Kangaroo Valley pipeline upgrade

About

Stage one of the Kangaroo Valley pipeline renewal project is complete. Stage two will begin in February 2026. The work ensures the ongoing reliability and resilience of a vital piece of water infrastructure linking the Fitzroy Canal with the Bendeela Hydro Plant, which connects the Shoalhaven and Greater Sydney catchments.

The 2.5 kilometre pipeline was commissioned in 1977 and is a dual-purpose pipeline used for water supply and transfer from the Shoalhaven river to the Metropolitan Sydney dams, in addition to generating pumped storage hydroelectricity.

Schedule

Stage one of the project started in September 2023 and was completed in July 2024.

Stage two of the project will commence in February 2026 and will be completed by December 2026.

Scope of work

Stage one included:

upgrades to the 2.5 kilometre above-ground pipeline included replacing structural bearings (at 67 of the 111 sill locations) and improving the drainage system to improve the resilience and reliability of the vital asset, especially during wet weather
upgrades to approximately 650 metres of access tracks. Allowing access to the area for ongoing maintenance and inspection work

Stage two of the project will include:

developing design drawings, specifications and a construction methodology to jack the pipeline and replace the remaining bearings which were not replaced during the Stage 1 works (47 of 111 sill locations)
application of protective coatings to the pipeline bearings

The stage two replacement works will be undertaken during a 6-month outage in 2026. With mobilisation and construction activities planned to commence in February 2026.

Consultation

An Aboriginal cultural awareness induction at the project site in late August 2023 was hosted by the Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council. The induction deepened the project teams understanding of Country and Culture, provided a background of Aboriginal sites and heritage in the area and explained the necessary steps in identifying and reporting Aboriginal artefacts and sites.

Project updates

Kangaroo Valley pipeline upgrade - Project update - Sept 2023 (PDF 379.8 KB)

Kangaroo Valley pipeline project workers

Kangaroo Valley pipeline cultural artefacts

Contact

For further information, please contact our engagement team at engagement@waternsw.com.au

WaterNSW acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands and waters on which we work and pay our respects to all elders past, present and emerging. Learn more