Lake Margaret Power Scheme A Conservation Management Plan Volume 1 March 2006 Paul Davies Pty Ltd Architects Heritage Consultants Lake Margaret Power Scheme Paul Davies Pty Ltd Conservation Management Plan March 2006 Lake Margaret Power Scheme Paul Davies Pty Ltd Conservation Management Plan March 2006 Contents 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................ 1 1.1.1 How to Use the Plan....................................................................... 1 1.1.2 Limitations ...................................................................................... 2 1.1.3 Authors ........................................................................................... 2 1.1.4 Acknowledgments .......................................................................... 2 1.1.5 Identification of the Place ............................................................... 3 2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND........................................................................... 6 2.1 Preface....................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Summary History........................................................................................ 6 2.3 Major Stages of Development of the site ................................................... 7 2.4 Development of the Power Station Building............................................. 13 2.5 Plans of the Power Scheme..................................................................... 15 3 ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................ 19 3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 19 3.2 Precinct 1 – Dam and pipeline area ......................................................... 23 3.3 Precinct 2 - Village ................................................................................... 25 3.4 Precinct 3 – Power Station Core Area ..................................................... 29 3.5 Precinct 4 – Lower Power Station ............................................................ 31 3.6 Precinct 5 – the Broader Site ................................................................... 32 4 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ............................................................................ 34 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 34 4.2 Overview of power generation in Australia............................................... 34 4.2.1 The Gara River Development 1895.............................................. 34 4.2.2 Duck Reach .................................................................................. 34 4.2.3 Other Developments..................................................................... 35 4.2.4 The Great Lake Scheme .............................................................. 35 4.2.5 Lake Margaret .............................................................................. 36 4.2.6 Mainland Australia ........................................................................ 36 Lake Margaret Power Scheme Paul Davies Pty Ltd Conservation Management Plan March 2006 i 4.2.7 Technological Context .................................................................. 37 4.2.8 Comparative Size and Output ...................................................... 37 4.3 Summary.................................................................................................. 38 4.3.1 Moorina Power Station ................................................................. 38 4.3.2 Waddamana Power Station.......................................................... 38 4.3.3 Later Power Schemes and developments.................................... 38 5 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................... 39 5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 39 5.2 Previous Assessments of Significance .................................................... 40 5.3 Tasmanian State Heritage Criteria........................................................... 41 5.4 Statement of Significance ........................................................................ 41 5.5 Significance Assessment of Component parts of the Scheme ................ 44 5.5.1 Summary of significance of Site features and elements............... 45 6 POLICY............................................................................................................. 48 6.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 48 6.2 Hydro Tasmania Operational Requirements and Future Options ............ 48 6.2.1 Close the station........................................................................... 54 6.2.2 Upgrade and retain as operating station ...................................... 56 6.2.3 Construct a new station on the site .............................................. 56 6.3 General Conservation Policy.................................................................... 58 6.4 Future Use ............................................................................................... 59 6.5 Conservation Work................................................................................... 63 6.6 Landscaping............................................................................................. 65 6.7 Archaeology ............................................................................................. 65 6.8 Movable Heritage and Site Records ........................................................ 68 6.9 Interpretation ............................................................................................ 68 6.10 Archival Recording ................................................................................... 69 6.11 Site Management and Security ................................................................ 69 6.12 Review ..................................................................................................... 70 Lake Margaret Power Scheme Paul Davies Pty Ltd Conservation Management Plan March 2006 ii 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Lake Margaret power station is set in a wilderness area a short distance to the north-east of Queenstown. It has operated continuously since its opening in 1914 providing power for the mining operations at Queenstown, as part of the supply of electricity to the locality and more recently as part of the Hydro Tasmania power network. Due principally to its private ownership and operation for most of its life the place has retained nearly all of its early infrastructure and equipment including the dams, pipelines, two power stations, the village, penstocks and a range of associated structures and features. A conservation management plan was prepared in 1994 by Godden Mackay in anticipation that the station would be closed. That plan set out a history of the site, established a basis for significance and set out policies to guide shutdown and closure. Part of the site was shut- down shortly after that plan had been prepared, including the lower station and its infrastructure but also the village was closed with the exception of three dwellings that continue to be occupied. The main station itself has, however, continued to operate. Hydro Tasmania is again considering the future of the station. The review, of which this CMP forms part, is considering in detail the stations current and future operation, the likely life of the existing equipment, the potential for new infrastructure, the heritage values of the place and the value of the station within the broader generation of power in the State. This conservation management plan builds on the work prepared in the Godden Mackay plan. The historical background from the earlier plan is used (included as Appendix 1), unedited in this document except for noting changes that have taken place over the last 11 years, and is credited to Godden Mackay (now Godden Mackay Logan). The statements of significance are upgraded to reflect more recent work on the heritage values of the Hydro system in Tasmania and to reflect changes that have taken place on the site in the last 11 years. The site analysis is prepared based on the historical information but also detailed inspection of the site in its current form and condition. The policy considers the heritage value of the place and the current and future operational needs and looks at options for the future that range from closure and mothballing to the construction of a new station. There has been extensive consultation undertaken in the preparation of this plan with site staff, Hydro Tasmania personnel and representatives of the local community. While this plan is principally concerned with heritage values and how best to retain those values for the range of options available for the future of the place, it also considers other matters such as operational options, regional tourism and occupational health and safety matters related to the place. 1.1.1 How to Use the Plan The Plan comprises six principal sections: SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION This section explains the background, the process and the context of the conservation management plan. Lake Margaret Power Scheme Paul Davies Pty Ltd Conservation