Tasmania is seemingly the place to be when it comes to harnessing investment in water and wastewater, with $2 billion to be spent by 2030 to overhaul infrastructure.
This includes the restoration of the Selfs Point wastewater treatment plant, which this week reached its halfway mark.
A $380 million investment includes $66 million in upgrades to the Selfs Point site to prepare for the future removal of three additional sewage treatment plants located along the Derwent River.
Tasmania’s largest pump station (two megalitres and 23-metre diameter) is being constructed to replace the Macquarie Point sewage treatment plant.
A 4.3km sewer pipeline is also being constructed, while the Selfs Point emergency outfall pipeline is on track for completion in early 2026. This will ensure treated overflow wastewater is safely transferred offshore during periods of high rainfall.
Once complete, the upgraded Selfs Point plant will treat up to 25 megalitres of wastewater per day and reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous entering the Derwent River by 50 per cent.
“Reaching the 50 per cent (construction) mark is a major project milestone and is a reflection of the hard work happening on the ground every day,” TasWater general manager – project delivery Tony Willmott said.
“To date we have delivered a number of major achievements on the project including 6500 cubic metres of concrete poured at the Selfs Point site – which is enough to build foundations for more than 300 homes and the installation of more than 2500 tonnes of reinforcing steel, stretching from Hobart to Launceston and back if laid end to end.”
The Selfs Point sewer transformation project is expected to support 3420 jobs and generate $1.1 billion in economic activity, modernising wastewater services for the next 50 years. The project is set for completion in late 2026.
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