Sewerage project awaits Minister's response

Gosford Council has agreed to hold off on the finalisation of the servicing strategy for the Cockle Bay Towns Sewerage Project until a response is received from the Minister of Primary Industries about funding.

Council staff reported that the level of state government funding would determine for some properties, whether it was more cost-effective to exclude them from the proposed sewerage scheme and instead continue to operate on-site systems, upgraded where necessary.

The council also resolved, at its meeting of Tuesday, June 5, to consult Patonga Creek property owners on extending a reticulated water supply to Patonga Creek together with the sewerage scheme.

In the 1990s a number of towns in the Gosford Local Government Area were identified under the NSW Government's Small Towns Sewerage Program for funding under the Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program and the Priority Sewerage Program, the council was told.

The programs aimed to improve sewerage services in unsewered towns where the operation of on-site sewage management systems were considered to pose significant risks to the environment and public health.

At a meeting on December 6, last year, Council resolved to proceed with the Cockle Bay Towns Sewerage Project with site investigation of larger properties within the service area to confirm the servicing strategy requirements and proceed with the Patonga Creek Sewerage Project with an investigation of a reticulated water supply charged at full cost to the benefiting property owners.

Council was also seeking to increase project funding from State and Federal Governments to minimise the significant costs to property owners.

The extent of funding affects the way in which contribution charges are calculated will have a considerable impact on the cost to property owners of connecting to the sewer, the council was told.

Council engaged the services of Whitehead and Associates Environmental Consultants to undertake desktop and limited site investigations.

The investigation identified properties that would be expected to be able to maintain an on-site system and those that were unlikely to be able to.

The outcome of this investigation would assist in defining the recommended servicing strategy for the 315 properties included in the service area adopted in May last year, the council was told.

The further investigation at Patonga Creek would consider extending a reticulated water supply to Patonga Creek properties as part of the installation of the sewerage scheme.

The investigation concluded that the existing Patonga water system was capable of accommodating the additional demand resulting from the connection of Patonga Creek to the water reticulation system, with velocity, pressure and storage parameters staying within acceptable limits.

Provision of water reticulation to Patonga Creek had not been identified for funding under the program and therefore the cost of installing this infrastructure would be borne wholly by the benefiting property owners.

Gosford Council Agenda WAT.16, 5 Jun 2012