Gordon-Pedder: The SW Gateway

The Gordon-Pedder hydropower scheme sits at the gateway of the incredible Tasmanian South-West wilderness. Over the next 5 - 10 years, a number of important maintenance and upgrade works are planned in the area and it is important to us that, as part of these works, we leave lasting improvements. This could look like better visitor amenities that positively contribute to the recreation or tourism appeal of the region, opportunities to build job-readiness skills or support for local community ideas that foster connection and well-being.

Our goal is to invest in the issues and ideas that are important to you. So let's start chatting... but first, a little background.


The photogenic Gordon Dam - Australia's highest arch dam (140 m)

A little background

Lying due west of Hobart, the Gordon–Pedder scheme comprises three dams, two lakes, and one power station. Together, they play an integral role in Tasmania’s energy story, and we celebrate their importance while acknowledging the losses that made them possible.

At the time of construction, the scheme divided opinion and these differing perspectives endure. We recognise the lessons of the past and carry them forward to guide our current and future operations.

Care and attention required!

The scheme recently marked its 50th birthday and there are a number of upgrades and general maintenance works underway or in planning to keep it humming. Through these works, we work hard to use our project funds to return maximum benefits for Tasmanians - that can look like choosing a local contractor or Tassie-made materials or creating new jobs or skills opportunities, through to investments in recreational amenities or community services.


Your role

To ensure we're focusing on what's important to you, we need to hear your ideas and voice!

To get things started, we've done a little brainstorming ⬇⬇⬇. To see these images full screen (or print them off), click on the larger images. On a desktop or laptop, these will appear on the left hand side. On a mobile, scroll to the bottom.


Use these ideas to inspire your thinking! You can tell us which ideas you like best OR come up with your own. Share this page and ideas with your community, networks and friends. The more ideas we get and views we here, the better the outcomes!


How to have your say?

✍🏻Participate in the survey

📚Share your idea via a story - these will be published so others can see them.

🗣️Drop by for a chat - we'll post events on this page as we schedule them.

👍🏻Keep an eye on our social accounts (@hydrotasmania) and comment on posts

☎️Call us on 03 62 40 22 58 or 📧 engagement@hydro.com.au


The rules of engagement

  • All ideas are welcome
  • Not every idea will be possible - but we promise to involve you in the decision making process and explain our reasonings
  • We understand and respect community members who would like the original Lake Pedder restored but this isn't a decision we can make or consider in this process.
  • We'll look to support a spread of ideas across different interests and needs
  • We will prioritise investment in ideas that are community-led and sustainable over the long term.
  • Recreational facilities are expensive to maintain and any investment made in these ideas will automatically include a maintenance allocation that ensures they stay safe to use.


Then what?

We'll gather initial ideas and feedback over the next 2 - 3 months - and then come back to share what we've heard. If we get lots of great ideas, we might ask you to help us prioritise where best to start or, if there are some stand-out suggestions, we might get started.

We'll share regular updates on this page and encourage locals, organisations and visitors to the SW region to stay engaged.

The Gordon-Pedder hydropower scheme sits at the gateway of the incredible Tasmanian South-West wilderness. Over the next 5 - 10 years, a number of important maintenance and upgrade works are planned in the area and it is important to us that, as part of these works, we leave lasting improvements. This could look like better visitor amenities that positively contribute to the recreation or tourism appeal of the region, opportunities to build job-readiness skills or support for local community ideas that foster connection and well-being.

Our goal is to invest in the issues and ideas that are important to you. So let's start chatting... but first, a little background.


The photogenic Gordon Dam - Australia's highest arch dam (140 m)

A little background

Lying due west of Hobart, the Gordon–Pedder scheme comprises three dams, two lakes, and one power station. Together, they play an integral role in Tasmania’s energy story, and we celebrate their importance while acknowledging the losses that made them possible.

At the time of construction, the scheme divided opinion and these differing perspectives endure. We recognise the lessons of the past and carry them forward to guide our current and future operations.

Care and attention required!

The scheme recently marked its 50th birthday and there are a number of upgrades and general maintenance works underway or in planning to keep it humming. Through these works, we work hard to use our project funds to return maximum benefits for Tasmanians - that can look like choosing a local contractor or Tassie-made materials or creating new jobs or skills opportunities, through to investments in recreational amenities or community services.


Your role

To ensure we're focusing on what's important to you, we need to hear your ideas and voice!

To get things started, we've done a little brainstorming ⬇⬇⬇. To see these images full screen (or print them off), click on the larger images. On a desktop or laptop, these will appear on the left hand side. On a mobile, scroll to the bottom.


Use these ideas to inspire your thinking! You can tell us which ideas you like best OR come up with your own. Share this page and ideas with your community, networks and friends. The more ideas we get and views we here, the better the outcomes!


How to have your say?

✍🏻Participate in the survey

📚Share your idea via a story - these will be published so others can see them.

🗣️Drop by for a chat - we'll post events on this page as we schedule them.

👍🏻Keep an eye on our social accounts (@hydrotasmania) and comment on posts

☎️Call us on 03 62 40 22 58 or 📧 engagement@hydro.com.au


The rules of engagement

  • All ideas are welcome
  • Not every idea will be possible - but we promise to involve you in the decision making process and explain our reasonings
  • We understand and respect community members who would like the original Lake Pedder restored but this isn't a decision we can make or consider in this process.
  • We'll look to support a spread of ideas across different interests and needs
  • We will prioritise investment in ideas that are community-led and sustainable over the long term.
  • Recreational facilities are expensive to maintain and any investment made in these ideas will automatically include a maintenance allocation that ensures they stay safe to use.


Then what?

We'll gather initial ideas and feedback over the next 2 - 3 months - and then come back to share what we've heard. If we get lots of great ideas, we might ask you to help us prioritise where best to start or, if there are some stand-out suggestions, we might get started.

We'll share regular updates on this page and encourage locals, organisations and visitors to the SW region to stay engaged.

  • Shape our South-West Tasmania Community Benefits Sharing Program

    62 responses

    We're developing a community benefit sharing plan to inform what ideas and initiatives we might support in the future in Tasmania's South-West. The area we're considering in this program includes New Norfolk, towns to the west, including Maydena, Westerway, Bushy Park and Glenora, and areas around Lakes Pedder and Gordon. 

    A modest amount of funding is currently available. Your input to this survey, along with feedback gathered from communities, organisations and visitors collected via other channels, will help us develop a program that helps support or address the issues that matter most to you. We'll also use your feedback to inform future ideas, if more funding becomes available. 

    This is an anonymous survey (unless you voluntarily choose to identify yourself) so please share your thoughts openly. 

    We won't be able to action every suggestion but we will share back what we've heard (in general themes) and explain how we come to our final choices. These updates will be shared via the web page.

    Take Survey