Experts warn of risk: why major city thoroughfare is closing for one evening

Between 6pm and 10pm on Wednesday, October 15, City of Launceston council workers will test the two Bauer floodgates which bookend the Charles Street bridge.

In times of severe flooding these stop the water from flowing through the gap in the levees around the bridge.

As a result, the East Tamar Highway will be closed to traffic between William Street and Lindsay Street for the duration of the exercise, and the bridge will also be closed to pedestrians.

The Tamar Street bridge is recommended as an alternative route for the duration of the exercise.

The Bauer floodgates, which are made of metal sleepers fitted with rubber seals, are just one component of the city's flood defences which also include more than 12km of earth and concrete levees.

The network also includes penstocks - metal gates to prevent floodwaters flowing through the stormwater system - and high volume pumps to help drain any flooded areas.

These are all tested at regular intervals, to ensure the 5000 residents and 400 businesses in Launceston's low-lying areas stay protected in case of natural disasters.

For instance, the car park at Riverbend Park was shut in February to test the rolling floodgates there.

Councillors voted to develop a flood mitigation strategy in March 2024, although that project has been in a state of limbo while the council sought to hire a flood mitigation professional.

The Examiner understands two possible candidates were identified for the role late September 2025.

The push for the strategy came off the back of some updated flood modelling commissioned by the council in 2019.

This indicated the city's levees would not be up to the task by 2050 due to extreme weather events becoming more and more frequent - the combination of rising sea levels and increased rainfall leading to more severe flooding.

The more recent National Climate Risk Assessment also made specific reference to Launceston and the risks posed by compound flooding, although it recommended further research as the interaction between rising sea levels and higher river levels "can be complex".

Mayor Matthew Garwood acknowledged the inconvenience the flood readiness exercises could cause.

He said they were worthwhile endeavours, as flooding remained a serious risk for Launceston.

"These exercises are about giving our teams and emergency services real, hands-on training so they're ready when the time comes. Every test makes us sharper and helps us make improvements where needed," Cr Garwood said.