Last year, the power utility had planned for the works to start in March on the 49m high structure. The works are required due to concerns over the anchored cables having suffered corrosion with age.
The company said the cost of the project would be approximately Aus$35M (US$30M) and calls for the replacement of the cables with corrosion-protected anchors that can be monitored to check their load capacity. The works are to take two years to complete.
Last year, when announcing the project, Hydro Tasmania said that the works would, instead, involve the construction of buttresses to eliminate the need for the cables. The works were expected to cost Aus$25M-AusS30M and take about 18 months to complete.
The new plan has been – as the original was – submitted to the Assessment Committee for Dam Construction for review. The utility also plans to consult with all stakeholders prior to the start of the works.
Catagunya dam was built on the Derwent river, about 30km from Ouse, in the early 1960s and the level of Lake Catagunya is to be lowered during the refurbishment works.
