Millions of litres of improperly treated sewerage was released into Tasmanian waterways in just one year, according to data compiled by Environment Tasmania. It raises serious concerns about the management of Tasmania’s freshwater and delays to river health programs.
According to analysis from Environment Tasmania, 635,739,000 litres of untreated or partially treated sewage was released by TasWater into the state’s waterways in 2024-25. It’s a shitload of sewerage that’s been released into Tasmania’s freshwater.
We know TasWater releases untreated or partially treated sewage into waterways during key periods, such as heavy rainfall or when plant infrastructure is having issues. But the huge amount of waste being released into Tasmania’s waterways sets off significant alarm bells.
It raises serious concerns about the implications for both human health and the environment. Tasmanians rely on freshwater for many uses, like drinking, swimming and agriculture, and they deserve to know the health quality of their local rivers.
While this news is terrible, it’s not surprising. The Liberals have consistently failed to properly manage Tasmania’s freshwater resources. TasWater itself admits the sewerage network is in dire need of upgrades, but they don’t have the money to do what’s needed.
The Greens asked questions about Tasmania’s water monitoring and healthy rivers programs in Estimates, only to hear of a myriad of delays to overdue programs. We fear that further budget cuts will mean that upgrades and much needed monitoring programs will only be further delayed.
The Liberals need to finally get serious about managing the state’s fresh water. They must make the investments needed to upgrade Tasmania’s sewerage treatment systems and monitor in real-time the effect they’re having on Tasmanian waterways.
