A Tasmanian civil construction company has been awarded the contract for Hydro Tasmania’s Edgar Dam upgrade, set to commence in January 2025.
Hydro Tasmania’s Executive General Manager of Assets and Infrastructure, Jesse Clark, said that as a Tasmanian business specialising in earthfill dams, Hall Earthmoving was an excellent choice.
“We’re fortunate to have a local family-owned business that can carry out technical works of this scale right at home in Tasmania,” Mr Clark said.
Built in 1972, Edgar Dam is part of the Gordon-Pedder hydropower scheme which provides up to 13 per cent of Tasmania’s power. It is the largest water storage in the country, with inter-seasonal capacity that helps drought-proof the state’s energy system.
The upgrade works are expected to enable the dam to better withstand movements in the extremely unlikely event of a major earthquake.
Director of Hall Earthmoving, Chris Hall, said his father Mick Hall started the business 40 years ago and it was rare to see a contract of this size come up that was within their scope.
“We’re very happy that we’ve got this project. Working for Hydro Tasmania in this capacity has been a long-term goal of the business,” Mr Hall said.
“The Edgar Dam project is something I’m very passionate about, my team’s very passionate about, and I’ve got a great mentor in my father.”
Hydro Tasmania said it proactively adopted stringent environmental controls to protect the sensitive Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area that surrounds the work site. The project has also met the Federal Government’s environmental requirements and was deemed not to be a controlled action.
Measures include regular wash down stops for vehicles and machinery, only driving at certain times, downward facing dim lights and low noise emissions at night.
“It’s a big task but we feel confident because we have experience working in these kinds of areas, like on the West Coast, and understand how remote and sensitive that environment is,” Mr Hall said.
The Edgar Dam campground and boat ramp will be closed during the upgrade works, which are scheduled to finish in mid-2026.
Hydro Tasmania said Scotts Peak Road will remain open, but road users should allow for longer travel times for 18 months starting 28 January 2025 due to reduced speed limits and increased project traffic.
