Call to tap Pedder tourism potential

NEW facilities are needed at Gordon Dam to make the most of the area’s tourism potential, officials say.

NEW facilities are needed at Gordon Dam to make the most of the area’s tourism potential, officials say.

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said Lake Pedder was underplayed as a drawcard.

“It’s a site we’ve never really fully embraced as a tourism destination,” he said. “But it ­offers an extraordinary journey from untouched wilderness to this engineering feat.

“At the moment, the infrastructure is pretty ordinary. There’s no visitor signage and the walking tracks aren’t up to scratch.

“There’s some stuff about the dam, which is great and important, but a lot of people want to see that balanced with information about the environmental story.”

Mr Martin said the region had played a lead role in Tasmania’s environmental story.

Tours to the hydro station once attracted tens of thousands of tourists a year.

“We shouldn’t shy away from the tourism potential in telling that story,” he said.

The Gordon Dam wall has a public walkway and is home to Aardvark ­Adventures’ abseiling.

The push to boost tourism follows the reopening of the Lake Pedder Chalet.

New operator Angie Fiddall said visitors always wanted to know the history of the dam.

“They’re all interested in getting down to the hydro station for a tour,” she said.

Hydro Tasmania was unable to comment yesterday on speculation it would reopen the station for tours.