New water infrastructure projects for Tasmania

Regional communities in Tasmania are set to benefit from increased water security through the construction of a new recycled water distribution network in Bicheno and an upgrade to the 140-year-old Lake Leake Dam.

The joint Australian and Tasmanian government funding for the two water infrastructure projects includes $17.1 million for the Bicheno Recycled Water Scheme and a further $3 million for the Lake Leake Dam Life Extension Upgrade.

Together these two projects will support around 37 new construction jobs and deliver more reliable water supplies to help local farmers and support expanded agricultural and primary industry production in the surrounding regions.

The Bicheno Recycled Water Scheme project will construct a distribution network for recycled water, including pipelines, pump stations and a 100-megalitre storage dam for primary producers in the Bicheno region.

When it's finished, the Bicheno project will add an extra  64 megalitres per year of recycled water back into the supply of nearby communities to boost their agriculture production. By 2050 about 83 megalitres a year of recycled water will flow back into the water supply.

The Lake Leake Dam Life Extension Upgrade project will upgrade the 140-year-old Lake Leake Dam to extend its useful life by a further 100 years, maintaining 14.6 gigalitres per year of water for vital crop and livestock production in Tasmania's Eastern Midlands area.