The finish date of the Launceston flood levee has been put back to October. Picture: NEIL RICHARDSON
DESIGN changes to the $57 million Launceston Flood Levee Scheme have pushed out the finishing date of the project to October.
Initially planned for a December 2012 finish the prospect of residential development along the North Esk River led to a rethink.
In order to free up land at Inveresk for student housing the Launceston City Council dumped plans for an earthen levee and switched to a concrete design.
The council, which is very eager for the $20 million University of Tasmania project to proceed, voted for the changes last year and they were taken up by the Launceston Flood Authority.
The authority was established to protect Launceston from a one-in-200-year flood.
A Tasmanian firm has won the tender to build the levee, which will stretch from the Tamar Street Bridge to Black Bridge, with construction due to start in March.
Authority chairman Alan Birchmore said if a one-in-200-year flood hit the city, the existing levees would be high enough, but their strength would be questionable.
Following the completion of the levees the authority plans to flood proof parts of Newstead.
