Our River. Our Future

Revitalising kanamaluka/Tamar estuary

The kanamaluka/Tamar estuary is a special landscape that connects our community. We appreciate its importance to Launceston and the wider community, which is why we are making investments today to ensure its health for future generations.

As part of the Tamar Estuary River Health Action Plan (TERHAP), we will be delivering new sewerage infrastructure for the city to improve the health of kanamaluka/Tamar estuary and the environment that surrounds it.

This transformative pipeline project, which is one of the largest infrastructure projects of its type in the southern hemisphere, will increase our capacity to transfer sewage and stormwater, significantly reducing the frequency and volume of overflow events.

Major construction works are underway in areas near our Margaret Street Pump Station, along the western foreshore (Trevallyn area) and at our Ti Tree Bend Sewage Treatment Plant at Invermay.

Our construction works involve installing large pipes which will be laid up to 40 metres under the estuary riverbed. The construction works is primarily drilling beneath the riverbed of the estuary and land-based trenching.

If you happen to be walking along the Richie's Mill Walk in Launceston of enjoying Tailrace Park at Trevallyn, keep an eye for our recently installed some project interpretive signs.

Project update

We continue to make great progress on the New Sewer Pipeline Project which will increase our capacity to transfer sewage and stormwater, significantly reducing the frequency and volume of overflow events.

At our Kings Park construction site, we are undertaking ‘reaming’ activities for the future installation of the new pipeline. Reaming involves enlarging the pilot borehole we have created going under the riverbed. This activity will be completed by the end of June 2024.

Over at our western foreshore site at Trevallyn, we have installed large iron fittings to the pipeline. Connecting these fittings means we have successfully laid around 90 percent of the new pipeline at this location.

We have also completed a 200-metre Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) shot that spans a softer section of ground at the northern end of the silt ponds area in Trevallyn.

We are currently preparing to extend our steel casing at the western foreshore. This will involve a short period of ‘hammering’, which will generate some noise in the area between Monday 22 April, and Friday 26 April 2024 between 7 am and 5 pm (ANZAC Day 25 April – 12:30 pm to 5 pm).

During March, the project hosted a site visit for the engineering industry, and we had the pleasure of presenting to Science and Technology students from Launceston College.

These engagements with the community are an opportunity to share our work practices and highlight our progress on one of the largest infrastructure projects of its type in the southern hemisphere.

For more information about our construction progress view our latest construction video here.

What you will notice during our works

Hours of work

The majority of construction works will take place from 7am to 5pm Monday to Sunday. There may be times when we need to work outside of these hours, but we’ll let you know in advance if this is required.

Managing pedestrian access to community spaces

Kings Park

We’ve designed this project to minimise our footprint on the local environment.

While we've had to close access to the footpath on Paterson Street (Kings Park), the community are still able to use the recreational pathway on the river side.

We’re currently working with Council on the project’s final landscape designs for this area and will share these in a future update.

Changes to public access Western foreshore and Valley Street

Major construction is planned to be completed by late 2024.

We thank the community for their understanding while we deliver this important project.

The Tamar Estuary River Health Action Plan (TERHAP or the Plan) is an initiative of the Tamar Estuary Management Taskforce (TEMT) and the Launceston City Deal, to improve the health of kanamaluka/Tamar Estuary.

TERHAP is jointly funded by the Australian and Tasmanian governments, the City of Launceston and TasWater.