What's this project all about?
The Tasmanian Government has funded TasWater to complete the Tasman Peninsula Feasibility Study.
The Tasman Peninsula Feasibility Study was commissioned following a request from the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority (PAHSMA) that TasWater consider accepting a transfer of their water and sewerage assets.
PAHSMA operates a water and sewerage network which services the historic site and other nearby properties
As well as considering the transfer of those assets from PAHSMA to TasWater, the scope of the study also includes investigation of water availability to support additional connections in the Port Arthur area.
Any such transfer of ownership to TasWater is determined based on our Asset Transfer Policy which states that:
- The assets need to meet the required TasWater and associated regulatory standards, or sufficient external funding must be made available to achieve this
- Acceptance will not result in a public health alert (boil water alert or do not consume alert)
- At least 50 per cent of the community serviced by the assets (current PAHSMA customers) support the request and are willing to pay TasWater's charges
- The asset to be transferred is financially and operationally viable.
If an asset transfer were to occur, this could lead to nearby properties falling into TasWater serviced land, and would trigger our Service Introduction Charges Policy.
Serviced land is land where TasWater allows a standard connection to its water and/or sewerage infrastructure, and is based on individual property titles.
Under the Service Introduction Charges Policy, we require at least 80 per cent of eligible property owners to agree to connect and become paying customers, before any business case for a project would be approved by TasWater.
Before we seek agreement from any potential customers, we would provide those property owners with detailed costs of all service introduction charges, to be considered in their response.
If at least 80 per cent agreed to do so, and all other criteria were met, then TasWater would proceed and the area would become serviced land.
The reason we require this level of commitment is because the owner of any property that falls within the new serviced land area would be required to pay their share of the service introduction costs, whether or not the property is connected, including vacant land.
If one of the options from the feasibility study report is pursued by TasWater in the future, further community consultation would be required before the project could proceed. The community feedback received during this feasibility study will be captured in the report to Government as an indication of community sentiment and level of support for potential upgraded or expanded services.
A survey has been mailed out to owners of property in the Port Arthur area, identified as having the potential to enter TasWater serviced land if an asset transfer or upgrade were to occur. If you are a tenant, business owner, or other interested party, we also welcome your comments, to be considered for the report.
What happens after the feasibility study?
The feasibility study will provide the Tasmanian Government with potential water and sewerage options for the Port Arthur area.
The report will be delivered to Government in October 2022 for their consideration.
Why can't TasWater pay for the infrastructure?
TasWater was formed in 2013 to manage Tasmania's existing water and sewerage infrastructure. We are owned by Tasmania's 29 local councils, and the Tasmanian Government.
Many of our existing assets are either; undersized, need upgrading, or replacing, which is why TasWater is spending $1.1 billion on capital works over the next four years.
With our capital investment committed to maintaining and upgrading the infrastructure we already have, TasWater cannot pay for the introduction of new water and sewerage services.
In order for service introduction to occur, we must recover our costs from the customers to which the new service would be available, from the provision of external funding contributions, or a combination of the two.