Hydro Tasmania’s $35 million upgrade of Edgar Dam is delivering significant economic benefits to the Australian state, with more than 90% of the project’s investment being spent on Tasmanian contractors and suppliers.
The project, which is well underway and scheduled for completion in the second half of 2026, is a major component of Hydro Tasmania’s long-term asset management strategy to ensure the continued safety and reliability of its dam network.
The upgrade is being delivered in partnership with Hydro Tasmania’s consulting arm, Entura, and Tasmanian civil construction company Hall Earthmoving, which is carrying out the majority of the works. Around 20 local businesses are also contributing to the project, providing services including earthworks, vegetation management, building materials, environmental services, civil construction, and trades.
Hydro Tasmania’s project director for the Edgar Dam upgrade, Aaron McCreath, said the project is creating strong local employment outcomes.
“We’re incredibly proud that so much of our investment in Edgar Dam has been returned to Tasmanian businesses,” McCreath said. “To be able to complete an upgrade of this size with local businesses is a testament to the incredible talent we have here in Tasmania.
“Our commitment to support local businesses is also consistent with the Tasmanian Government’s Buy Local Policy.”
Approximately 60 Tasmanians have been employed either part-time or full-time through the project to date.
One of the key local contributors is Duggans, a third-generation family business based in the Huon Valley, which provided the concrete casting for the dam’s new wave wall. The wall consists of 178 sections, each standing 2.5me high, designed to provide additional protection from wave action that could occur during a large seismic event.
Duggans’ project manager for the Edgar upgrade, Patrick Duggan, said the team recently achieved a key milestone: “Since we started in May, we’ve poured two wave walls every day – rain, hail or snow we have not missed a single pour.”
The company has a long-standing relationship with Hydro Tasmania, stretching back to the construction of the Strathgordon dams.
Duggans continues to be a family-driven business, with multiple generations involved in the Edgar Dam project.
“All of us Duggans and many others that work here tend to go above and beyond to get the job done,” said Duggan. “That’s how our grandad wanted us to work, as a team – together everyone achieves more.”
