Emails obtained under right to information show draft archaeological statements were provided to the department almost two weeks prior to the Kings Meadows Convict Station dig, commissioned by the City of Launceston Council in late October.

Responding to questions at the weekend, a Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment spokesperson said Heritage Tasmania only became "actively" involved after the initial investigation concluded and a heritage nomination was received for the new location.

After the find was made public in November, a DPIPWE spokesperson said only that Heritage Tasmania had played a "limited" role as the location of the station was "not known" and not listed on the heritage register.

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The station, however, was listed at a site in Relbia about two kilometres south as part of the Evandale to Launceston Water Scheme.

Emails show Heritage Tasmania received documents outlining the archaeological potential and excavation plans from Southern Archaeology, who conducted the work, on October 12.

That nine-day investigation, on land previously approved for a residential subdivision after negotiations between the City of Launceston council, the archaeologist and the landowner, began on October 25.

The Office of the Solicitor-General also provided DPIPWE advice on the matter in December, another email shows.

A briefing provided to the council by Southern Archaeology following the initial investigation work outlined details about both the process of the excavation and what was discovered in the "short time-frame allocated".

This included a range of artefacts, a previously unseen style of convict hat, and some limited remnants of the convict road and probation station dating back to the 1830s.

A "brick lined reservoir" extending up to two metres below ground level, a table drain containing "Broad Arrow" marked bricks and a wooden barrel possibly predating the 1850s were also found.

[Read the briefing provided to the City of Launceston Council on the initial Kings Meadows findings]

Many called for further action after the find last year, with the Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology - the sector's peak national body - labeling it "highly significant" and drawing connections to other nationally significant sites.

A further 10-day investigation was conducted in February, after discussions between the landowner and Heritage Tasmania.

In response to the Kings Meadows case, the Tasmanian Heritage Council in December agreed to review its policy stance on entering a site to the register after a development application had been initiated.

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