Long-awaited work to upgrade and improve the Bombala Sewage Treatment Plant is soon to begin with a design expected to be finalised and put out to tender next month.
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The investment of $7million was confirmed in August 2017 while the region was under an administrator during council merger processes. But discussions over improving the town’s sewage treatment works began even before that under the former Bombala Shire Council.
Bombala-based councillor of the now Snowy Monaro Regional Council Bob Stewart said the former council had sourced $1.75million from the state government and planned to match that with council funds. That would be added to $3.5m from the federal government’s Building Better Regions Fund.
However, since then it’s understood the state government has come to the party for the full 50 per cent contribution, “saving the regional council and ratepayers” Cr Stewart said.
Cr Stewart said the current facility has “passed its use-by date”. “It’s run its course and action is needed,” he said.
Questions have been raised – then and now – about the potential for shifting the treatment plant to a new location rather than upgrading the facility at its current site.
Odour has been cited as the main issue for the plant’s neighbours – which include the high school and hospital. Outflow into the adjacent Bombala River was also a potential issue.
“Odour is a big issue and people were saying it could be shifted. At the school especially, it’s terrible some days for the kids up there,” Cr Stewart said.
“But if we treat it to a higher standard, the odour can be mostly removed.
“It’s 50 years old. Surely technology today has advanced enough to take that odour out – that’s what the experts are telling me.”
A council spokesperson said the upgraded technology to be implemented involves a “sequential biological reactor with improved effluent quality due to tertiary treatment involving filtration and UV treatment to meet the EPA’s stringent effluent quality requirements”.
Cr Stewart said relocating the plant and building from scratch on a new site would require extra time and extra funds, which couldn’t necessarily be guaranteed through government grants.
“By the time we’d be able to do it, take out extra loans to pay for it. we’d end up having to increase charges to ratepayers to cover it.
“Now we’ve succeeded in getting 50 per cent from the federal government and 50 per cent from the state, we’ve saved the regional council millions.”
Construction is expected to start in August 2019 with an expected completion by September 2020.
A council spokesperson said there will be no disruptions to service as the existing plant will be in operation until the new plant is commissioned.
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