Investments which cater to population growth in the Bundaberg Region will continue with funds allocated in Council’s 2022-23 budget for a coastal sewerage diversion project.
The funds will kickstart the design process for the multi-year project which will ultimately see wastewater treatment for some of the coastal households diverted to the Rubyanna Wastewater Treatment Plant.
It comes off the back of significant investment in recent times to upgrade the Kalkie and Gregory River Water Treatment Plants.
Bundaberg Regional Council Water and Wastewater portfolio spokesperson Cr Jason Bartels said Council’s forward planning was future-proofing the region.
“The Rubyanna Wastewater Treatment Plant was always designed to cater to a higher capacity than the region’s needs at the time of construction,” Cr Bartels said.
“That’s now placed us in a very positive position with core infrastructure in place to address the rapid population growth our region has experienced since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.
“A lot of that growth has been focussed in coastal areas and now, throughout the coastal sewerage diversion implementation process, we will see the Rubyanna treatment facility really starting to come into its own.”
The coastal sewerage diversion project will extend the life of the Bargara Wastewater Treatment Plant and ensure current and projected population growth has no impact on service levels.
“While the planning and delivery will take some years, the diversion will be sized to cater for coastal wastewater treatment requirements for the next 50 years.
Cr Bartels said the coastal sewerage diversion pipeline was designed to provide Council with operational flexibility.
“As the population grows or new developments progress this connection to the sewerage network will ensure we have sufficient wastewater treatment capacity.”
Throughout the year he said Council would also continue its annual maintenance and renewal programs.
