The Sub-surface Geology of the Hobart CBD

What do we know, and what do we need to know?

Dr Tony Webster

There has been considerable recent discussion about building tunnels beneath central Hobart to link the Southern Outlet to the Brooker Highway. There have also been recent suggestions made about constructing large underground carparks to accommodate the likely influx of vehicles that will result from moving the university to the central city. All such suggestions would require the excavation of major tunnels and large-scale subterranean chambers in the rock mass below the central business district of Hobart. The surface geological information suggests that the sub-surface geology is likely to be very diverse, and structurally complex. But what do we know about the geology beneath the city, and the character of the rock mass? What geological information is available in the public domain?  This presentation will discuss what we know, and what we need to know about the geology beneath the Hobart CBD to properly inform any tunnels and large-scale excavations.

About the speaker

Dr Tony Webster GeoDiscovery Group Pty Ltd

Tony is a Principal Structural Geologist with GeoDiscovery Group Pty Ltd, and an honorary senior lecturer/fellow of the University of Tasmania and the University of Queensland. He has spent over 30 years in the mining industry, academia, and government, working on structurally complex base metal and gold deposits, including Broken Hill and Kalgoorlie, Ridgeway, Cannington and Hercules, as well as many others. Recently, Tony has been heavily involved with a PFS/FS for a major porphyry copper block cave mine development in Indonesia. Tony has published two books, The Geology of the Broken Hill Lead-Zinc-Silver Deposit, NSW, Australia (published by CODES, 2007) and The Foundation of Australia’s Capital Cities: Geology, Landscape, and Urban Character (published by Rowman and Littlefield in the US in 2022).

Engineers Australia members participating in AGS technical sessions can record attendance on their personal CPD logs. Members should refer to Engineers Australia CPD policy for details on CPD types, requirements and auditing guidelines.