Dam the Gordon

In a dry climate such as Australia’s, there are only a few small areas along the east coast, and in Victoria and Tasmania, capable of supporting rainforest. Ironically, the unique climate features that support the rainforest also make these areas attractive to commercial interests. For instance, high rainfall areas such as Terania Creek in northern New South Wales and the Daintree Wilderness in Queensland contain many highly-prized timbers. Southwestern Tasmania is an area of rugged terrain and very high rainfall - annual totals over 3,000mm in parts, because of the area’s exposure to the fronts and depressions of the “roaring forties”. This climate supports areas of cool temperate rainforest that are unique in Australia and rare in the world. But areas of high rainfall and narrow river valleys are also ideal for hydro-electric power generation. By virtue, therefore, of its unique climate and terrain, the Tasmanian southwest became the scene for confrontation between the forces of development and conservation.

In 1916 the newly-formed, State-owned Hydro-Electric Department (now the Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC)) began generating its first electricity at Waddamana. More dams were built during the 1920s. Tasmania, short of coal for thermal power stations, established further hydro-electric power stations near Waddamana, and Tarraleah in the upper Derwent valley. The cheap electricity helped industries such as the electrolytic refining of zinc to be established. As the demand for electricity rose, more dams followed. Installed generator capacity doubled between 1959-60 and 1969-70, and doubled again by 1986-87, through dams on the upper Gordon river, creating Lakes Gordon and Pedder.

By the late 1960s, the development ethos prevalent since European settlement began to be challenged by a conservation philosophy aiming to preserve parts of the country in their natural state.

A much publicized dispute raged in the late 70s and early 80s over the construction of a further dam on the Gordon, below its junction with the Franklin river. This culminated in late 1982-early 1983 with the Franklin River blockade against dam construction work. In the end, a High Court ruling prevented construction of the dam, thereby preserving the Franklin River valley. The HEC did, however, obtain approval for the construction of a smaller scheme on the Anthony River, north of Queenstown. A balance had been struck between developers and preservers on the use of the climatically-generated resources of the region.