A plan to relocate the Macquarie Point Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to make way for new developments on the Hobart waterfront site has been signed off by the state’s Environment Protection Authority.
TasWater submitted a development application in December for the upgrade of the nearby Selfs Point facility, aiming to decommission the current Hobart CBD sewage complex.
At the time, the company’s General Manager of Project Delivery Tony Willmott said it has taken “years of planning” to reach the milestone, saying the project will be one of the largest they have ever undertaken.
The Chair of the EPA Board Andrew Paul said the proposed development “can be managed in an environmentally sustainable and acceptable manner, with certain conditions”.
“Various environmental issues were considered in the assessment, particularly potential disturbance of contaminated soil and groundwater during the construction phase of the project, the potential for nuisance odour from operation of the pump station under future use scenarios of the broader redevelopment area and water quality impacts from the discharge of untreated sewage during extreme wet weather events to the River Derwent,” Paul said.
“The environmental impact statement (EIS) summarises historical site use and information from previous site environmental investigation reports completed for the MPDC to provide an understanding of potential contaminants of concern on the site.”
“A conceptual site model also gives an understanding of the potential risk pathways and describes appropriate mitigation measures.”
Before construction can begin, TasWater will need to develop a comprehensive plan for managing wastes, including contaminated soil and sediment and implementing erosion control measures.
The proposed design of the replacement facility includes measures to treat and disperse odour through a biofilter and a 12-metre stack which the EPA says, under normal conditions, should make odour undetectable.
No representations were received during the proposal period.
