1100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATUREA Mercury special feature

100 YEARSof the

HYDRO

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2 100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

TASMANIA’S hydro-electric power scheme was carved out of the state’s harsh interior, by ordinary people working in extraordinary conditions.

Work in the early years was difficult and dangerous, requiring resilience, innovation and pioneering spirit.

Thousands of people, many displaced by hard economic times, war and strife, came from all over the world – not only to help build a mighty power scheme but to make Tasmania their home.

Since 1914, Tasmania’s electricity generator has operated under different names, with the changes reflecting its growth and governance.

Tasmanians, however, have remained true to one name – “the Hydro” or simply “Hydro”.

The beginningsIn the early 1900s, the miracle of hydro-electric power was just arriving in Tasmania. Launceston’s streets were lit by the privately-owned Duck Reach Power Station, and a few industries were generating their own electric power.

In 1914, the Tasmanian Government bought a small electricity company in financial difficulty and created the Hydro-Electric Department. The first power station, Waddamana, opened in 1916.

By the 1920s, hydro-electric power was revolutionising Tasmanian farms, mills, mines and factories, but electricity was not yet widely available for household uses. Constantly growing demand for power kept the pressure on the Hydro’s construction program through the 1930s, but equipment, materials, expertise and labour became

FOR most of its 100 year history, the hydro has been at the centre of the Tasmanian economy and indeed of

Tasmanian life.Through the early development

of hydro schemes and the hydro-industrialisation which was a key feature of our post-war economy, there was arguably no more important Tasmanian institution than the hydro-electric Commission. Tasmania was at the forefront of hydro-electricity through the 20th century and without the hydro, Tasmania would not be what it is today.

Many Tasmanians have either worked or had family members work for the hydro over the years. At its peak, the hydro’s workforce hit 5200 people. Many immigrants from europe, employed to work on hydro schemes, brought their families and stayed in Tasmania, bringing a new wave of cultural diversity and experience to our island state.

Today hydro Tasmania still holds a vital place in Tasmania’s economy. not only does hydro provide the vast majority of our energy needs, but it also exports clean renewable energy to the mainland.

When people ask me about the future of hydro Tasmania i tell them that if i had to pick the energy source of the future, i would back hydro generation every day of the week. As the importance of reducing carbon emissions grows, so too does the value and importance of hydro generation in Tasmania.

Thanks to the innovative work of hydro Tasmania and its forebears, Tasmania is exceptionally well placed to make the most of a clean energy future.

On this 100-year anniversary of the hydro we pay tribute to everything achieved so far, and look forward to everything that will be achieved in hydro Tasmania’s next century.

MATTheW gROOM, MhAMinister for energy

COVER IMAGE: The Reece Dam spillway in flood on the state’s west coast.Mercury Historical Archive.

A CENTURY Ago, oNE of ThE boldEsT fEATs of ENgiNEERiNg EvER ENvisAgEd wAs CoNCEivEd iN oNE of ThE mosT REmoTE CoRNERs of ThE woRld.

100 YEARSof the

HYDROFROM

wADDAMANAtO tHE

wORLD

3100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

scarce and progress slowed during the Great Depression and World War II.

The piOneeRsConstruction work in the early years was difficult and dangerous, requiring great resilience and pioneering spirit.

The camps were rustic and isolated, often bitterly cold. Working conditions improved in the 1930s and 1940s with better housing and village facilities, modernised equipment and tighter safety precautions.

After World War II, the Hydro recruited large numbers of international migrants to construct dams and power stations.

Their common Hydro bond brought English, Polish, German, Italian, Scandinavian, Eastern European and other migrants together with Tasmanians, and created lively and

diverse communities.Many Hydro workers from overseas

settled permanently and stayed with the organisation for decades, even creating multi-generational Hydro families.

pOsT-WAR bOOMDuring the 1950s, insatiable demand stretched electricity supplies to the limit. Tasmania’s industries had boomed and most ordinary Tasmanians were now enjoying fully electric homes.

A severe drought that began in the late 50s saw power restrictions introduced. At the same time, Hydro proposed major new developments with the construction and commissioning of a number of stations through the 1960s.

The drought finally broke in 1968 and a major development was planned for the Gordon River, which would spark Tasmania’s greatest environmental conflict.

end OF An eRAThe 70s and 80s saw significant public focus on the Hydro’s operations with growing controversy over the flooding of Lake Pedder and plans for the Lower Gordon scheme resulting in the emergence of the environmental movement.

Saving the Franklin River became a national political issue. Ultimately, work on the scheme ended in 1983 when the High Court prevented the dam from being built. The age of dam-building in Tasmania was drawing to an end.

The Anthony Power Development was considered the last in Tasmania and its power station, commissioned in 1994, was named “Tribute” in honour of the thousands of workers who sacrificed so much to build the state’s power system.

The ChAnged ORgAnisATiOnOut of the days of environmental conflict came a deepened commitment by the Hydro to environmental planning, revegetation and site restoration.

Some of the Hydro’s technical expertise was diverted into international consulting.

To meet the ever-growing demands for energy, the Hydro explored alternatives to hydro-electricity, such as the oil-powered Bell Bay power station, the undersea power cable connecting Tasmania to Victoria, and the renewable resource of wind power.

Since the 1990s, Hydro Tasmania has invested in wind farms on King Island, at Woolnorth in north-west Tasmania and at Musselroe in north-east Tasmania.

In 1995 the organisation was renamed the Hydro-Electric Corporation and in 1998 it was divided into three government-owned enterprises.

These were Hydro Tasmania (power generation), Transend (transmission), and Aurora (retail and distribution).

Tasmania entered the National Electricity Market in 2005 and the Basslink connector commenced operating in April 2006, enabling the supply of electricity to and from mainland Australia.

Further changes introduced by the Tasmanian Government saw the combination of the transmission and distribution functions into one business known as TasNetworks from July 1, 2014, with Aurora Energy remaining as the retail arm operating in a contestable market from.

Hydro Tasmania continues to generate energy for the Tasmanian market and exports the surplus into the National Electricity Market.

On the southern edge of Tasmania’s Central plateau, Waddamana was the site of the first hydro-power

station for an enterprise that was ground-breaking in Australia.

in 1910, work began on harnessing the waters of great Lake and the shannon River for a power station to be built at Waddamana.

The privately-owned venture ran into financial difficulties that ultimately led to the Tasmanian government establishing the hydro-electric department in 1914 to manage the completion of the scheme.

The first two generators at Waddamana entered service in 1916 and between the years 1918-23 the power station was enlarged to accommodate a further seven generators to cater for increased demand for electricity.

“Tasmania has been switched on to the main current of the industrial life of Australia,” said the governor-general, sir Ronald Munro Ferguson, at a ceremony in hobart celebrating the arrival of electricity from Waddamana.

A second station, Waddamana b, was built between 1939-49 with four turbines helping to meet the increasing demand for electricity in Tasmania.

Waddamana was home to up to 100 people in the early 1900s. it now has a handful of residents.

Waddamana A power station continued to operate until 1964 and Waddamana b was decommissioned in 1994.

in 1988 the Waddamana A power station was converted to a museum that is open daily between 10am and 4pm.

At the museum you can see original machinery, most in original locations; equipment from the old shannon power station; historical photographs; appliances and artefacts from the historic Waddamana village, giving an idea of what life would have been like in the early 1900s; and interactive displays showing how a water turbine works and what makes hydro-power renewable.

Admission is free. Phone 6259 6105for more information.

MUSEUM MARKSBIRTHPLACEOF THEHYDRO

The Waddamana Power Station Museum.Mercury Historical Archive

Governor-General Sir Ronald Crauford Munro Ferguson starting the turbine at Waddamana in 1916.Hydro Tasmania

The most powerful place in Tasmania

BACK TO WADDAMANA DAY Sunday 26 October, 10am-2pmA free family day at the site of our frst power station to celebrate our 100th birthday. There will be guided tours of Waddamana Power Station Museum, entertainment, a cake-cutting ceremony and a live radio broadcast with the ABC’s Chris Wisbey.

Find out more at hydro100.com.au

4 100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

OPERATING power stations are seldom open for public access, for safety and operational reasons.

“If you’ve ever wondered what the

inside of a hydro-power station looks like, this is a rare opportunity to find out,” centenary program manager Lara van den Berg said.

“We have 30 hydro-power stations across Tasmania, built over the past 100 years, delivering energy to homes and

businesses across Tasmania,” Ms van den Berg said.

The open day program involves six working power stations, including Lake Margaret near Queenstown, which is also celebrating its centenary this year.

Successful open days have already been held at the Trevallyn, Gordon, Paloona, Devils Gate and Lake Margaret stations.

Next to open will be the Waddamana Power Station Museum, during the Back to Waddamana free family day on Sunday, October 26.

There will be guided tours through the power station museum and opportunities to share memories with former employees and past Waddamana village residents.

There will be music from the St Andrew’s Caledonian Pipe Band and a display of photos showing what life was like at Waddamana in the early days.

Visitors can take a picnic or enjoy the free homemade soup that will be available. There also will be a sausage sizzle and coffee van selling food and drinks.

A cake-cutting ceremony will be held to celebrate the Hydro’s 100 birthday and to acknowledge the people who built the business, as well as those who worked and lived at Waddamana.

“There’s a wealth of history to explore in and around the power stations, but the guided tours by our knowledgeable staff will also provide insight into how Hydro Tasmania manages these large assets to ensure safe, reliable supply of renewable energy,” Ms van den Berg said.

“Once you’ve taken a tour of a power station, you’ll hopefully better understand how the water in our rivers and lakes ends up powering the lights and appliances you switch on every day,” she said.

There is no need to book for the tours as you can just turn up on the day. For safety reasons tour group sizes will be limited so there may be a short wait between tours during peak times.

The final power station to open for the centenary celebrations will be Tarraleah on November 9.

It will be a big weekend in the highland town, starting on November 8 with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra giving a one-off concert paying tribute to the many migrant workers who came to Tasmania to work on the development of our hydropower system.

The performance will include classical music from Russia, Poland,

Italy and other countries, as well as a specially commissioned work titled Tarraleah.

For more information contact the TSO box office or www.tso.com.au.

The exhibition 100 Years of Hydro will also be open to visitors.

Full event details about the Waddamana and Tarraleah open days can be found on the centenary website at hydro100.com.au

tASMANIA’SBIGGEStOPEN HOMEThRoUghoUT iTs CENTENARY CElEbRATioNs This YEAR, hYdRo TAsmANiA hAs bEEN iNviTiNg ThE CommUNiTY To TAkE A look iNsidE iTs powER sTATioNs.

BELOW: The Gordon Dam under construction.Mercury Historical Archive

Roland Smeekes has had a proud association with Hydro Tasmania over the past 30 years and would like to extend his

thanks to all past and present staff for their continued support.

Smeekes Drafting Congratulates Hydro Tasmania on reaching their Centenary milestone.

Email: roland@smeekesdrafting.com www.smeekesdrafting.com

ABN 89 056 706 640

153a Argyle Street Hobart, 7000 Phone: 03 62 346185

Fax: 03 62347986 Mobile: 0418 352 503

1910Hydro Electric Power and Metallurgical Co Ltd begins work to divert water from Great Lake and Shannon River into the valley of the Ouse River.

1914State Government purchases the company and Hydro-Electric Department is established on October 23, 1914.

1916Waddamana “A” Power Station starts generating electricity.

1918Works start on the state-of-the-art multiple arch concrete dam at Miena, the second longest of its type in the world.

1921Water starts flowing in Liawenee Canal.

1923Ninth turbine commissioned atWaddamana “A” Power Station with completion of the multiple arch dam at Miena.

1924Construction of the Shannon Power Scheme using the drop between Great Lake and Penstock Lagoon.

5100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

PASt MEEtS PRESENt At tARRALEAH

THE central highlands town of Tarraleah was one of the most long-lasting Hydro villages, serving that purpose for nearly 60 years.

It has one foot in the past and another in the future, starting life in the Great Depression and continuing now as a tourism village.

Tarraleah was part of the most remarkable expansion of Tasmania’s hydropower system, which occurred during the 1930s Depression, when money was tight and materials scarce.

The Hydro had to find ways to address a looming electricity supply crisis and in 1934 a newly-elected State Government used an Act of Parliament to fast-track work on the Tarraleah scheme.

Tarraleah was a small town with a big purpose. It emerged slowly from forests and mud in the mid-1930s and flourished for years. It was built to house workers, engineers, and

managers creating an ambitious hydro-electric power scheme.

Workers, wives and children needed resilience to survive in the early days. Some arrivals to the early camps, pre-dating this village, cried when they saw the isolation and conditions.

They lived in tents and earth-floored shacks and carried water from the nearby creek for drinking and cooking. More substantial dwellings were gradually built.

Surrounded by wilderness and mountains, Tarraleah was all but cut off from the rest of the world.

While some left at the first opportunity, many grew to love the town and the ties that bound them. Those who lived there turned a sea of mud into a strong sense of community.

The Upper Derwent scheme, with Tarraleah as its centerpiece, generated electricity that fuelled Tasmania’s progress.

Workers came from around the world, many seeking a new life after the

war in Europe. At least 30 nationalities were represented at one time. Bonds formed in the village have lasted a lifetime.

Some 1500 people were employed over the life of the scheme. After construction finished, it became the base for those operating the power scheme and continued as a Hydro village into the 1980s.

Many houses were sold and dismantled in the mid-1990s. The population shrank to four residents.

The Tarraleah Power Station remains an important part of the Derwent hydropower scheme, ensuring safe, reliable energy supply for the state.

New owners took over Tarraleah village in 2005, reinvigorating it as a tourism venture. Original public buildings and residences have been converted into accommodation.

Those who visit enjoy a range of activities, including fishing, bushwalking, guided tours, a cooking school and spa treatments.

The iconic surge towers on the road into Tarraleah.

Mercury Historical ArchiveINSET: Rudy Major takes

Trevor Robertson for a spin at Tarraleah in 1938.

Hydro Tasmania

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Page Seager welcomes Hydro Tasmania to the Centenary Club. Having recently celebrated our own centenary, we know that 100 years of service to the Tasmanian community is a very special milestone.

Page Seager is proud to provide legal services to Hydro Tasmania, an iconic Tasmanian brand.

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6 100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

IN late 1962 came the news that the Federal Government had granted $5 million to the Hydro to build a real road into the dam sites on the Middle Gordon River.

I was over the moon with this information, as I thought surely

I would have front choice to go back, as I was out there twice before. If only I knew, nobody else wanted to go!

So we started on the Gordon Rd. As I had half anticipated, I was the first one to go and I got a brand new Caterpillar D9 bulldozer to start with.

I was only there a day or two when the other machines and operators began to

arrive and within about six months there were 22 bulldozers on the job.

It was the largest assembly of machines that the HEC had ever put together. There were also three front-end loaders, 14 ten-yard trucks and a grader.

A street of houses for the married workforce was erected at Maydena. In time we moved into one of the houses in Hydro St but it did not improve things a lot so far as getting home was concerned. We did not have so far to travel, but we still only got home on weekends.

The accommodation for workers on the road was Modernity Plus. It was more modern than anything else in the state, or

for that matter in the Commonwealth.The men’s sleeping quarters consisted

of four-room caravans, each housing two men. The caravans themselves were made of aluminium sheeting top and bottom, mounted on a massive framework of R.S.J. or H iron which sat on a dual-wheel axle with one set of wheels.

In each room there two wardrobes and two beds complete with a wire base for inner-spring mattress. The trouble was we didn’t have inner-spring mattresses, only the old Kapok or flock type.

Consequently the beds were just a shade softer than sleeping on the floor boards. Pillows and mattresses were supplied with

BUILDING tHE SILVER CItY HIGHwAY

bill RobERTsoN shAREs his mEmoRiEs of lifE oN ThE goRdoN RivER RoAd.

Deep in southwestern Tasmania, Strathgordon was nicknamed the Silver City. Today only the lower village remains. Mercury Historical Archive. INSET: Early work on the road. Hydro Tasmania

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The Inland Fisheries Service and Hydro Tasmania have a long history of working together to ensure a better fshing experience for all Tasmania anglers. This includes lake level management, coordination on canal outages and fsh salvages, an elver and lamprey restocking program, native fsh monitoring, research plus road and boat ramp upgrades.

WORKING TOGETHER

001

INLAND FISHERIES AND HYDRO CELEBRATING WORKING TOGETHER FOR OVER 100 YEARS

Congratulation Hydro Tasmania on reaching this momentous Birthday.

1930Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC) is created after the Hydro-Electric Commission Act 1929 comes into force.

1931Shannon Power Station starts generating electricity.

1934Harnessing the waters of the River Derwent begins with the start of construction on the Tarraleah Power Scheme.

1938First three generators at Tarraleah Power Station are turned on, with a systemcapacity of more than 10MW.

1939Construction of Waddamana “B” Power Station begins. Work starts on Hydro building in Davey Street, Hobart.

1944HEC acquires the electrical undertakings of Duck Reach Power Station from the Launceston City Council.

1947Post Second World War migrants from countries such as Poland and Britain bolster the HEC workforce.

1949Waddamana “B” Power Station starts generating electricity.

7100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

THE combination of Lakes Gordon and Pedder forms the largest storage in Hydro Tasmania’s system.

It is nearly four times the volume of Great Lake and represents 32.5 per

cent of Tasmania’s total energy storage capacity.

It is also the largest storage of water in Australia, and three times bigger than the largest lake in the Snowy Hydro scheme.

This catchment is located in the wild terrain of south-west Tasmania and its development as a hydro scheme had a controversial start.

Lake Pedder was once a natural lake, expanded following the construction of three dams.

The Serpentine Dam is a 38 metre-high rockfill dam with a concrete upstream face on the Serpentine River.

Scotts Peak Dam is a 43 metre-high rockfill dam with a bitumen upstream face on the upper reaches of the Huon River near Scotts Peak.

The Edgar Dam is a 17 metre-high

rockfill dam at Lake Edgar near Scotts Peak.

Lake Gordon was created with the construction of Gordon Dam, a double curvature arch dam on the Gordon River.

This imposing structure is 192 metres long, and 140 metres high. It is the tallest dam in Tasmania and produces approximately 13 per cent of the state’s electricity.

This spectacular corner of the state’s south-west wilderness was at the centre of a bitter struggle in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

While the campaign to preserve the original Lake Pedder was ultimately unsuccessful, it marked the beginning of the end of era of hydro-industrialisation and saw the tentative emergence of the Greens as a political force not only in Tasmania and Australia but as a global phenomenon.

The group that fought for Pedder became the nucleus of the environmental movement that went on to win the battle to preserve the Franklin River in 1983.

BIGGESt LAkES SPARkED NEw ENVIRONMENtAL AwARENESS

all other bedding having to be found by the occupants.

The walls were imitation mahogany plywood, thin enough so they bulged every time your next door neighbour snored. Each room also had its own built-in aerial for the radio.

To these palaces we could retire each night after tea, which was approximately 6.15pm, and there we would stay until seven the next morning.

There was a lounge car for get-togethers. It had a table and chairs and a gas fire, but that was all – absolutely nothing else and no form of recreation such as darts or quoits. There was nothing except what was supplied by the men themselves.

There were times when Bluey would conduct a picture show of coloured slides, both of our job and others in Tasmania and other states.

Usually he had a full house attendance, even if we had already seen some of the slides. It was a way of passing the time on nights that were otherwise completely devoid of entertainment.

Staff – the office workers, one timekeeper, a supervisor and several foremen – had similar sleeping quarters to the men, with the exception that their rooms were furnished for one man.

To say that we were jealous of staff privileges in the way of sleepers, would be a mild understatement.

The kitchen and mess room left nothing to be desired. The cook’s domain was a glittering array of stainless steel, Laminex and plastic. In the mess room seating area you had a choice of sitting at any one of five or six tables, except the staff one, but once you had chosen a seat you were required to keep it – not by any law, but by the fact if you usurped anyone else’s position, you would be loudly and profanely asked to move to your own seat.

Outside at one end of the ablution block, two water supply tanks towered, or rather teetered precariously, atop two large concrete pipes balanced one above the other.

Many were the anxious glances at this ungainly structure the first few nights after it was built. Expectantly we waited to hear the crash to say the mighty had fallen, but it weathered the storms and stood triumphant until it was dismantled to be removed to another campsite.

It was pulled down and reassembled nine or 10 times during the construction of the Gordon and Scotts Peak roads, and never shook loose once. An amazing piece of engineering.

For more stories like this one or to submit your own go to www.hydro100.com.au

Construction of the Gordon River Rd from Maydena to Strathgordon was completed in 1967 but it was not sealed for some time. Strathgordon was nick-named the “Silver City” after the camp of mobile homes that gave the village its start.

Lake Gordon and the Gordon Dam. Hydro Tasmania/Peter Matthew

Tasmania became home to the frst aluminium smelter in the southern hemisphere 59 years ago. Since then we have worked closely with the Tasmanian community, generating economic and social benefts for the entire State. Today, Bell Bay Aluminium employs 430 Tasmanians and indirectly employs another 1000 Tasmanians. We contribute $690 million per annum to Gross State Product. In 2013 we injected more than $247 million into the local economy, purchasing goods and services from 326 Tasmanian businesses.

Our joint history with Hydro Tasmania goes well beyond the corporate story and is part of the living memory of thousands of workers and their families who continue to be an integral part of the Tasmanian community. Our partnership with Hydro Tasmania has been a signifcant force in shaping our state. We are proud our success continues to help drive Tasmania’s economic prosperity for future generations. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Hydro Tasmania beyond our 60th year and into the future.

THIS STATE IS OUR FUTURE

www.bellbayaluminium.com.au

Bell Bay Aluminium has a long history of supporting the Tasmanian community. Our initiatives in education, the environment, health and wellbeing and cultural and performing arts are designed to make a positive diference and create long-lasting, high quality outcomes.

13999

The Mercury’s front page of July 2, 1983, and the offer of $500 million in federal compensation for the loss of the Gordon-below-Franklin project.

8 100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

THE Hydro proposed to build another dam on the Gordon River, this time below its junction with the Franklin River. “Save the Franklin” became a national campaign and protesters moved in to blockade the construction site in 1982.

In Tasmania there was equally strong support for the development and rallies for and against the dam were held. The resulting political crisis resulted in Labor premier Doug Lowe being dumped by his party and the government itself was swept from office six months later. A state referendum produced an inconclusive result and a massive informal vote.

In 1983 the new Liberal premier Robin Gray was strongly pro-dam but he came up against the recently-elected Labor prime minister Bob Hawke who vowed to stop the dam and was ultimately able to do so via a High Court challenge.

Two new schemes were built on the state’s West Coast and the second of these, the Anthony scheme near Tullah, marked the end of the Hydro’s dam-building era. Its underground power station was fittingly named “Tribute”.

tASMANIA’SBIGGESt DEBAtE

CoNTRovERsY sURRoUNdiNg ThE floodiNg of lAkE pEddER foR ThE goRdoN powER dEvElopmENT iN ThE lATE 1960s ANd EARlY 1970s hAd iTs sEQUEl A dECAdE lATER whEN ThE sTATE govERNmENT pUshEd AhEAd wiTh ThE sECoNd sTAgE of ThE pRoJECT.

LEFT: Robin Gray addressing a pro-dams rally in Queenstown in 1982. RIGHT: Doug Lowe talking to HEC workers in Hobart in 1980.

9100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: Conservationists marched in a silent protest in Hobart in 1979. A pro-dams rally in Queenstown in 1982. The giant “no dams” rally of 1981 and its leader, Dr Bob Brown. Conservationists celebrate the High Court decision in 1983. Mercury Historical Archive images

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We congratulate

Hydro Tasmania

on 100 years of

excellent service.

We are proud to

be associated with

Hydro Tasmania

and wish them

every success

in the future.

10 100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

THE Environmental Officer position was a great job. It was right at the very beginning of the development of an environmental team at the Hydro and it was also

a time when awareness of environmental matters was really shifting.

The Hydro had published its first environmental policy in 1992, and about a year later carried out an audit of its activities and sites against that policy. They found that on many items the organisation was in default of its policy.

Graeme Longbottom was the newly

appointed chief executive officer at the time and he had said something like, “This is completely unacceptable. We have to clean up our act.” And that was the beginning of the big “clean-up” story of the 1990s.

Andrew Scanlon was in charge of our unit and he had a background in environmental science, geology and education.

Andrew, Frank Brown, who was a chemist, and I formed the nucleus of the unit. The three of us initially had to deal with all aspects of the job.

At first I was involved in carrying out a “land contamination and rehabilitation

assessment” of former construction sites. That included the really early ones of Waddamana and Shannon.

As we had to identify all the places where “muck” was likely to have been left, we involved some of the older employees who had been around during the days of construction. They knew where the rubbish had been buried and where such things as fuel tanks had been built.

During my first 18 months with the Hydro I spent probably 70 per cent of my time out in the field getting those messy old sites cleaned up.

As word got around about the fledgling environmental team, we had people

HYDRO GIRL At HEARt

tHE BIG CLEAN-UP

ChRisTiNA giUdiCi REflECTs oN ThE TRANsfoRmATioN of ENviRoNmENTAl AwARENEss siNCE 1994.

TWENTY-TWO years is a long time to work somewhere. You could say that I grew up with the Hydro in my blood.

My father, Geoff Apted, worked on construction at

Meadowbank in the late 1960s. The family moved to Strathgordon when I was three.

I grew up in Hydro villages and went to work for the Hydro straight out of school, starting my career at Tullah aged 15.

My role was commonly known as a “Nipper”, earning $1.50 per hour washing cars, making tea and washing floors. My favourite task was taking the rain gauge readings each morning.

I was the first girl to work at the Reece Dam site and worked there until bushfires burned down the only female toilet.

Aged 17, I was acting paymaster for three months during the height of the West Coast construction era. There were more than 2000 on the payroll and we paid everyone in cash.

I was working on the West Coast at the height of the Franklin Dam debate – a time I remember as volatile and unsettling. The High Court decision changed many people’s lives and signalled an end to those heady construction days.

Although we didn’t agree with the “Greenies” back then, they increased our awareness of the importance of preserving the environment and being sustainable. On a later trip up the Gordon River, I was thankful they stood up and helped to preserve such a beautiful area.

After time away from the Hydro, I found my way back in 1998 and set up the original Basslink office before moving into a newly-created role in public relations that took me to the end of my tenure with the Hydro in 2007.

No matter how long it’s been it makes me smile to run into old Hydro colleagues in the street. We are still “Hydro people”.

JANE CROSSWELL

This is an edited version of a story submitted to the centenary website hydro100.com.au

Environmental testing and water monitoring has become a key focus of the last 30 years. INSET: Christina Giudici. Hydro Tasmania.

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Proud consultants to Hydro Tasmania since 1997 and congratulatng

them on reaching their centenary milestone. MSDConstructions Pty Ltd

MSD Constructions are

proud to be associated

with Hydro Tasmania,

celebrating 100 years of

engineering excellence

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renewable energy.

1950Construction starts on Trevallyn Power Development.

1951Clark Dam completed and Butlers Gorge Power Station commissioned.

1955Trevallyn Power Station is switched on and Duck Reach Power Station decommissioned. Tungatinah Power Station commissioned.

1956Lake Echo Power Station commissioned.

1957Wayatinah Power Station is switched on; the number of energy consumers in Tasmania passes 100,000.

1959Water from Great Lake is redirected via a 6km tunnel to a new underground power station at Poatina.

11100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

ringing up and saying things like, “We’re putting in a new communications shed on top of a mountain near Lake Pedder. Should we paint it green?”

Pat Halley was one of the men who had worked in Civil Maintenance in the Derwent Valley. He got in touch with me to discuss the maintenance of a particular canal. It was in the middle of the bush and in the past the Civil Maintenance guys went out every so often and pulled out all the new tree seedlings before they got too big and damaged the integrity of the canal.

Pat outlined his problem. “We haven’t got the labour resources now to go and pull out all the trees but I’m a bit reluctant

to spray because it is right near the water. What can we do?”

We found that there was one big gum tree responsible for seeding most of the growth. We negotiated with Parks and Wildlife to have that tree removed and then engaged the Australian Trust for Conservation to bring in crews of young volunteer workers.

They pulled out the new seedlings and replanted the area with native grass and that eventually created for us the long-term biological solution that we were looking for.

I thought it was a great solution, particularly because we had all these

young backpackers and green-oriented volunteers working next to Pat, an archetypal Hydro man, with both sides finding that they had similar objectives.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, when the last of the construction schemes – the Pieman and the King-Anthony – were under way on the West Coast, there had been a strong rehabilitation and revegetation program.

A lot of effort had been put in to minimise any disturbance. They had conserved the top soil and it was put back as soon as construction was finished. The area had then been revegetated.

Part of my job was to monitor those sites, identify where the earlier work hadn’t been as successful as we hoped, and make sure it was fixed up.

One of the most challenging of my projects was the rehabilitation of 10 hectares of disturbed land at the Strathgordon village.

Because of my understanding of biological systems I felt confident about what I had to do in places like that. That type of cleaning-up work was very satisfying as the outcomes were always very positive.

While we were doing this field work, the Hydro was setting up environmental systems for certification to international standards. This was to ensure that the ongoing activities of the Hydro would not create problems into the future.

Once the legislation was in place, and the Hydro was clear about its policies and procedures, my job was to go around doing environmental awareness training with the guys who worked in the depots for Distribution Branch and for Power Engineering Branch.

It didn’t take long to find out that most of those men had a really strong ethic of stewardship. They knew their “patch of bush” and were very concerned about doing the right thing.

My job was to make sure they were aware of the legislation and policies, and understood the implications.

A key aspect of the approach I took was to identify what they were already doing that could be considered “best practice” and then make sure that they were involved in sharing this with others.

As the custodian of large areas of Tasmania’s land and water, the Hydro nowadays is very proactive in relation to international standards and sustainability.

Reproduced with permission from Ticklebelly Tales and other stories from the people of the Hydro.

Now occuPied by the hobArt couNcil ceNtre, the former hydro buildiNg oN the corNer of dAvey ANd elizAbeth StreetS hAS beeN A hobArt lANdmArk for 75 yeArS. widely regArded AS A fiNe exAmPle of Art deco Architecture, work oN the buildiNg StArted iN 1938 ANd wAS comPleted the followiNg yeAr. it wAS exteNded AloNg both Street froNtAgeS oN SeverAl occASioNS ANd wAS eveNtuAlly joiNed by A Newer buildiNg Next door. After the hydro coNSolidAted itS office requiremeNtS iNto the tower block, the Prime corNer Site wAS Sold to the couNcil iN 1994.

Digital composite image created by Richard Jupe based on an original image from the Mercury Historical Archive.

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14 100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

WITH insufficient water available during the drought in the 1970s, the Ripple Canal was constructed

in 1984 to divert more water into the Lagoon of Islands.

Ultimately this development proved to be unsustainable, with significant and ongoing water quality problems.

Hydro Tasmania explored and implemented a number of remedial actions to improve water quality and ecosystem health over 10 years but none provided a long-term solution.

With irrigation needs now met from Great Lake, Lagoon of Islands had not

been used for its intended purpose for a number of years.

In response to the continually deteriorating ecosystem, Hydro Tasmania established an ambitious project to decommission the dam and rehabilitate the lagoon to a natural, healthy and self-sustaining wetland.

In April 2013, the 320-metre long, six-metre high earth wall dam and associated infrastructure were removed and the area replanted with native vegetation.

Comprehensive monitoring of water quality, vegetation, invertebrates, weeds and algae is tracking the progress of the lagoon’s recovery.

A similar wetland, Companion Lagoon, is the control site to guide rehabilitation targets for the vegetation community.

LAGOON OF ISLANDS REStORED

oRigiNAllY A UNiQUE ECosYsTEm ChARACTERisEd bY floATiNg islANds of vEgETATioN, lAgooN of islANds wAs floodEd iN 1964 To pRovidE wATER To dowNsTREAm iRRigAToRs AloNg ThE oUsE RivER.

The Lagoon of Islands area in the central highlands. Mercury Historical Archive

CONGRATULATIONS - 100 YEARS!

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1960Liapootah Power Station commissioned.

1962Catagunya Power Station commissioned. Catagunya Dam becomes the highest post tensioned dam in the world.

1964Poatina Power Station (one of Hydro Tasmania’s largest) starts generating electricity.Shannon Power Station decommissioned. Great Lake (North) Power Development completed.First cloud seeding experiment in Tasmania is undertaken.

1965Waddamana “A” Power Station decommissioned after 49 years of service and Waddamana “B” placed on standby.

1966Tods Corner Power Station commissioned.

1967Meadowbank Power Station commissioned.State Parliament approves construction of the Gordon River Power Development Stage I.

1968Rowallan Power Station is commissioned along with Repulse Power Station and Cluny Power Station.

1969Lemonthyme Power Station and Devils Gate Power Station commissioned.Devils Gate Dam completed, one of the thinnest concrete arch dams in the world.

Did you know?

Hydro Tasmania’s consulting

business Entura exports Tasmanian

expertise across Australia and to

countries across the globe. In recent

years Entura has undertaken projects

in South Africa, Malaysia, Papua New

Guinea, India, Bhutan, Nepal, the

Solomon Islands and on

Easter Island.

Did youknow?In the past year, HydroTasmania spent $74.6 millionwith 931 Tasmanian suppliers– 41% of its overall spendon goods and servicesfor the year.

15100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

I STARTED with the Hydro at Wayatinah in 1982 as an apprentice painter and decorator.

At Wayatinah there wasn’t much work available and I wanted something different as a trade and for my future.

When I applied I was told that as the first female to be apprenticed I would have to prove I was capable of doing the work, not just for me, but for other females in the future.

As the only female in an area with over a 100 men, it was very difficult. There were the jokes to put up with, and also being treated as a lackey, but I learnt to adjust and to give back as much as I got.

For the first six months all I did was use a paintbrush. I was never allowed to use a roller on ceilings and walls, I painted with a brush.

The next four months I spent painting windows and replacing glass.

It was very boring and on some days, because I knew exactly what I would be

doing all day, I felt like not going to work. But now I understand why it had to be like that.

I remember one time I was taken to Meadowbank Power Station while the turbines were shut down for repair. None of the men was small enough to get into the machine.

With a torch in one hand and a brush and pot of tar in the other, I went into the turbine upside down, held by the feet by two men while I painted. It smelt and it was dark but I got the job done.

As part of my training, I went to Technical College where I learnt a variety of things – from technical drawing and spray-painting to glazing, and I won a set of brushes for being top apprentice. It was a rewarding four years and I am pleased I was given the opportunity as it was a great start to my future.

Reproduced with permission from Ticklebelly Tales and other stories from the people of the Hydro.

PAINtER AND DECORAtOR PAVED tHE wAY FOR wOMENviRgiNiA sTANsbiE hAll wAs ThE fiRsT fEmAlE AppRENTiCE EmploYEd bY ThE hYdRo.

Virginia Stansbie Hall. Hydro Tasmania

www2cromarty2com2au

HOBARTLAUNCESTONDEVONPORT

BRISBANEMELBOURNE

Operating since 1988kbhh6b656kb6

We6applaud6Hydro6Tasmania6khh6years6of6

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Cromarty6is6a6Tasmanian6success6story26Founded6866

years6agox6the6Company6now6has6a6workforce6of6around6

8h6highly6skilled6engineersx6and6technicians26Hydro6

Tasmania6has6been6instrumental6in6growing6our6company6and6

keeping6skilled6people6in6Tasmania2

Did you know?

Hydro Tasmania supports use

of its waterways for recreational

activity. Water releases make it

possible for canoe clubs, schools,

commercial tour operators and private

groups to take part in recreational,

competition and training events.

In a typical year there are

between 100-200 of

these releases.

Did you know?The Gordon Dam,completed in 1974, remainsan engineering marvel. Thereis no structural steel in the 140 metre high double curvature concrete arch dam. It isAustralia’s highestarch dam.

16 100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

WIND is not a constant source of power, but when the wind doesn’t blow Hydro Tasmania can

almost instantly increase the use of hydropower.

As a state we can harness power from wind when it blows and from high rainfall in the run-of-river power stations.

When both rainfall and wind are low, water can be released from lake storages for generating power. This is the synergy of the combination of wind and water power.

Hydro Tasmania continually monitors generation at each power station, whether

its source is wind or water, and can control generation to provide the supply of electricity that is required by the

Australian Energy Market Operator.Tasmania lies directly in the path

of the Roaring Forties, the strong

westerly winds found generally between the latitudes of 40 and 50 degrees south. This region has some of the strongest sustained winds on the planet.

These strong west-to-east air currents are caused by the combination of air being displaced from the Equator towards the South Pole and the Earth’s rotation, and there are few landmasses to serve as windbreaks.

When these winds reach the west coast of Tasmania, they have blown across the cooling Southern Ocean for thousands of kilometres, gathering momentum and speed.

To date, Hydro Tasmania has invested in four wind power developments. Of

these, the Huxley Hill Wind Farm on King Island is

owned and operated by Hydro Tasmania.

The Musselroe, Bluff Point and Studland Bay wind farms are operated under a joint venture

between Shenhua Clean Energy and

Hydro Tasmania, an entity known as

Woolnorth Wind Farm Holding

Pty Ltd. Shenhua Clean Energy owns a 75 per cent share and Hydro

Tasmania retains 25 per

cent.Built in 1998,

Huxley Hill on King Island was Hydro

MAkING tHE MOSt OF OUR wIND AND wAtER

TAsmANiA is iN A UNiQUE posiTioN, bEiNg AblE To RElY oN RENEwAblE ENERgY As ThE pRimARY soURCE of ENERgY foR ThE sTATE.

Bluff Point Wind Farm and visitor centre. Hydro Tasmania

Musselroe Wind Farm. Hydro Tasmania

1971 Oil-fuelled Bell Bay Power Station commissioned in response to severe drought and continued increase in energy demand.

1972Paloona Power Station commissioned and Lake Pedder flooded.

1973Fisher Power Station commissioned.

1978First two machines come on line at Gordon Power Station. Gordon Dam complete, the highest concrete arch dam in Australia – holding back the largest reservoir of fresh water in Australia.

1982State Parliament approves construction Gordon-below-Franklin scheme.Mackintosh Power Station commissioned.

1983Federal Parliament passes World Heritage Properties Conservation Act 1983 and work on Gordon-below-Franklin scheme is halted.

1985HEC purchases Lake Margaret Power Station.

1986First stage of Reece Power Station commissioned. Reece Dam takes over from Cethana Dam as the highest concrete-faced rockfill dam in Australia.

1987Hydro Tasmania’s consulting arm is established to ensure engineering and technical skills remain in the state.

1988Third machine comes on line at Gordon Power Station.Waddamana “A” Power Station is opened as a museum.

17100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

ON the night of Sunday, January 5, 1975, the ship Lake Illawarra hit the Tasman Bridge.

The collision removed a large

section of the bridge and caused chaos for commuters and services.

I had crossed the bridge earlier that night on returning to the HEC chalet at Strathgordon. The next morning I heard the grim news and thought how I was lucky to have made a safe crossing that night.

Later that week I received a phone call from the chief surveyor, John Linton, asking me return back to head office in Hobart as soon as possible for a briefing.

The task was to carry out urgent survey work required for the installation of a new ferry terminal at Kangaroo Bay, Bellerive.

Meanwhile HEC engineers, surveyors and draftsmen prepared plans and set out the details I would use to execute this new ferry terminal in the field, working with the Marine Board and service contractors.

I was a little nervous starting this new project as there was a lot happening around me, hundreds of ferry commuters coming and going constantly in the new work zone including a lot of boats and ferries on the water.

There was also strong winds, large fluctuations between high and low tides, noise, slight to rough seas at times, all while using a 3.5m aluminium dinghy as a tool of trade.

I was supported by a new chainman, Paul Richards, and I thought the job could be hell if Paul wasn’t up to speed with the knowledge required for good surveying practices.

To my surprise Paul had the necessary surveying training and proved to be a

good survey assistant. We worked together in a very professional way with a lot of enthusiasm, often working 12 hour days or longer if required for a couple of weeks.

The first stage of the job was to install good permanent control baselines and levels traversing from the co-ordinated points given on the set out plans provided. This would allow things to run smoothly as everything would be fixed to those lines and levels indefinitely.

On site was the large blue Marine Board barge named Kowara which to my surprise did not have an engine and had to be towed or winched between pile-driving points.

I wondered how they would control it when we did the

first survey for the pile driving, and the pressure was applied when the foreman said to get it the first time, “because when we drop the pile it will sink about 6m into the mud and may be impossible to move or reposition.”

The work involved surveying for the new wharf with four large galvanised steel beams running parallel all the way out to carry the decking and weight of pedestrians and other goods, as well as installing the main ferry terminal building and other essential services power, water, paths.

The ferry terminal was built professionally and quickly, and worked efficiently for two years without any incidents until the Tasman Bridge reopened on October 8, 1977.

Soon after, the main wharf superstructure was removed to make way for the new marina.

January 2015 will be the 40th anniversary for the Kangaroo Bay ferry terminal.

For more stories like this one or to submit your own go to www.hydro100.com.au

HYDRO HELPED REBUILD AFtER tASMAN BRIDGE DISAStERsURvEYoR ClifToN TowNsENd wAs sECoNdEd To sURvEY ThE siTE of ThE kANgARoo bAY fERRY TERmiNAl.

Tasmania’s first wind farm and only the second commercial wind farm in Australia.

In 2003 two more turbines were added to the original three, raising Huxley Hill Wind Farm’s capacity to 2.45 megawatts.

Huxley Hill Wind Farm is part of Hydro Tasmania’s King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project (KIREIP) which uses a range of renewable and conventional technologies to provide King Island’s power.

Tasmania’s biggest wind farm was officially opened in January 2014. The 168 megawatt Musselroe Wind Farm in Tasmania’s north-east generates enough energy to supply the needs of up to 50,000 homes, equivalent to the residential power needs of Burnie and Devonport combined.

Its operation will prevent 450,000 tons of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere each year.

Construction of the $394 million wind farm began in December 2011 and has been generating electricity into the Tasmanian grid since April 2013.

Explore Tasmania’s picturesque north-east with a visit to the Tebrakunna Visitor Centre.

The Tebrakunna Visitor Centre in Tasmania’s far north-east offers spectacular views of Bass Strait and the Musselroe Wind Farm. It includes displays about the wind farm, the traditional landowners, the history of the Cape Portland property, and the maritime and mining history of the region.From October to March the centre is open every day from 9am to 5pm, while from April to September is opens every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10am to 3pm.Tebrakunna Visitor Centre is a 25-minute drive from Gladstone and is accessible from the road to Little Musselroe Bay on Cape Portland Rd. The Tebrakunna Visitor Centre is located on the right just before the Little Musselroe Bay recreation area.

Then (above) and now (below) images of the Kangaroo Bay ferry terminal, built by the Hydro in 1975.Mercury Historical Archive images

Proudly supporting Hydro Tasmania for over 30 years

throughout the state.

Congratulations on your achievement and we look forward

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18 100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

ONE of the world’s longest undersea cables, Basslink, went into operation and linked Tasmania to the National

Electricity Market (NEM).Basslink is owned and operated by

Basslink Pty Ltd which is owned by CitySpring Infrastructure Trust.

It is a high-voltage direct-current (DC) cable nearly 300km long crossing Bass Strait between George Town substation in northern Tasmania and Loy Yang Power Station in Victoria.

A smaller cable known as a metallic return is laid alongside the main cable to allow completion of the circuit via a return current.

Alternating current (AC) from the grid in Tasmania is converted to DC and fed into Basslink near George Town.

Once the current travels via Basslink to Loy Yang it is converted back to AC and is connected to the Victorian region of the NEM. Using DC reduces the transmission losses that occur in energy transmission.

Basslink can export electricity from George Town to Loy Yang at up to 630 MW and can import from Loy Yang to George Town at up to 500 MW.

The cable supplies some of the peak load capacity to Australia’s eastern regions using Hydro Tasmania’s

clean, renewable energy. Overnight, Tasmania takes some of the excess base load capacity off the coal-fired generators on the mainland. Hydro Tasmania benefits by selling higher-priced peak load.

The cable has also been used to supply power to Tasmania in times of drought, as the majority of Tasmania’s electricity generation is in the form of hydropower

The National Electricity Market is Australia’s physical wholesale electricity market and associated electricity transmission grid.

It is the world’s largest interconnected power system and more than $11 billion worth of electricity is traded annually in the NEM to meet the demand of almost 19 million consumers.

The NEM provides a physical trading market for buying and selling electricity.

Selling involves energy generators

bidding their energy into a central pool.

Based upon the bids and the demand, the market meets demand using sophisticated systems to send signals each five minutes to the generators instructing them how much energy to dispatch.

The energy price is calculated. Spare capacity is kept ready for emergencies.

The energy is purchased by large industries and energy retailers. The market is managed by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

Hydro Tasmania sells additional electricity during periods of high prices often caused by high mainland electricity demand.

The company is well-placed to do this because of the rapid response nature of hydropower systems.

Lower priced mainland thermal energy can be imported across Basslink during periods of lower demand, for example overnight.

This provides Hydro Tasmania the ability to optimise its generation portfolio to ensure the most efficient and economic outcome.

The NEM establishes competitive price pressures on the supply of electricity and delivers benefits to customers as a result.

Rules and systems are in place to ensure the reliability and security of electricity supply in each geographical region.

SHARING OURRENEwABLE ENERGY AND ExPERtISEThE ENERgY mARkET

iN TAsmANiA ChANgEd foREvER iN 2006.

A cable arm in operation during the construction of the Basslink interconnector.

Basslink image

The Basslink cable arriving in Tasmania in 2005. Hydro Tasmania

1992John Butters Power Station commissioned.HEC becomes the first Tasmanian government body to proclaim an environmental policy and asserts that “the days of confrontation are over”.

1994Waddamana “B” Power Station decommissioned after 45 years of service.Tribute Power Station commissioned, marking the end of Hydro’s dam-building era in Tasmania.

1995Hydro-Electric Commission renamed Hydro-Electric Corporation.

1997Wind development begins, with work starting on the Huxley Hill Wind Farm on King Island.

1998Hydro-Electric Corporation is split into three entities – Hydro Tasmania (for generation), Transend Networks (for transmission) and Aurora Energy (for retail/distribution).Huxley Hill Wind Farm commissioned, the second commercial wind farm in Australia.

2002Parangana mini-hydro power station commissioned. First stage of the Bluff Point Wind Farm at Woolnorth is commissioned.

2003Bell Bay Power Station converted from oil to natural gas.

2004Second stage of the Bluff Point Wind Farm at Woolnorth development commissioned.

2005Hydro Tasmania enters the National Electricity Market with the connection of the Basslink undersea cable.Joint-venture Roaring 40s is established with the CLP Group.

Did you know?

Hydro Tasmania has developed

a world-leading hybrid power

system on King Island that supplies

all the island’s energy needs through

renewables when conditions allow. The

system significantly reduces use

of expensive diesel fuel and is a

model for off-grid power systems

for isolated communities

around the world.

Did you know?Many of Tasmania’sirrigation schemes rely onHydro Tasmania to reliablysupply water. Release of waterby Hydro Tasmania supports growth in the state’sagricultural sector.

19100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

MOMENTUM Energy is Hydro Tasmania’s retail energy business.

Based in Victoria, Momentum Energy

has grown considerably over recent years, extending its operational reach to New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland.

It specialises in serving primarily industrial and business customers and tailors products to suit their specific energy needs.

It also delivers retail services to the Bass Strait islands but is prevented by legislation from operating on mainland Tasmania.

Acquired by Hydro Tasmania in 2008-09, it employs around 280 people, including 28 based at its call centre at Cambridge in Tasmania.

Momentum Energy is critical to Hydro Tasmania to sell its excess generation into the national market and enhance its long-term commercial performance.

It enables Hydro Tasmania to diversify its market risk while creating value for the Tasmanian Government and the community.

Momentum Energy further enhances Tasmania’s brand within Australia for clean energy, environmental sustainability, innovation and service.

Entura is Hydro Tasmania’s professional services business, leveraging the state’s renewable energy history for competitive advantage.

For more than 20 years, Entura has used the knowledge and expertise built up over time to help others in the industry, locally, nationally and overseas. It was previously known as Hydro Tasmania Consulting.

Its particular expertise is in the power, energy, water and environment sectors with clients such as government, electricity and water utilities, developers and funding agencies.

With a main office at Cambridge in Tasmania, Entura also has offices in

Melbourne, Brisbane, India and South Africa, employing more than 200 people.

Entura also supports Hydro Tasmania in delivering its strategic objectives and maintaining and operating its generation infrastructure, including the introduction of new methodologies to contribute to efficient and effective development, management and operation of energy and water assets.

The Entura Clean Energy and Water

Institute showcases Tasmanian expertise to the world using a mix of classroom and field-based education and training.

The institute has developed a partnership with the Asian Institute of Technology, is a registered training organisation and delivers tailored training to participants from many different countries, predominantly from the Asia-Pacific region.

ENtURA ANDMOMENtUM HELP GROw tHE HYDRO

Entura workers monitoring the flow of the Hobart rivulet in 2011. Mercury Historical Archive

An Entura worker conducting an inspection in Papua New Guinea. Hydro Tasmania

Congratulations to Hydro tasmania on reaCHing your Centenary milestone!We look forWard to poWering into tHe future WitH you!

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Image courtesy of Hydro Tasmania

20 100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

MAkING HAY wHEN tHE SUN DOESN’t SHINE

ThE smAll sElf-CoNTAiNEd powER gRid oN kiNg islANd is A good ExAmplE of A REmoTE AREA powER sUpplY.

2006Lake Margaret Power Station decommissioned.Basslink commences operation.

2007Modernisation of Poatina Power Station starts.Drought results in lowest water levels in Hydro Tasmania’s history.Studland Bay Wind Farm at Woolnorth commissioned.

2008Lake Margaret redevelopment project approved.Hydro Tasmania acquires 51 per cent of mainland Australian electricity retailer Momentum Energy.

2009Full acquisition of Momentum Energy is completed.Roaring 40s’ Chinese and Indian assets are sold to CLP.Bell Bay Power Station is decommissioned.Upper Lake Margaret Power Station recommissioned.

2010Restoration of Catagunya Dam completed, the first dam in the world to use reinforced carbon fibre technology.Modernisation of Tungatinah Power Station starts.Lower Lake Margaret Power Station recommissioned.Hydro Tasmania Consulting renamed Entura.

2011Poatina modernisation completed.Storage levels return to more than 50 per cent for first time in 10 years.

2012Work begins on Musselroe Wind Farm. Partnership formed between Shenhua Clean Energy Holding(75%) and Hydro Tasmania (25%) for joint ownership of the Bluff Point and Studland Bay wind farms.Opening of Entura Clean Energy and Water Institute.

2013Musselroe Wind Farm commissioned.Decommissioning of the dam at Lagoon of Islands.Hybrid power station on King Island achieves world first.

21100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

AFTER decades of dependence on diesel generators, King Island now has a hybrid power system that integrates renewable and non-renewable

energy sources with enabling and storage technologies.

Remote area power supplies are generally located in areas far from an established electricity grid or where connection to the grid is either not practical or too costly.

The unique system on King Island consists of mature wind and solar technologies integrated with new and emerging enabling and storage technologies.

This hybrid power system combines wind, solar, battery storage, flywheels, dynamic resistor technology, dynamic load control and biofuels in addition to traditional diesel generation.

SmartGrid technology matches the demand to the available supply through actively managing demand, either directly via controlling loads or by promoting the use of electricity when renewable energy is abundant.

This combination of technologies

means the power system can securely and reliably generate power for the island, even during lulls in the wind or when the sun isn’t shining.

In 2013 the King Island Advanced Hybrid Power Station achieved a record milestone - the ability to run for sustained periods on renewable energy alone.

It was the first time zero diesel operation had been achieved on a

megawatt scale in an off-grid system anywhere in the world, bringing King Island international recognition for embracing renewable technology.

Using this integrated solution, it is expected to reduce the annual diesel fuel use by over 65 per cent.

The King Island hybrid power system gives a glimpse of a possible future of energy generation – a way renewable energy can work with non-renewable energy sources and enabling and storage technologies.

It also demonstrates the important role that renewable energy can play in displacing high-cost, emissions-intensive fossil fuels from remote and isolated power systems across the globe.

Read more about the project and see live data from the hybrid power station at www.kingislandrenewableenergy.com.au

BUtLERS GORGE RHODES SCHOLAR MADE HIS MARk

LEAVING aside the chairmen and chief executives, the name of Sergio Giudici is one of the best known and highly regarded in connection with the great construction

era of Tasmania’s Hydro.A child migrant who came to Tasmania

with his parents to live in the Hydro village at Butlers Gorge, he became an engineer and was the principal designer of the spectacular Gordon Dam in Tasmania’s south-west.

Born in Northern Italy in 1938, he arrived in Tasmania aged 10 and attended the Butlers Gorge school. He went on to New Town High School and was dux of

the school in 1955.He graduated from the University

of Tasmania with honours in engineering and in 1959 became both the first “New Australian” and the first old boy of New Town High to become a Rhodes Scholar.

A man of strong Christian faith, he expanded both his religious and secular learning at Oxford University and in 1963 received his doctorate.

He returned to Hobart that year and began a 37-year career with the Hydro-Electric Commission. He married Rossalyn in 1964 and the couple had seven children.

In addition to his work on the Gordon Dam, Dr Giudici was instrumental in developing the method for design and construction of concrete-faced rock-fill dams now common world-wide.

He became esteemed internationally, particularly in China, for his engineering expertise.

Dr Giudici retired as general manager of the Hydro’s consulting division in 2000 but remained active as a consultant and died unexpectedly in 2002 after becoming ill on assignment in New Zealand.

The then Hydro chief executive, Geoff Willis said Dr Giudici was a respected colleague and mentor for many people within the Hydro.

The King Island Advanced Hybrid Power Station.

Hydro Tasmania

A real-time display shows the output of the different energy sources on King Island and can also be followed online.Mercury image

Sergio Giudici. Mercury image

We would like take this opportunity to congratulate Hydro on having reached the 100 years milestone. Their wonderful innovatve and involved work within

Tasmania has been outstanding and benefcial to our State economy.

SEMF are proud to have provided Project Management, Engineering Solutons

and Environmental Services to numerous projects over the past 35 years.

SEMF Pty Ltd is a mult-disciplinary engineering, scientfc and management company that provides consultancy and management skills for all facets of constructon projects. We provide complete sustainable solutons – from

inital planning, design, constructon and facilites management by ensuring

that we plan and act for the long-term good of our customers, our partners

and our community.SEMF Pty Ltd

www.semf.com.au

T: 03 6212 4400

F: 03 6212 4475

E: hobart@semf.com.au

Sustainable Consultng Solutons

22 100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

As part of celebrating its centenary in 2014, Hydro Tasmania has commissioned a documentary film to tell this fascinating story.

People of the Hydro: celebrating 100 years of future thinking focuses on the stories of individuals who have been

part of the “Hydro family” in various ways throughout the history of the business.

The half-hour documentary includes stories of challenges overcome, technical innovation, and tracks the changes to the business over 100 years.

It’s a thought-provoking look at the Hydro told in the words of some of the people behind the business, drawing on

historical records and interviews with some of the people associated with key moments in the history of the business.

In the beginning it came down to three men: hydro-electric advocate and mathematician Professor Alexander McAulay, landowner and grazier Harold Bisdee and metallurgist and mining engineer James Hyndes Gillies.

Gillies’ grandson Michael Lillas describes their excitement at the prospect of bringing hydro-electricity to Tasmania: “It’s described as being nature’s gift to Tasmania; that this hydro-electric scheme was there for the taking.”

Those who worked on the early schemes endured incredible hardships. Mercury journalist the late Joe Cowburn regularly visited the camps in the 1930s and highlighted the desperation of those living during the Great Depression.

“How they existed in that winter weather I don’t know,” Cowburn once said.

“But the people who went up there were generally in poor circumstances. You see, they simply had to go to Tarraleah because it was either that, or starve.”

After eight years in Africa as a refugee, the arrival in Tasmania of Polish refugee Danuta Drodz coincided with enhancements to Hydro villages that made them more attractive for married couples and families.

Danuta and her husband, an ex Rat of Tobruk, went to Tarraleah in 1951. “Would you believe it, for the first time in my life after 10 years I got my own

house that I felt that I had space and the first time that I could call it home. My own home,” she said.

The documentary film covers much in less than half an hour, including the emergence of Australia’s environmental movement and conflicts in Tasmania over the Gordon-below-Franklin scheme and, earlier, the flooding of Lake Pedder.

Celebrated Tasmanian artist Max Angus is turning 100 alongside the Hydro and has often reflected on the fate of Lake Pedder.

“It would never happen in today’s world that such a place would be destroyed but it did so happen,” he says in the documentary.

“I have painted Lake Pedder right up to the present time. I have never stopped painting it.”

With no new hydro schemes being built since the early 1990s, the business has moved in new directions.

Recent innovations and future

possibilities are celebrated in the short film. Similar themes are explored in the travelling exhibition 100 Years of Hydro.

Described as a mini museum, the exhibition is a dynamic, audio-visual, content-rich exhibition that portrays the past, present and possible future of the Hydro through the stories of the people who built the business.

It has been designed to incorporate indoor and outdoor interpretive elements, housed largely within a 12 metre custom-designed container.

“Hydro Tasmania began its life with

A CONtAINER LOAD OFHYDROMEMORIES

ThE hYdRo wAs CREATEd bY oRdiNARY pEoplE doiNg ExTRAoRdiNARY ThiNgs ThAT hElpEd dEvElop TAsmANiA’s idENTiTY ANd ChANgEd ThE wAY wE livE.

Max Angus

Immerse yourself in our history through the stories of the people who built the business.

Find out more at hydro100.com.au

WATCH: PEOPLE OF THE HYDRO Free documentary screenings. State Cinema. 18 October - 5 November.

DISCOVER: 100 YEARS OF HYDRO Free public exhibition at Mawson Place, Hobart. 18 October - 4 November.

Experience a bucketload of Hydro memories

Did you know?Hydro Tasmania is

Australia’s largest provider of

renewable energy, generating

more than twice as much as

the Snowy Mountains

Scheme each year.

Did you know?

Hydro Tasmania manages

55 major dams and 145 smaller

dams and 53 of Tasmania’s major

lakes. At least 1200km of natural

creeks and rivers are influenced

by hydropower operations.

Did youknow?Hydro Tasmania is thelargest water manager inAustralia. Its storages holdmore water than 30Sydney Harbours.

Did youknow?In partnership withSustainable Living Tasmania,Hydro Tasmania has providedfree energy assessments formore than 900 low-income households.

23100 YEARS OF THE HYDRO - A MERCURY SPECIAL FEATURE

AN EYE ON tHE FUtURE

There is no doubt the next few years will be challenging as a range of external factors conspire to reduce profitability from the record levels of recent times.

The business is responding in the only way it knows how. It has shown over the past century that a key part of its DNA has been the capacity to adapt to various challenges and changing circumstances. This will be crucial as it sets its sights on the next 100 years.

The electricity market is changing dramatically and Hydro Tasmania is responding to these changes.

Technological advances and customers taking greater control of the way they manage their energy needs has resulted in a growing “revolution” which will alter the way power is generated, delivered and sold in Australia.

Failure to keep up with the needs of customers will threaten the survival of many operators in the Australian electricity market.

The importance of “the Hydro” to Tasmania cannot be under-estimated. The Tasmanian Government believes the business is a significant long-term strategic asset for the state that will help grow the economy and attract new investment.

A key part of this will be how it manages its hydropower assets.

The business continues to invest strongly in upgrading infrastructure to lengthen the life of its assets. It is also upgrading the performance of its hydro plants to increase their efficiency.

These are crucial parts of a rolling 10-year asset management plan which maintains a long-term view to ensure hydro assets continue to serve the Tasmanian community for a long time to come.

At the same time Hydro Tasmania is looking further ahead at emerging opportunities in the renewable energy sector, such as displacing expensive diesel fuel with innovative hybrid power systems in off-grid and remote locations.

The business is also investigating ways to increase the benefits of 100 years of investment in hydro generation through projects such as a second interconnector across Bass Strait.

Nobody can predict what life will look like in 2114. But one thing is for sure: renewable energy will be more important over the next one hundred years than it has ever been.

Tasmania’s unique lifestyle and landscape, coupled with our natural renewable energy resources provide us with a competitive advantage.

As we grapple with managing the challenges presented by climate change and our society makes decisions about how best to use the resources available to us, fully exploring the potential of renewable energy must be at the fore of our thinking.

It’s a big world and Hydro Tasmania is contributing to sustainable energy in a big way, through shaping approaches to sourcing and using energy that will continue to matter for decades to come.

pREdiCTiNg ThE fUTURE is AlwAYs A ChAllENgE, bUT oNE ThiNg is foR sURE, ThE bUsiNEss is iNTENT oN bEiNg ARoUNd foR iTs 200Th biRThdAY.

a far-reaching dream and continues to take the lead in renewable energy creation in Australia,” centenary program manager Lara van den Berg said.

“The business was created by ordinary people doing extraordinary things that have changed the way we live and contributed to development of Tasmania’s identity,” Ms van den Berg said.

“This exhibition tells the story of their achievements.”

Development of the exhibition has drawn on historical records, personal memoirs, and Hydro Tasmania publications.

It covers the entire Hydro story from construction of the first power station at Waddamana to the novel technologies being used today.

“The story of the Hydro is the story of social change in Tasmania,” Ms van den Berg said.

“Through the electricity generated by hydropower, the state’s industries have flourished.

“Hydro people built roads and created villages where none previously existed. The migrant workforce recruited to work on power schemes shaped Tasmania’s culture and our engineering and technological breakthroughs have changed the way the world approaches the challenge of generating energy.”

The free exhibition 100 Years of Hydro will be in Hobart from October 18 to November 4, located at Mawson Place next to the old Marine Board building.It will then travel to the Tarraleah, a former Hydro village that will be the exhibition’s home for the foreseeable future.

It’s our birthday, and we want you to celebrate with us!Hydro Tasmania is turning 100, and we’re hosting a series of free community activities to say thanks to the people who’ve contributed to the business over the past century.

PUBLIC EXHIBITION - 100 YEARS OF HYDRO 100 Years of Hydro is a travelling public exhibition that tells the story of the past one hundred years, from construction of the fi rst power station, Waddamana, to the novel technologies being used today. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see historical photos and artefacts, learn about Tasmania’s world-famous hydropower system, and discover the fascinating stories of the people who built it.You can visit the exhibition at these locations:

HOBART Mawson PlaceSaturday 18 October - Tuesday 4 November

TARRALEAH Tarraleah Village Sunday 9 November - ongoing

TARRALEAH POWER STATION TOURS Sunday 9 November, 10am - 2pmIt’s Hydro Tasmania’s open home! If you’ve ever wondered what the inside of a hydropower station looks like, this is a rare opportunity to fi nd out. The Tarraleah Power Station open day is the last in a series of tours at our stations across the state. See amazing feats of engineering and learn how the water in our rivers and lakes end up powering the lights and appliances you switch on every day. Tours will depart from Tarraleah Village.

FREE SCREENINGS: PEOPLE OF THE HYDROState Cinema: 18 October - 5 NovemberThis 28-minute documentary tells the story of 100 years of innovation and how hydropower changed the face of Tasmania. It’s a thought-provoking look at ‘the Hydro’ told in the words of some of the people who helped make the business what it is today. For session times visit statecinema.com.au

BACK TO WADDAMANA DAYSunday 26 October, 10am - 2pmHydro Tasmania was created as the Hydro-Electric Department on 23 October 1914. Join us for a free family day at the site of our fi rst power station, timed specifi cally to mark our 100th birthday. There will be guided tours of Waddamana Power Station Museum, entertainment, a cake-cutting ceremony and a live radio broadcast with the ABC’s Chris Wisbey.

TASMANIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRACONCERT AT TARRALEAHSaturday 8 NovemberThe world-renowned Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra will perform a one-off concert paying tribute to the people who built the Hydro, particularly the many migrant workers who’ve come to Tasmania over the past 100 years to work on our hydropower system. Tickets strictly limited and will sell fast, visit tso.com.au

For more information, or to share your Hydro stories and photos visit hydro100.com.au