West Tamar landslip project held forum on progress and scope of investigation

The project is aimed at researching and understanding the problems and causes surrounding landslips in the West Tamar area.

There is an emphasis on working with those in the community heavily affected by landslips.

The project is funded by a grant from the Commonwealth emergency management fund.

With the project scheduled to be nearing the completion of the consultation process, Sunday’s meeting served as a chance for the community to discuss the project details.

West Tamar Council general manager Rolph Vos said the meeting was a good opportunity to discuss the project in an open forum.

“It was well received and people are going to get a better understanding of how this [the project] will work,” he said.

West Tamar Council’s municipal planner Andrew Brown spoke about the goals and progress of the project at the meeting.

Geologist from Mineral Resources Tasmania Colin Mazengarb discussed other cases of landslip areas in Tasmania.

Mr Mazengarb noted that though avoiding the impacts of a landslip is best, many areas at risk of being impacted are already inhabited.

He concluded that risk reduction is the most efficient area of focus for all parties involved, including residents.

Geotechnical engineer Dr Derek Pennington also informed residents of the work he has undertaken investigating the impacts of landslips on locals firsthand.

Community representative Trevor Grant highlighted his intent to meet with Resource Minister and Bass MHA Sarah Courtney, to discuss compensation for those affected by landslips.

Mr Vos said keeping the community informed was tremendously important.

“This affects people’s largest investment,” he said.

“This is about their homes and how we can work cooperatively across government agencies as well as practitioners to ensure they're informed and we can work together to mitigate the impact of landslides.” 

An additional training session was held on Monday, where industry experts such as land surveyors and architects provided their input into the project.

A draft of the project’s report is available for public feedback before being voted on by the council.

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