Reinvigorating our western powerhouse

New funding opportunity!

Apply today!

Big ideas start small - and Hydro Tasmania is here to help them grow! We’re thrilled to introduce a new funding program to support projects that make the West Coast an even better place to live and work.

Grants are available to help bring your vision to life. Whether you’re part of a dedicated community group, a forward-thinking business, or a passionate individual with a plan to make a difference, we want to hear from you! The total funding pool is $10,000 and may be split across multiple recipients.

This is your chance to create a lasting impact and help your community thrive. Let's build a brighter future for the West Coast together!

Eligibility criteria:

• You must be based on the West Coast of Tasmania (Queenstown, Rosebery, Strahan, Tullah or Zeehan) to apply.

You could be eligible if you have a project/initiative that aims to make a positive impact on the West Coast in any of the following areas:

• Local Industry and Economic Development: Projects that support the growth of local industries, creating job opportunities, and improving economic outcomes. The initiative could enhance access to skills development, vocational training, and employment opportunities.
• Local tourism: Your project may boost tourism attractions, contributing to the overall economic vibrancy of the region.
• Access to services: Projects might aim to improve access to services such as education and healthcare (physical and mental). This could involve initiatives focused on building educational resources, enhancing learning opportunities, or expanding healthcare access for the community

What are we doing on the West Coast?

Tasmania’s western wilds are synonymous with rugged landscapes, dramatic weather, and a pioneering spirit. Amongst other things, these characteristics make Tasmania’s west coast the perfect place to generate renewable energy through hydropower.

This potential was seen early on and in 1914, Mt Lyell Mining and Railway Company built Lake Margaret Power Station to power its mines. A century later, and we’re preparing to embark on an ambitious program of works to reinvigorate power stations in our west coast hydropower schemes, securing their role in Australia’s energy transformation.

Our western powerhouse comprises three hydropower schemes: Anthony-Pieman, King and Yolande. These schemes play an important role in Tasmania’s energy security, contributing approximately 25% of our total generation capacity. In this upcoming program of works, we’ll be focusing on reinvigorating 4 power stations in the Anthony-Pieman scheme. Completed in 1994, this scheme harnesses the power of the Pieman and Anthony rivers and Mackintosh and Murchison lakes. The stations we will be refurbishing are:

Tribute The first of four stations in the Anthony/Pieman River schemes. The station was commissioned in 1994 and houses a single Fuji Francis turbine with a generating capacity of 84MW.	Mackintosh Located at the base of Lake Mackintosh, this station was commissioned in 1982 and has one Francis turbine with a generating capacity of 89MW.
Bastyan Located below Lake Rosebery, this station was commissioned in 1983 and has one Francis turbine with a generating capacity of 81MW.	Reece The last power station in the scheme, sitting below Lake Pieman and south west of Corinna. This station was completed in 1987 and has two Francis turbines with a combined generating capacity of 244MW.
John Butters Located on the left bank of the King River above its junction with the Queen River. The station was commissioned in 1992, and houses 144MW Francis turbine.
Francis turbines are used in all 5 stations - they're our most commonly used turbine because of their efficiency.

What are we doing and why?

The turbines within the Anthony-Pieman scheme and King scheme are ageing - this program of works will reinvigorate these machines to improve operational flexibility and maximise future generation capacity.

At each station, we'll complete a range of tasks including:

• replace turbine components
• refurbish governor systems that control turbine speed and power output
• refurbish intake gates where the water from the dam enters the penstocks (pipes) to flow to the power station
• install new systems to modernise how we control and monitor turbines
• replace turbine power supplies.

The design and supply of new components has already commenced and we expect work to start in November 2027 at Bastyan.

Hydro Tasmania staff member sits below Francis turbine at Mackintosh Power Station.

This is a large program of work and we’re anticipating it will bring exciting opportunities and perhaps the occasional challenge. We’ve already started working with project stakeholders such as the West Coast Council and recently started our broader community engagement with three information sessions.

What's your role?

As with any major project, we'd like you, as a local resident or interested party, to understand what we're doing and why. We started our conversation with the local community in September 2022 with 3 information sessions in Queenstown, Tullah and Rosebery.

With input from you, we'd also like to maximise opportunities and minimise impacts. From engaging with us in a discussion around housing or proposing ideas on delivering lasting community benefits, our goal is to work with you to get the best outcomes possible.

If you have any questions or comments about the project, please post them below. Alternatively, you can also get in touch with one of the team.

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