Huon Bruny Master Plan

Current

About the region

The Huon Bruny region is one of Tasmania’s best known food, brewing, and tourism destinations with the Huon River and D'Entrecasteaux Channel supporting agriculture, aquaculture and forestry.

Current services

The region’s main centres are Huonville and Cygnet, and there are many smaller towns throughout the Huon Valley and on Bruny Island.
The region has four water and six sewerage systems as well as a recycled water scheme to support the region’s residents, businesses and farms. In addition to the TasWater systems, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, and the Department of State Growth own and operate small sewerage schemes.

Read more in the PDF
Growth Areas

Population growth in Huon Bruny will be slow over 50 years. About 1,300 lots could be developed if zoning permits, mainly near Huonville, Port Huon, Cygnet, and Dover. Growth is uncertain; Bruny tourism or housing could trigger water upgrades. Geeveston and Cygnet have land for housing if demand rises. TasWater will monitor trends and adjust its Master Plan as needed.

Read more in the PDF

Case Study: Two-year program to protect Dover

TasWater worked in the Dover community from 2023 to 2025 to overhaul the town’s sewerage system and better protect its seaside environment and lifestyle. Before the upgrades began, sewage infrastructure in Dover had aged to the point where it posed real risks to the environment and community health. This had included closures of Kent Beach when water quality was affected by discharges from the Dover Sewage Treatment Plant’s outfall pipeline. TasWater’s priority project was to replace the deteriorated above ground outfall pipeline with an underground pipeline 340m offshore from Knobbys Point. This pipeline, twice the length of the old one, enables treated water to more efficiently mix and dilute in Port Esperance Bay's currents.

Subsequent projects involved upgrading seven western and north shore sewage pumping stations, including electrical works, and installing underground emergency storage tanks. These tanks help to manage the large amounts of stormwater that can enter the system in
wet weather, and can lead to overflows into the environment. A new pipeline was also constructed from Francistown Sewage PumpStation to the Dover Sewage Treatment Plant.

Discover the project

Huon Bruny region key statistics

Forecast

The big issues

In developing our Master Plans, we have has considered challenges that our state will face in future, as well as ones that are unique to the Huon Bruny region. We also thought about the flip side – what opportunities are there for us to better support local people, our environment, cultural heritage and the economy?

Ageing infrastructure, with many assets in poor conditions
Inadequate water allocations in our licenses
Water treatment plants operating at capacity
High levels of water loss in our systems
High risk of nutrient discharges into the environment at multiple locations
Inundation of coastal assets as the climate warms and sea levels rise
Opportunity to produce more recycled water

Challenges and opportunities

Climate change

Climate change in Tasmania is likely to bring warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, and more extreme weather, impacting water supply, quality, and demand. These changes threaten water treatment and sewerage infrastructure, potentially requiring new solutions and adaptations.
Water security

Our drinking water comes from rivers and bores before treatment. Some rivers already have low flows, and licensed allocations don’t always meet demand. Drier conditions could worsen this, making unrestricted supply harder. To avoid restrictions, TasWater promotes conservation and follows its Water Security Strategy to ensure long-term supply.
Keeping up with growth

With expected population growth and ageing infrastructure, the region must upgrade or replace water assets to maintain service quality. Improvements will be prioritised by development timing, community benefit, and compliance needs.
Water where it belongs

About 50% of water produced in the Huon Bruny region is lost due to leaks, theft, metering errors, or operational use. Efforts are underway to cut these losses and reduce stormwater infiltration into sewerage systems, aiming to delay costly upgrades and extend infrastructure lifespan.
Achieving compliance

TasWater must meet environmental and health standards, but ageing and underfunded infrastructure sometimes falls short. Progress is being made, especially with water quality and reliability.

Case Study: From boil water alerts to the best drop in the state - Rocky Creek has our best tasting tap water

Rocky Creek in the Huon Valley has come a long way in its water quality journey. In 2025, water from the Rocky Creek Water Treatment Plant took out the coveted title of best tasting water in Tasmania. In the IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water competition held in Devonport, water samples from 11 treatment plants around Tasmania were judged on colour, clarity, odour and taste.

Rocky Creek water stood out for its crystal clear appearance and refreshing taste.
Water in Rocky Creek was previously subject to boil water alerts before TasWater upgraded the water treatment plant in 2018 under the 24 glasses Regional Towns Water Supply Program.

Future

Our 50-year vision for the region

After looking at a range of options to guide our long-term investment in water and sewerage infrastructure, our preferred approach balances climate resilience, water security, customer expectations, environmental and health compliance, and cost. Download the PDF for more details.

We believe our approach:
Tackles the most urgent issues right away.
Delays major spending until later, helping manage budgets and adapt to future changes.
Reduces the need for, and number of, complex projects like new dams, treatment plants and long pipelines.
Has a lower long-term cost (net present value) and development cost (capital cost) when compared with other options considered.