The Macquarie Point wastewater treatment plant must be moved for the stadium to be built

TasWater says it is in the final stages of working out how much it will cost to move Macquarie Point’s wastewater treatment plant.

Macquarie Point redevelopment. Macquarie Point Wastewater Treatment Plant

The demolition of Macquarie Point’s wastewater treatment plant won’t be completed until late 2026, according to the latest estimate from TasWater.

The relocation of the plant to Selfs Point is crucial for the construction of a stadium at Macquarie Point.

The state government’s $715m Macquarie Point stadium, which is required by the AFL if the state is to get its own team, is due to be completed by the end of 2028.

TasWater project delivery general manager Tony Willmott said the corporation was in the final stages of completing the cost estimation for the relocation of the Macquarie Point sewage treatment plant to Selfs Point.

“When finalised, the budget will be provided to the TasWater board for approval, and we anticipate being able to provide a time of completion in the first half of 2024,” Mr Willmott said.

“We are committed to our timeline for the demolition of Macquarie Point sewage treatment plant by the second half of 2026.”

Macquarie Point redevelopment site with wastewater treatment plant on left

In November TasWater CEO George Theo said work on removing the plant was expected to be complete in 2025, but that it “might go out into 2026”.

The nation’s busy construction market was cited as a reason for a potential delay.

Moving the plant was estimated to cost $140m in 2017, although TasWater has said the final figure will be higher.

Under the agreement between the state government and TasWater over the project funding, the state government will have to pay any cost overruns.

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) recently approved a Macquarie Point sewage pumping station and emergency storage in Hobart.

The proposal is part of the larger TasWater project to close the Macquarie Point wastewater treatment plant and divert sewage to a an upgraded plant at Selfs Point.

The EPA approved the project with conditions, including that contaminated soil and odour be managed once the station is built.

TasWater lodged a development application for the Selfs Point project in December.

The Selfs Point upgrade is expected to lead to a significant improvement in effluent quality and improve the health of the River Derwent.

It’s estimated the new plant will remove 153 tonnes of nitrogen, 31 tonnes of phosphorus and 120 tonnes of biochemical oxygen demand from the Derwent Estuary each year.