Yesterday on World Ocean Day, Member for Vaucluse, Gabrielle Upton announced the next milestone in the project to close the last three remaining ocean outfalls at Vaucluse and Diamond Bay. The wastewater will be redirected to the Bondi Wastewater Treatment Plant to better protect our beaches and improve our water quality.
Ms Upton said, “The project delivers on a $85 million commitment made by the Premier Gladys Berejiklian in November 2018 to bring the wastewater system up to the same standard as the rest of Sydney. The ocean outfalls are a legacy from Sydney’s early wastewater network and it is now time to switch them off.
“My local community has made a major contribution to this Project through the community reference group and the public consultation process. I now encourage the community to share their feedback on the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) which is on public display from Monday 8 June.
Sydney Water’s Liveable City Solutions General Manager, Paul Plowman said “While there’s no simple or easy way to retrofit a network nearly 100 years old in some places, we have found a design that maximises the use of Sydney Water’s existing network to divert the wastewater away from the ocean and send it to be treated at Bondi’s treatment plant.”
“At our new pumping station sites, we will build a new toilet and shower block facility in Parsley Bay as well as contribute to the improvement of the iconic clifftop boardwalk at Diamond Bay.”
The REF summarises the environmental impacts of the proposed project, which includes the construction of two new underground pumping stations and latest-technology small-diameter wastewater pipelines. The construction technology available today means that almost all the new infrastructure will be located below ground and trenchless technology can be used to minimise disruption for residents.
The REF is on public display until 28 June 2020. Sydney Water will respond to the formal submissions before commencing detailed construction design later this year. Construction is expected to start mid-2021.
For more information, please visit www.sydneywatertalk.com.au/vauclusediamondbay
Open the media release below:
