The Henderson Dam on Flinders Island in Tasmania has undergone extensive upgrades to double its storage volume, ensuring a reliable water supply system for residents and reducing the likelihood of water restrictions during dry spells.
The Henderson Dam provides a critical water supply system and has been supplying water to the island for many years, but it was beginning to show signs of age, the storage capacity was no longer adequate, and its design no longer aligned with best practice.
All major construction work was completed in 2022 and following a decent amount of rainfall, the dam is now filled.
Attending the opening on Flinders Island, Tasmanian Premier, Jeremy Rockliff, and Deputy Tasmanian Premier, Michael Ferguson, said that projects like the Henderson Dam upgrade play an important role in the strong economic growth on Flinders Island.
“There is no doubt that visitors have been returning to Tasmania – including Flinders Island – in huge numbers, and visitor spending has been at an all-time high,” Mr Rockliff said.
“The indicative results from the Tasmanian Visitor Survey showed a total spend for the 12 months to October 2022 of more than $3 billion – an increase of 23 per cent from the year before and the highest annual spend on record.”
Mr Ferguson said that the Tasmanian Government has committed to investing $200 million of equity into TasWater over ten years to support the delivery of projects like Henderson Dam.
“Tasmanian businesses were contracted throughout the project, providing stimulus to the local employment sector and the state’s economy. An average of 15 field personnel made up the workforce of this project, which contributed to an economic boost for the island,” Mr Ferguson said.
“In early February 2023, the state recorded the highest business confidence in the country. As a government, we are committed to seeing this confidence extend to Flinders Island which is why continually upgrading infrastructure like the Henderson Dam is so important as it delivers a significant economic boost for the local civil construction sector and its supply chain.”
