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protecting dam infrastructure and maintaining water security. Having a larger, well-prepared, regionally placed team means we have never been better placed to perform this key function.” Although forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology
stated imminent flood risk is low for major WaterNSW regional supply dams, storage levels rose steadily on the back of periodic winter rainfall and wet catchments during October. The total regional average storage was approximately 80% of capacity, representing the highest dam levels seen since the end of the summer. Following a recent seismic event, and in
accordance with dam safety protocols, WaterNSW recently had to conduct assessments of three Hunter Valley dams on 23 August. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake was felt across the region but inspections at Glennies Creek, Glenbawn and Lostock dams confirmed no safety risk resulting from the event. Meanwhile, in other news from WaterNSW,
water has been released from Split Rock Dam to protect platypus on the Manilla and Namoi rivers, encouraging them to nest higher up the riverbanks. As WaterNSW’s Ashley Webb explained, releasing some water in late winter-early spring, just before nesting season, means the higher river level will encourage platypus to build their nests further up the banks. “Then if we need to do a bulk transfer of irrigation
water later in the year from Split Rock to Keepit,” Webb said, “the water will slide past below the level of their nests, protecting the platypus and newborn puggles.” A total of 7850 megalitres of water from Split Rock Dam was released over eight days from 26 August. This was captured and stored in Keepit Dam for use in the irrigation season from November to February. Split Rock Dam has a capacity of 397,370 megalitres and is situated on the Manilla River. It was built in the 1980s to supplement supplies from Keepit Dam and meet increased agricultural demand for water in the Namoi Valley. With a capacity of 425,000 megalitres, Keepit Dam on the Namoi River was completed in 1960 and built to increase the availability of water for irrigation. This enabled increased agricultural production of cotton, lucerne, cereals, oilseed, wheat and vegetables in the region, driving the growth of downstream towns including Gunnedah, Narrabri, Wee Waa and Walgett.
Girl power Students have participated in hands-on engineering
and technology challenges at Hydro Tasmania’s Cambridge Workshop as part of its Girls in Power programme. The two-day workshop aims to engage young women in fun and immersive activities that inspire an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Hydro Tasmania’s Executive General Manager of People, Culture and Engagement Ruth Groom said the programme was a fantastic opportunity to introduce young women to the possibility of a career in STEM. “Women are still underrepresented in STEM industries including the renewable energy sector. We want to encourage more young women to take up STEM subjects in years 11 and 12 and consider careers in our sector when they graduate,” said Groom.
www.waterpowermagazine.com | December 2024 | 15
Girls make up only one quarter of year 12
enrolments in information technology, physics and engineering subjects, according to the Australian Government’s STEM Equity Monitor. The number of women enrolling in university STEM courses and working in STEM jobs has increased but only 37% of university STEM enrolments are from women, and women represent just 15% of all people working in STEM jobs. The workshops saw 35 students participate in challenges that address real-world scenarios, solving questions like: How do you transfer water from a water source to a power station? A giant, tactile 3D model of a Tasmanian landscape helped them as they developed a proposal to transfer the water while considering the environment, geology and cost. Students also went behind the scenes with a tour of Meadowbank Power Station and participated in ‘speed careering,’ where they were given the opportunity to quiz Hydro Tasmania staff and representatives from related businesses like TasNetworks. “Our goal is for students to leave the workshop feeling excited about the possibilities that a career in STEM can offer them,” Groom said. “We need young women to feel they belong and can achieve great things in our sector. One way we can do this is to introduce them to STEM subjects from a young age and encourage them to follow these pathways at university.”
Girls in Power began in 2022 and has been run with support from energy players across the State.
Above: The Glennies Creek Dam in New South Wales. Inspections here following a recent seismic event confirmed there was no safety risks
Above: Platypus swimming on the surface of a river. WaterNSW has recently released water from Split Rock Dam to protect them
Below: Year 9 and 10 students attend the Girls in Power programme at Hydro Tasmania’s Cambridge Workshop
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