The Lake Pedder Restoration Committee (LPRC) has issued a media release welcoming the works by Hydro Tasmania to decommission the dam at Lagoon of Islands in Tasmania’s central highlands and rehabilitate the site to a natural state.

Lake Pedder Restoration Committee welcomes Hydro Tasmania works at Lagoon of Islands

The Lake Pedder Restoration Committee (LPRC) has welcomed the works by Hydro Tasmania to decommission the dam at Lagoon of Islands in Tasmania’s central highlands and rehabilitate the site to a natural state.

Glenda Russell-Bergan, Lake Pedder Restoration Committee convenor said:

“We are extremely pleased that Hydro Tasmania has undertaken this project.

It is notable that Hydro Tasmania has for the first time, decommissioned one of its most ill-advised dams.

It is also notable that Hydro Tasmania has acknowledged the error of its predecessor, the Hydro Electric Commission, in flooding the unique ecosystem of the Lagoon of Islands in 1964.

The Commission received expert advice at the time that the works would have unsatisfactory outcomes but chose not to listen.

It is essential that Hydro Tasmania invests the resources required to complete the works satisfactorily and ensure there is substantial and enduring restoration of the unique Lagoon of Islands ecosystem.

This is a small first step in the task of undoing the worst of the environmental damage caused by the Commission over six decades.”

The LPRC hopes that Hydro Tasmania will share its learnings from the project with both scientists and environmentalists as the project progresses. Glenda said:

“Hydro Tasmania needs to learn all it can from the project to prepare for future dam decommissioning and site rehabilitation projects.

The obvious candidate is the reconfiguration of the Middle Gordon power scheme to enable the restoration of Lake Pedder.”

Contact: Peter Fagan | Mobile: 0416 031 555 | Email: fagan.peter@gmail.com

Hydro Tasmania media release on the Lagoon of Islands project – click here.

ABC TV News item – click here.