TasWater’s Selfs Point Sewer Transformation team and the creative minds at Dark lab are joining forces to celebrate Hobart’s annual mid-winter arts and culture festival, Dark Mofo.
For one night only on Saturday 7 June 2025, TasWater is set to suspend a ute high in the air over Macquarie Point.
Lit up in the festival’s signature red and smouldering into the night sky, the installation will be housed at the Macquarie Point’s new sewage pump station project site, marking the route between Dark Park and the Regatta grounds.
Elevated 40m above the construction site for the new pump station, the old yellow Toyota HiLux will be dangling from a 280t crawler crane, normally used on site to transport materials.
The utility said that hundreds if not thousands of festival punters will view it as they make their way along the cycleway, which TasWater will open to accommodate the influx of foot traffic.
TasWater General Manager Project Delivery, Tony Willmott, said he was excited to see work at the TasWater site being used to support Dark Mofo.
“Together, Dark Lab and TasWater have harnessed the energy of the space to create a visceral, sensory experience that reminds us that creativity can emerge from the most unexpected places,” he said.
“This installation offers an extraordinary opportunity to witness the blending of two worlds: the raw, dynamic energy of vital infrastructure and the bold, unconventional spirit of Dark Mofo.
“This is a bold collaboration between our Selfs Point Sewer Transformation team and the creative minds at Dark lab. It quite literally shines a light on our commitment to building critical infrastructure to support Hobart’s future growth.”
The existing Macquarie Point Sewage Treatment Plant has also officially joined Destination Southern Tasmania’s Paint the Town Red program for the first time.
“We hope people take a moment to look at it, talk about it, and appreciate what happens behind the scenes to keep our city flowing and sanitary,” Mr Willmott said.
Destination Southern Tasmania CEO, Alex Heroys, said he was thrilled to see TasWater’s infrastructure illuminated throughout the duration of the festival, offering an unexpected visual for locals and visitors alike.
“Seeing big industrial architecture lit up sends a great message that the whole community can get involved in,” Mr Heroys said.
Mr Willmott said, “We hope people take a moment to look at it, talk about it, and appreciate what happens behind the scenes to keep our city flowing and sanitary.”
To date, TasWater has excavated more than 7000t of materials and installed 124 foundation piles to make way for the new Macquarie Point Pump Station, including the construction of the 10m deep holding tank that has capacity to support 830,000 half flushes.
Once complete, the new pump station will then redirect the sewage via the 4.3km pipeline to the upgraded Selfs Point Sewage Treatment Plant.
Together, the interconnected projects will enable the Selfs Point Sewage Treatment Plant to process up to 25ML of Hobart’s wastewater daily and reduce nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the River Derwent, improving marine health.
TasWater said the overall project will provide an estimated 3420 direct and indirect jobs and generate an estimated $1.1 billion worth of economic activity in the state.
The utility is investing $1.9 billion in its asset portfolio over the next five years to ensure it can continue to deliver exceptional water and sewerage services for a thriving Tasmania.
