Tasmanian farmer Nigel Tomlin pursues hydro-electric dream on Humboldt River
Author: ABC News Date Posted:23 March 2014
Hidden deep in Tasmania's southern forests, a man and his son are realising a dream.
Fourth generation farmer Nigel Tomlin has swapped the paddocks of his Derwent Valley farm for the remote Humboldt River deep in Tasmania's southern forests, where the seeds of a long-held idea are finally taking shape.
"Farming is quite challenging and I do enjoy a challenge. I've tried lots of things during my farming career, but I've always had a passion for water and the power of water and what it can do," he said.
Mr Tomlin has always supplemented the farm's income with another pay check, and has spent 25 years working in the hydro-electricity industry, the whole time thinking about his own projects.
"I've always run the farm while I've been involved in hydropower generation all through my life, so my farm has always been an enjoyable hobby," he said.
"But the risks in farming are quite big and this is just another way of diversifying to maintain a reliable income I suppose."
It took a change of legislation allowing private operators to sell power to the grid and a $700,000 clean technology grant from the former federal government to help turn his idea into a reality.
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