Floodgates or Friendly Cooperation?

YESTERDAY at the works and technical services committee meeting of the Upper Hunter Shire Council the staff provided an update on their progress towards a new water treatment plant.

The staff claimed in the report that the $11.63 million project to improve the water quality from Glenbawn Dam with flouride dosing, ultraviolet disinfection and additional chlorine was “not subject to grant funding” and the only way to source the money required, was to build a joint plant with the Muswellbrook Shire Council and obtain regional funding.

Mayor Wayne Bedggood questioned their assertion that funding could not be obtained through any other process.

Glenbawn Dam in the Upper Hunter Shire.

“I struggle with the concept that it’s not considered worthy of state merit,” said Mayor Bedggood.

“This document reads that it is exempt from grant funding and I question that,” Wayne Bedggood said.

The staff then claimed they had attempted grant funding through the Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program and were told the project would not qualify.

They were asked how many grants they had applied for and replied only one.

However, the Council staff said the Muswellbrook Shire Council had already engaged a consultant to develop four options for a joint water treatment plant and the Upper Hunter Shire Council had committed to assist in financing the consultants.

The options the consultants were asked to assess include:

• increasing the capacity of the existing treatment plant by way of fast flow filtration within the same footprint of existing filters and clarifier using raw water from Glenbawn Dam. A trunk main could be constructed tapping into existing raw water main to Scone from Glenbawn to serve Muswellbrook Shire Council;
• constructing a new water treatment plant near Brushy Hill to produce treated water for Scone Aberdeen, Muswellbrook and Murrurundi;
• constructing a new water treatment plant near Aberdeen for Aberdeen and Muswellbrook, and
• receiving treated water from a common water treatment plant in Scone.

It is estimated Muswellbrook would need to process 23 megalitres a day and the Upper Hunter Shire would only need to process 16 megalitres a day.

The consultation staff undertook in relation to the joint proposal only included the consultants who were engaged, staff from Muswellbrook Shire Council and themselves.

Other Muswellbrook Mentions:

At the last general Council meeting staff also raised:

• the Upper Hunter Shire Council develop contracts with the Muswellbrook Shire for the collection of domestic waste;
• that Upper Hunter Shire Council making a donation to the running of winter water aqua classes at Muswellbrook pool, and
• funding for Muswellbrook physical culture to hire a hall in Merriwa.

scone.com.au also submitted a question to Council asking if there were also engaged in discussions with Muswellbrook Shire Council to amalgamate sewerage and septic services, however they did not respond.