The Government is a proud supporter of jobs in regional Tasmania and that’s why we have been working hard behind the scenes to get the right outcome for King River Rafting.
Last year reinforced the importance of carefully managing Hydro’s water storages, but if water is used for generation on a regular basis, then we should put it to good use and helping King River Rafting is an example of that.
I asked Hydro Tasmania to work with King River Rafting to develop a solution and I am pleased that an agreement has been reached.
The agreement will look to provide King River Rafting with a number of rafting trips per season as part of an agreed water release program and for an agreed fee. The agreement will be trialled over the remainder of the current rafting season. There will be further discussions after the rafting season has concluded and the agreement will be fine-tuned in the lead up to the next rafting season beginning in November 2017.
This arrangement will help support the West Coast economy and a valuable tourism business, while protecting Tasmania’s energy security. I’d like to thank all involved in working in a constructive manner to reach this outcome.