Council built pipeline will provide 500ml a year to Tasmanian salmon farmer. Though without dam, water source could expire.
Construction work has begun on a council-built AUD 4.1-million (EUR 2.5 million) pipeline to provide Tassal, as well as other business, with water for fish bathing, reports ABC news.
Australia’s biggest salmon producer needs the freshwater for 800,000 fish across 28 pens sit at Okehampton Bay on the east coast of the Australian island, which was greenlit in 2017.
However, the pipeline is centred around a new 3,000 megalitre dam being built on private property at the Tea Tree Rivulet, Buckland, Tasmania, Australia. However, the dam – which will flood 50 hectares of farmland and forest – has council approval but has not yet had so from the Federal Environment Department.
But despite this, the council has pushed ahead with the pipeline to Tassal, with construction well underway. The salmon farmer will now get the water from a site called Hobbs Lagoon.
The dam was to deliver up to 3,000 megalitres (ML) of water a year, including 500ML to Tassal and the rest to farmers and a golf course.
Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor Debbie Wisby told the publication that although Hobbs Lagoon would expire as a water source in three to eight years, there were other alternatives.
“My understanding is Tassal is underwriting that very issue, so the risk to council is nil, that’s been checked by council’s acting general manager and he’s satisfied that the risk to council is fine,” she said.
Despite this, the pipeline will begin supplying water to Tassal’s Okehampton Bay facility in September 2019.
SalmonBusiness has contacted Tassal for comment.
