Challenge to irrigation pipeline to water golf course dismissed

Plans will go ahead to deliver recycled water across a 7km pipeline for agricultural use and to water the grass of a golf course, despite objections from neighbours.

Pipeline construction workers Mark Langridge, Toby Burgess-Wilson and Nils Bush. Image: South Arm Irrigation Scheme.

Plans will proceed for a recycled water treatment plant, to process and send water across the River Derwent to South Arm to irrigate a golf course, after neighbours of the proposal lost the fight against the project in a Tasmanian tribunal.

The new plant was proposed to be located to the west of a sewage treatment plant (STP) on Tinderbox Road at Blackmans Bay.

Water from the sewage treatment plant would pumped to the recycled water treatment plant (RWTP) for further processing, before it would be sent across a 7km underground pipeline to Arm End to irrigate the proposed Gellibrand Point Golf Course, agriculture and other community uses.

The South Arm community will soon have access to Class A recycled water courtesy of a historic first-ever water pipeline crossing. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The application was approved by the Kingborough Council back in April, but landowners neighbouring the STP launched an appeal with the Tasmania Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT).

The two neighbours appealed the decision on six grounds, including for reasons related to zoning and the landscape, but the tribunal was not convinced, rejecting all grounds.

“We consider that the granting of the permit, with the original conditions imposed by the council, is the correct and preferable decision,” the tribunal said.

“The Council’s decision to grant the permit is therefore affirmed and we would dismiss the appeal.”

South Arm Irrigation Scheme CEO Mary Massina praised the tribunal’s decision.

“It means that we will now be able to proceed with the construction of Tasmania’s first-ever Class A recycled wastewater treatment plant, further treating one-third of the water currently discharged into the Derwent by TasWater to instead use as irrigation water,” she said.

Mary Massina CEO South Arm Irrigation Scheme at staging post at Margate. The South Arm community will soon have access to Class A recycled water courtesy of a historic first-ever water pipeline crossing. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“The farming community, firefighters and the broader community will have access to Class A recycled water.

“The potential to increase agricultural capacity as a result of this irrigation scheme is significant, taking the 40 hectares under agriculture and increasing it to 350 hectares.”

It’s expected the recycled water will begin moving through the pipeline by mid-2025.

The pipe will deliver up to 900 megalitres of water each year.