversion chamber at our Margaret Street Pump Station.

The chamber is now connected to our existing sewer system and will help divert sewage and stormwater flows away from kanamaluka/Tamar estuary. The diversion chamber will improve the way we manage the flow of sewage and stormwater to the Margaret Street Pump Station and onto the Ti Tree Bend Sewage Treatment Plant.

Tamar Estuary River Health Action Plan - New Sewer Pipeline Project – This transformative pipeline project, which is one of the largest infrastructure projects of its type in the southern hemisphere is well underway. It will increase our capacity to transfer sewage and stormwater, reducing the frequency and volume of overflow events.

Construction involves installing a large pipeline which will be laid up to 40 metres under the estuary riverbed. In October we began drilling activities near at our Ti Tree Bend Sewage Treatment Plant at Invermay and Valley Street, Trevallyn. During late 2023, we successfully installed a 650-metre-long section of the new pipeline 40 metres under the riverbed. This was the first of two river crossings and has connected the Ti Tree Bend site in Invermay to our site in Valley Street, Trevallyn.

In January 2024 we commenced our next phase of drilling works at our construction site in Kings Park, this work is preparing our second river crossing.

Our key construction sites are now set up at West Tamary Highway (foreshore area) and Valley Street, Trevallyn as well as near Kings Park in the city.

New Margaret Street Pump Station Upgrade Project – In late 2023 we completed a range of upgrades at our Margaret Street Pump Station that will increase our pumping capacity from the pump station to our Ti Tree Bend Sewage Treatment Plant. New electrical systems have been installed, ready for the new pumps which will be constructed in early 2024.

TERHAP - Ti-Tree Bend Sewage Treatment Plant Covered Storage - This project will involve the construction of a new network storage tank that has two compartments, with a combined capacity of 10 megalitres. In December we began early on-ground works to prepare the site for the new storage facility. Major civil works are planned to get underway in august 2024.