Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the new pipeline to improve the health of the Tamar estuary in northern Tasmania. On Monday 9 October, I was delighted to join TasWater, the Launceston City Council and the Tasmanian government—all three tiers of government working together—to announce an important work to improve the long-term health of the Tamar estuary. We know that over the decades we've had report after report after report, but, because of the Albanese Labor government, we have actually now started to do the work and take the steps necessary to improve the river.

I am extremely pleased to report that we've reached a new milestone, with construction of a three-kilometre-long, one-metre-wide pipeline that will increase capacity to transfer sewage and storm water out of the river. This new pipeline will travel 40 metres under the riverbed of the Tamar estuary, connecting the recently upgraded Margaret Street Sewage Pump Station near Kings Park with the Ti Tree Bend Sewage Treatment Plant at Invermay. The pipeline will significantly reduce the frequency and volume of overflow events, improving the overall health of the estuary, with completion expected in late 2024. This means fewer bacteria and other microbes, and it will also lead to a great improvement in the river system. A cleaner estuary is good for the environment, good for our local community, good for tourists and exceptionally good for river users. Two drill rigs will be used for the project, to first drill a pilot hole from either side of the pipeline before both rigs ream the path for the new pipeline. This is pretty highly technical work that's being done in northern Tasmania.

What we've also seen in northern Tasmania is that eight of our local Tasmanian contractors are playing key roles in delivering the next stage of the pipeline project: Gradco, Poly Welding Solutions, Clennett Hire, Paneltec, MJ Cook Agricultural Supplies, Pfeiffer Cranes, Tasmanian Tree Care and Tasman Geotechnics. These are eight companies in Tasmania that are going to benefit from this investment from the federal, state and local governments and from TasWater.

The pipeline is funded under those three elements of government. There's also $140.7 million going in to the Tamar Estuary River Health Action Plan, of which the Albanese government is investing $49 million, the Tasmanian government $47.5 million, the City of Launceston $11 million and TasWater $33.2 million. This is another project which demonstrates that, when all three tiers of government work together, we can get good outcomes for our local communities.

I was delighted to be able to be there to represent the Albanese government at this announcement, to see firsthand what is going to happen and to hear about the construction. I understand only too well the real benefits of cleaning up the river. It's been too long coming. What we've seen is story after story, over many years, and evidence of the sand on the banks of the Tamar River. When I was a child, it was crystal-clear water. You used to be able to swim in it. Well, it hasn't like that for quite a long time. This river has been like this for decades. It is now time to clean it up. It's an active waterway, and I hope that in the future more northern Tasmanians and tourists can feel more comfortable on the water. Recently I spoke of a keen female rower who rowed on the river with an open cut on her hand, and unfortunately it resulted in a very nasty infection. She needed antibiotics, was unable to use her hands for some days and was off the water for some months.

As a government, we are committed to clean waterways so that more people can enjoy them for recreational use. The plan will always be to investigate, to do the research and then to take the action that is needed. This is a significant infrastructure project with over kilometres of pipeline to be laid. There are also 12 metres of individual pipeline sections, with an expected pipeline capacity— (Time expired).