City in the poo | Northern Rivers News | Local News in Northern Rivers

Saffron Howden | 16th July 2009

NOT AMUSED: Lismore Councillor Graham Meineke enjoys a joke as much as anyone, but fails to see the funny side of a shock announcement by council staff that sewage capacity at Goonellabah, Lismore’s fastest-growing area, is close to overload.

JACKLYN WAGNER

LISMORE'S growth is being threatened by a glut of poo - literally.

Lismore City Council has just become aware that the city's highest residential growth area, Goonellabah, could be at sewage capacity, which would halt any new development until the problem is solved.

“There is a reason for concern there,” council's infrastructure services executive director Garry Hemsworth said.

“It does seem to be close to capacity in some pump stations.”

Mr Hemsworth said the surprise finding would force the council to revisit its land release strategy.

“We're reviewing our land release strategy to double check that we're heading in the right direction there,” he said.

The lack of capacity to take more sewage in the pipelines running to the East Lismore sewage treatment plant means that any potential development sites without current development approval would be affected.

Lismore Councillor Graham Meineke, who raised the issue at a council meeting on Tuesday night, said it was the biggest threat to Lismore's growth in recent times.

“The majority of development in Lismore in the recent past occurred in Goonellabah,” he said.

“This is probably the greatest threat to Lismore's development that we've had in recent times.

“The threat may not be short-lived, either, depending on how quickly we can rectify the situation.”

Cr Meineke said if developers were turned away from the city as a result of the sewage overload, it would be difficult to lure them back.

“If people are turned away and go and develop elsewhere it's very difficult to get them back,” he said.

“What we've got to do is prevent them from going in the first place.”

Mr Hemsworth said a preliminary analysis of Goonellabah's sewerage system found that five sewage pump stations were operating in excess of their capacity, which is based on peak wet weather flows.

Another one was at capacity, while six were under.

The council is now embarking on a detailed study of the system to confirm the preliminary results and will present the findings to councillors in September.

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