The Glenorchy community will soon see increased construction activity at Tolosa Park as work gets underway to decommission the old dam and transform the site into parkland.
Today, TasWater, in partnership with the Glenorchy City Council, announced the contract for the Tolosa Park Dam redevelopment project has been awarded to Tasmanian company Gradco.
The $6.2 million project, which is set to begin construction in September 2023, is being jointly funded by TasWater and the Glenorchy City Council and will see the old dam and dam wall removed and the entire area transformed into a family-friendly parkland.
TasWater Acting CEO Tony Willmott said the contract award was an exciting step forward for this long-awaited project.
“We’ve been working closely with the Glenorchy City Council for several years to come up with a plan for this site which delivers an ideal outcome for both TasWater and the community,” Mr Willmott said.
“It’s exciting, after all that work, to be on the cusp of project commencement.”
Glenorchy Mayor Bec Thomas said this was an important project for the Council and the community.
“Tolosa Park is an important area for our community and it’s exciting to see work start on its transformation.
“Eventually, this area will become an open recreation area that will service not only the people of Glenorchy but the wider Hobart region. We know how important it is to have outdoor recreation areas for our community offering opportunities for healthy and active lifestyles regardless of age.
“This project demonstrates the value of TasWater and Council working together to maximise the value to the community of what will become a genuine asset for our municipal area and beyond,” she said.
Mr Willmott said TasWater was once again delighted to be awarding the project to a Tasmanian contractor.
“It’s important to us that our projects help support Tasmanian business and Tasmanian jobs,” he said.
Gradco General Manager Neil Armstrong said the company was proud to be involved in delivering the project.
“We are looking forward to getting to work on transforming the site into an area that can be enjoyed by the community for generations to come,” Mr Armstrong said.
“This is an exciting project for the local community and greater Hobart area, and I look forward to standing here in a year’s time looking out on a space ready for the community to enjoy,” Mr Willmott said.
Based on a collaborative design between TasWater and Council, Gradco will build a small chain of wetland ponds, a gently sloping site shaped to allow for drainage, covered with topsoil and vegetation. TasWater aims to handover the site to council as a community parkland in mid-2024.