Lake Rosebery will partially reopen to the public on Saturday 22 February, just in time for the Day on the Lake event at Tullah Lakeside Lodge. 

From midnight tonight (Friday), Marine and Safety Tasmania will lift restrictions on the lake except for the Mackintosh Gorge and the Henry Bay Boat Ramp, which remain closed to allow the completion of clean-up activities. 

Hydro Tasmania’s Head of Major Works Justin Vandervelde said it had been an enormous multi-agency effort to get to this point, but said people should maintain caution and follow advice from the Department of Health. 

“People can use most of the lake for recreational use. You can still see some impacts from the oil, like dark rings on vegetation, but for the most part it’s looking really good,” said Mr Vandervelde. 

“In the unlikely event that you do see oil on the water, please avoid the area.” 

The Department of Health has advised you can swim and boat in areas of the lake that have reopened, however:  

• Do not enter the water if you can see oil on the water  

• Do not swim or take your boat through oil sheens  

• Wash off any oil on your skin with soap and cold water. It feels sticky to touch.  

• Avoid swallowing water or touching oiled plants or rocks  

• Stay away from the booms which keep the oil away from the clean areas   

• Do not eat eels or fish from the Lake. Testing to assess the safety of fish to eat is ongoing. 

Nearby alternatives for swimming, fishing and boating include Lake Mackintosh and Lake Plimsoll. 

Water quality testing has shown treated water, sourced from Lake Rosebery at TasWater's Tullah Water Treatment Plant, is safe to drink. TasWater will continue to monitor." 

Next week, Hydro Tasmania will raise the lake level and run Mackintosh Power Station, using the water flow to capture any remaining oil with booms on the lake. The focus over coming weeks will be on cleaning the Henry Bay Boat Ramp and pontoon. 

"Thank you to all the people across multiple agencies who have participated in the clean-up response and to the local community for their patience,” said Mr Vandervelde. 

“We’re so pleased we can re-open part of the lake ahead of the Day at the Lake event at Tullah Lakeside Lodge on Saturday." 

Ends. 

Released for Hydro Tasmania by Louisa Wright / 0409 722 359 / media@hydro.com.au