Revised sewer plan to be displayed

A revised draft service plan for the Cockle Bay Towns Sewerage Project at Empire Bay will be placed on public exhibition for 21 days before Gosford Council decides whether to proceed with the proposed extensions.

The revised plans extend the sewerage area in response to resident submissions to plans exhibited in October and November last year.

Council received a total of 65 submissions which represented 20 per cent of the community targeted.

A Council staff report stated that 56 per cent of respondents did not support the draft service area.

This included 36 per cent who had not been identified for sewer services and were keen to connect, citing public health and environmental concerns.

A total of 44 per cent of respondents did support the draft service area, including 11 per cent that were not in the proposed vicinity.

Other concerns related to the cost, timing and type of system to be installed and the drainage problems in the area.

The new plans include un-sewered areas to the south and east of Empire Bay Dr in Empire Bay which had not previously been included in the project due to the environmentally sensitive nature of the wetlands.

Priorities for the project were existing pump-out stations and business operations, properties that are unable to adequately sustain on-site sewage management without significant risk to public health or the environment and new sewer infrastructure adjacent to property boundary.

According to the report, the Cockle Bay Towns Sewerage Project is one of four remaining priority sewerage schemes in the Gosford area identified in the 1990s.

The scheme aims to protect public health and the environment in the Cockle Bay catchment by improving wastewater services in Empire Bay.

The project is expected to reduce public health and environment risks posed by inadequate on-site systems, eliminate septic odours, dampness and ponding in property yards, provide cleaner waterways and offer long-term cost savings for properties with excessive pump-out and on-site system maintenance costs.

Council Agenda WAT.2, 22 Feb 2011