Hydro Tasmania said its heritage-rich Tarraleah Estate will again be a bustling workers’ village, housing employees working on redevelopment of the 90 MW Tarraleah hydropower scheme.
Tarraleah, on the Nive River, is part of the Upper Derwent scheme. The first three turbine-generator units were commissioned in 1938 and the last three from 1943 to 1951.
Nearly a century after the village was constructed, Hydro Tasmania announced it is purchasing the site to support the Battery of the Nation workforce and plans for a redevelopment to boost the scheme’s capacity and generate around 30% more energy.
The village was built in the 1930s to house workers constructing the original Tarraleah Power Station, and for decades after was an operational center for Hydro Tasmania, home to the people and families of the civil maintenance and power branches. In recent years, the Central Highlands village has operated as a privately-owned commercial tourism venture.
“Tarraleah Village is an important piece of Tasmania’s hydropower history and now it will be part of its hydropower future,” Hydro Tasmania Chief Executive Officer Ian Brooksbank said. “Providing high-quality accommodation and living amenities will help us retain and attract the workers we need, which can be challenging in remote locations.”
The 97-hectare Tarraleah Village has undergone renovations in recent years and currently accommodates up to 100 people, with amenities including a hall, restaurant, café and recreational facilities. The site also has cleared land for establishing maintenance, storage and handling facilities to support the future workforce.
Brooksbank said the Tarraleah Village will continue to offer accommodation facilities to the travelling public until its full capacity is needed for the construction workforce. The $11.2 million purchase is currently in the settlement period.
In its 2021-22 Annual Report, Hydro Tasmania reported a highlight was a funding commitment from the federal government to progress activity on reimagining the Tarraleah hydropower scheme, part of the Battery of the Nation initiative.
Important upgrades to the Tarraleah scheme are under way, involving around 100 full-time roles. Hydro Tasmania is assessing the commercial viability of redeveloping the Tarraleah scheme, with a final investment decision expected in mid-2024. If the full redevelopment does not go ahead, the village will be used to house workers carrying out necessary refurbishment works on the scheme.