Tasmanian News: Water restrictions coming soon to Hobart and surrounds due to ‘weather patterns’ – ABC News

Updated December 05, 2019 15:27:16

Here's what you need to know today:

Stage one water restrictions will come into effect across the greater Hobart area on December 20 due to "below-average rainfall across south-eastern Tasmania", "projected demand" and the "longer-term outlook for weather patterns in the region", the state's water utility says.

In a statement, TasWater said it was enforcing the following measures:

Garden and lawn watering is allowed on any day during the following times:

Watering of sports grounds is allowed on any day during the following times:

In a statement, Primary Industries and Water Minister Guy Barnett said the restrictions would "ensure that there is sufficient supply for residential and business use, fire preparedness and farmers".

"These measures are needed due to an extended period of dry conditions coupled with increased demand," he said.

"While the vast majority of Tasmanians enjoy plentiful access to water, there are those in rural communities in drought for whom, water is liquid gold."

The restrictions are expected to be in place until the end of February 2020. More information can be found at the TasWater webpage.

An economic assessment of a second undersea power connector between Tasmania and Victoria has found it is technically feasible and commercially viable.

The proposed Marinus Link would operate in addition to the Basslink interconnector, which links Tasmania to the national electricity grid.

The business case study, released overnight by Tasmania's state-owned energy provider Tas Networks, found the 1500-megawatt Marinus link and supporting transmission would deliver broad economic benefits to both Tasmania and Victoria.

It estimates the project would create more than 2,300 jobs in the construction phase in Tasmania, and over the long-term would add more than $1.4 billion in economic value and create 1,400 jobs in each state.

It was not clear how the project which could cost up to $3.5 billion would be funded but analysts have suggested Victoria should contribute given it also stands to benefit.

Tasmania's water provider has revealed it took more than seven hours to send a technician to check its Macquarie Point sewage treatment plant after a power failure in August a fault that resulted in six million litres of untreated sewage and stormwater spilling into Hobart's River Derwent.

TasWater chief executive Mike Brewster was questioned by the Tasmanian Greens about the incident during government business enterprise scrutiny hearings on Wednesday.

Mr Brewster said TasWater's operational control centre in Devonport was notified soon after the power went out, but only decided to send someone to check the facility hours later after conducting a complex assessment.

"When they got to the bottom of it they said 'hang on a minute, we should send someone out' so they sent someone out seven or eight hours later and that's the reality of the situation," Mr Brewster said.

He said the uninterruptible power supply switched itself off, causing the failure, but it remains unclear how that occurred.

Scientists at the University of Tasmania are hoping the hatching of a clutch of red handfish could help save the world's rarest fish.

The 50 juveniles were hatched in an aquarium at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic studies this month.

Scientists had collected two egg masses from one of the last handfish sites in Southern Tasmania, where fewer than 100 adults survive.

IMAS researcher Jemina Stuart-Smith said the babies would be released back into the wild when they're about 12 months old.

"While they're in captivity, we can protect them from things like predation and other adverse environmental conditions and make sure that things like food availability is not a limiting factor," she said.

"Little is known about red handfish biology, reproduction and early growth, and these juveniles will also allow critical research that can help us to ensure this is not the last generation of their species," Dr Stuart-Smith said.

The forecast for Tasmania is for showers, more frequent about the west, south and central areas. Fresh to strong and gusty westerly winds.

Friday is forecast to have showers about the west, south and central areas, and Bass Strait islands. Afternoon showers are possible elsewhere, although less likely about the east coast. Fresh to locally strong and gusty west to south-westerly winds are expected.

A full and updated list of warnings can be found on the Bureau of Meteorology's Tasmanian Warnings summary webpage.

As of 6:00am the Pinnacle Road to the summit of Hobart's kunanyi/Mount Wellington was closed at The Springs.

Check the council website for the updated status of Pinnacle Road.

Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Topics:animal-science,science-and-technology,earth-sciences,animals,community-and-society,police,lifestyle-and-leisure,human-interest,fishing-aquaculture,government-and-politics,law-crime-and-justice,crime,hobart-7000,burnie-7320,launceston-7250,queenstown-7467,bicheno-7215,smithton-7330,coles-bay-7215,colebrook-7027,lake-st-clair-7140,mount-stuart-7000,st-helens-7216,st-leonards-7250,st-marys-7215,st-peters-pass-7120,stanley-7331,staverton-7306,steppes-7030,stewarts-bay-7182,stieglitz-7216,stonehenge-7120,stonor-7119,stoodley-7306,stormlea-7184,storys-creek-7213,stowport-7321,strahan-7468,strathblane-7109,strathgordon-7139,strickland-7140,campbell-town-7210

First posted December 05, 2019 06:53:31

Link:
Tasmanian News: Water restrictions coming soon to Hobart and surrounds due to 'weather patterns' - ABC News