Redevelopment of the Lake Margaret Power Scheme is nearing completion.
The official reopening of the larger upper hydropower station occurred on 12 November 2009.
For an idea of the location and conditions of the project, read the experience of German supplier VAG-Armaturen on the project - click here.
The Lake Margaret upper power station was closed from 1 July 2006. The decision was made because it was no longer viable to operate and maintain the 68-year old wooden pipeline that carries water from Lake Margaret to the power station primarily due to safety concerns. The woodstave pipeline was rebuilt as part of the project.
The west coast community was concerned about the future of the historic Lake Margaret power scheme. Hydro Tasmania worked with the community to determine the scope of redevelopment such that community, heritage and economic goals were achieved.
The Hydro Tasmania Board approved the redevelopment of the upper station in June 2008 with work commencing soon after.
In addition to the redevelopment of the upper station works are now underway to redevelop the lower Lake Margaret Power Station with the inclusion of a new mini hydro generator. The lower station redevelopment also features a new woodstave hilltop pipeline.
For more information on the Lake Margaret power scheme, click here.
The published reports are listed below.
Lake Margaret FAQ
Lake Margaret Redevelopment Feasibility Study, Volume 1 (PDF 1.2MB) November 2006. The appendices (PDF 10.1 MB) are available in Volume 2.
Lake Margaret Power Scheme Status Report, (PDF 7.8MB) August 2006
Clarifies the safety situation at Lake Margaret and provides information on Hydro Tasmania’s redevelopment considerations.
The Lake Margaret Tourism Report (PDF 2.46MB) June 2006
An indicative assessment of the potential tourism development opportunities for Lake Margaret.
Lake Margaret Conservation Management Plans show how we propose to preserve cultural heritage values. The two volumes of the Conservation Management Plans are in our Cultural Heritage section.
Lake Margaret media releases are available in our news section.
updated Feburary 2010