Hydro Tasmania has again repeated assurances that there is enough water in Lake Trevallyn to provide water to the Gunns pulp mill all the year round, as well as meet other requirements such as domestic water use and maintaining the environmental flow through Cataract Gorge.
The following needs to be noted:
l During periods of low natural flows in the catchment such as the summer months, it is almost essential that Poatina be operating in order to meet the electricity needs of the State. This will supplement the natural inflows and mean that there is sufficient water for the town water supplies, the environmental flow in Cataract Gorge and the pulp mill.
l Water required for town water supplies has first priority over and above water required for the environment flow, the proposed mill and even hydro generation purposes.
l The agreement to supply water to the proposed pulp mill has been signed and details of the amount of water and cost of the water made public.
l Hydro Tasmania has completed an assessment of the possible impacts of climate change on water yields across the hydro system, including Great Lake, and we include the potential impact of climate change in our modelling.
l Hydro Tasmania welcomes the Greens’ request for information and will provide relevant data when the letter is received.