Council involved in Hardys Bay tests

Gosford Council has been involved in water quality testing at Hardys Bay and was aware of the results soon after pollution was first detected, according to members of the Hardys Bay Residents Group.

From the first results in October last year, testing indicated bacterial contamination at three of five sites, said group member Mr Brent Walker, the man who has done the testing once a week for three months.

"After about six weeks of testing, which provided consistent results, NSW Waterwatch contacted Gosford Council which consequently sent the director of environment and planning to undertake his own testing in conjunction with a senior NSW Waterwatch employee.

"Both parties collected these water samples on December 20, and confirmed my previous findings."

Mr Walker was responding to claims by Cr Terri Latella that the group had acted unilaterally and irresponsibly in announcing its findings.

She had called for independent testing by council.

Mr Walker said that the information about the water quality was printed in the Hardys Bay Residents Group newsletter, Bay News, in December to make local residents and renters in Hardys Bay aware of the risk of infection over the Christmas period.

"This was an appropriate and responsible action by the residents' group," he said.

"Furthermore, weekly testing of the three sites of concern have shown continuing very high pollution counts right through the holiday season," he said.

Mr Walker said that Cr Latella had been copied in on a letter sent to Gosford mayor Cr Laurie Maher about the matter.

Group publicity officer Mr Allan Wilson said Cr Maher responded to the letter on Monday, January 17, also copying in Cr Latella, confirming that further investigations would be occurring.

"Further investigations are now being undertaken to identify the possible source(s) of pollution with a view to preventing further pollution from occurring, including liaison with the Water and Sewer Directorate staff to ensure pump stations in the area are working effectively," the letter stated.

Last week, council's education and compliance manager Mr John Parkes confirmed that council was undertaking CCTV inspection of sewerage systems in Araluen Dr to help determine whether there were defects contributing to the problem.

He said, if defects were found, they would be rectified as soon as possible.

Mr Wilson said that legitimate testing had in fact been undertaken and both a Council environmental officer and a NSW Waterwatch official from the University of Newcastle had examined and verified the results in December.

He said Cr Latella should have been aware of the issue as it had been previously raised with a number of council representatives, including Cr Jim Macfadyen.

"Cr Latella, who lives in the area, should have been aware of the community concerns which existed over the contaminated locations for some considerable time," said Mr Wilson.

"Furthermore, her scaremongering, in relation to property values, would have been allayed had she taken the time to read the article in the group's newsletter, Bay News, which clearly pointed out that the contaminated sites are the three stormwater drain outlets which have not been maintained by council and that all other tested sites were deemed to be clear," he said.

At the ordinary council meeting of Tuesday, February 1, Cr Latella formally requested that Council officers investigate allegations about unsafe water at Hardys Bay and report their findings to a future council meeting.

Kaitlin Watts, 2 Feb 2011 Interviewees: Allan Wilson, Brent Walker, Cr Terri Latella, John Parkes