The Australian Government has committed $5 million toward the $11 million expansion of the Penna Recycled Water Scheme, to increase the amount of water available for local farmers and irrigators.
Liberal Senator for Tasmania, Claire Chandler, said the funding provided through the National Water Grid Fund would help to create jobs and expand farm production to meet the growing demand for Tasmania’s premium produce.
“The Morrison Government has invested heavily in water and irrigation projects in Tasmania to support our world-class primary producers, and our support for this project is another example of that,” Ms Chandler said.
“This is a great example of the Commonwealth and Tasmanian Governments working together to deliver more irrigation water for producers and provide better outcomes for the environment.”
Minister Guy Barnett said that once complete the project would reuse 100 per cent of the wastewater from all sites which contribute effluent to Penna, removing the need to discharge from Sorell and Midway Point to Pitt Water, and also increasing TasWater’s ability to provide recycled water to the region’s primary producers.
“TasWater currently recycles more than 5,000 megalitres, or around 11 per cent of its wastewater, but with the increasing need to conserve our safe drinking water this process is an increasingly valued resource which will assist the state to develop irrigated agriculture and farm gate production,” Mr Barnett said.
“TasWater has committed to reducing the amount of treated wastewater released into Pitt Water from Sorell and Midway Point region to zero as this is a Ramsar wetland of international significance.”
A new pipe along Shark Point Road will take the water to a larger storage which will be able to hold the full supply over winter for use in summer.