North East Master Plan

Current

About the region

Tasmania’s North East region balances fertile agricultural and dairying areas with forests, coastal towns and remote island communities. Some of the main centres in the region are Bridport and Scottsdale, with smaller towns like Gladstone in an historic mining area and Whitemark and Lady Barron on Flinders Island.

Current services

The region has six water and two sewerage systems as well as a recycled water scheme to support the region’s residents, businesses and farms.
Much of the region’s water and sewerage infrastructure began as part of small, localised systems that were once fit for purpose. However, over time there has been underinvestment in our infrastructure as well as changing community expectations about how we manage growth and operate sustainably.

Read more in the PDF
Growth Areas

North East region is expected to grow steadily over 50 years, with up to 4,800 lots potentially developed if zoning permits, mainly around Bridport. Growth is uncertain; rezoning and tourism in towns like Derby and Branxholm could increase demand for water and sewerage services. We will monitor trends and adjust its Master Plan as needed.

Read more in the PDF

Case Study: Lady Barron community united to conserve water

Faced with almost five months of water restrictions in 2025, Lady Barron residents and visitors made small changes to their daily habits to save water and ease the pressure on Flinders Island’s water supply. The Lady Barron community relies on groundwater bores for its drinking water. However, ongoing dry, warm conditions significantly affected groundwater levels and Stage 1 water restrictions were necessary.

Residents and visitors quickly responded to the need to reduce non‑essential water by 20 per cent; taking shorter showers, using the half-flush on the toilet and watering plants in the coolest parts of the day. As water use was managed and groundwater levels steadily improved, the restrictions were lifted. TasWater has continued to monitor local conditions and is working with the Lady Barron community to make water conservation a part of everyday island life.

Check out our Water Supply Status Map

North East 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 North East 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?

Lack of reliable water sources
Inadequate water allocations in our licenses
Ageing infrastructure, with many in assets in poor condition
Inundation of infrastructure as the climate warms and sea levels rise
High risk discharge from some sewage treatment plants
Opportunity to produce more recycled water
Opportunity to develop future servicing strategies for unsewered towns

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 22% of water produced in the North East 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: Bridport breathes easy with new aerators

Residents are enjoying fresher air and improved services after TasWater introduced innovative aerator devices at the Bridport Sewage Treatment Plant. The installation of aerdisc aerators at the plant has improved the treatment process and virtually eliminated odours, enhancing the quality of life for local people. The new aerators boost performance by mechanically infusing sewage with oxygen in the treatment plant’s lagoons; a critical step in breaking down organic material and keeping odour in check.

The aerators support the lagoon system’s natural biological processes and reduce the need for costly chemicals. They are safe and easy to maintain for our operators. Based on the success of the Bridport aerators, TasWater has installed the devices at other treatment plants around the state.

Read more in the PDF

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.