Septic Stink

MR Eddie Bridge received a letter from Council dated February 2 stating that his septic transport services were terminated effective immediately and that “the disposal of septic waste will no longer be available in the Upper Hunter Shire Local Government area, now or in the future.”

The decision rendered Mr Bridge without a business overnight and owners of septic tanks, which Mr Bridge estimates to be more than 2,000 across the Shire, left to hire private companies from the Newcastle area to dispose of their waste.

The reason for the closure was never disclosed to Mr Bridge.

“Like the letter states they don’t have to give me a reason, but I know that the people were down there and drilled holes and tested soil and I imagine that they are actually the ones that shut it down,” said Mr Bridge.

“They were there just after Christmas,” he said.

“It was a few weeks after they were there and drilled that this happened I suppose they got the testing back.

“Initially they said to me we’d have to cart it to Gunnedah or Kurri and I said ‘well maybe you should check that out because in my agreement I could only dump septic waste that came from within the shire and maybe Gunnedah and Kurri have a similar agreement and they mightn’t want the septic waste from here’.

“They rang me back and said Gunnedah, Tamworth, Quirindi and Mudgee won’t accept our waste and I said ‘I thought that might be the case!’

“I asked what was wrong and why couldn’t it be fixed or have a new plant and I was told it was not possible to even think about it,” he said.

“I had a fella that was interested in buying my business, but I haven’t got a business to sell him anymore,” said Eddie Bridge.

Mr Bridge said he spoke with Deputy Mayor, Cr Maurice Collison and Mayor Cr Wayne Bedggood, who both said they were unaware of the situation and would get back to him.

Cr Collison sits on the works and technical committee which oversees water, waste and sewer.

The committee last met on February 9, after Cr Collison was made aware of the situation by Mr Bridge, yet the matter was not documented as an agenda item or in other points of business.

Other Councillors who sit on that committee include Cr Campbell, Cr Peebles and Cr Driscoll.

At the General Council meeting held on Monday, both Cr Collison and Mayor Bedggood had the opportunity to raise their concerns or ask a question in relation to the matter, but neither did.

In fact, there is no reference to the closure of the septic waste facility or the circumstances surrounding the closure in the Council meeting agendas or minutes from the Works and Technical Committee.

scone.com.au can also confirm no media releases have been issued from Council on the matter.

Jack Smolders, who lives on Bunnan Road and has a septic tank is angry the Council have not informed residents.

“Residents have not received any information about it,” said Mr Smolders.

“This decision was made without any consultation; they just got rid of another asset without consultation,” he said.

“They didn’t tell people about the sale of the old Council building either and unless the community speak out about this kind of thing it will keep happening,” he said.

“Maybe they think they don’t have to talk to us about these things, but I might remind them of it at the next Council elections,” Jack Smolders said.

scone.com.au has sent a series of questions to Council and the Environmental Protection Authority.

Operational decisions and the public interest

Council at its discretion does not have to raise every operational matter with the Councillors, place it on the public record or inform, much less consult with the community.

However, significant decisions which are in the public interest need to be.

At the Works and Technical Services committee meeting in February the type of operation activities raised at the meeting with Councillors was detailed on pages 2 to 9 of the general Council meeting notes.

While the closure of septic services was not included as a matter relevant enough to discuss, the following detailed operational activities were considered important enough to document and bring to the attention of the Councillors:

• replacement of 100mm diametre PVC main with 150mm in Hill St Scone;
• replacement of old water meters in Aberdeen, Scone, Merriwa and Murrurundi;
• Main Street kerb and guttering;
• Moonan Cutting progress;
• Gundy Road works progress;
• road resealing program and
• Kingdon street drainage.

Matters considered important enough to be raised as a question in the general Council meeting by Councillors on Monday night included:

• a tree which needs trimming on Bow Street, Merriwa – Cr Campbell;
• road repairs on Neverfail Road, Merriwa – Cr Peebles, and
• mining activities in the Muswellbrook shire – Cr Fisher and Cr Bishop.

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor, who had been informed of the septic closure did not raise a question in the meeting.

The full list of matters considered in the public interest and worthy of the Councillors consideration can be read in the meeting notes.