KEMPSEY Shire Kempsey alerted the community on Monday that the delivery of the much-anticipated Stuarts Point Sewerage Scheme would likely be delayed by up to eighteen months, with connection to properties not expected before 2025.

When completed, the Sewerage Scheme will provide reticulated sewer to the villages of Stuarts Point, Grassy Head and Fishermans Reach.

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Council has received legal advice that the approvals required for the project are far more complex than first anticipated due to planning provisions within State Environmental Planning Policies.

Price escalations have seen the project costs now reach approximately $48 million which means it is classed as a state significant development for development consent purposes and therefore the Department of Planning and Environment become the consent authority.

Concerned citizens and regional media met with Kempsey Shire Mayor Leo Hauville in Stuarts Point on Tuesday to discuss the news.

In a media statement on Tuesday Mayor Hauville said, “In late October your Councillors and I were briefed on an appalling development that saw NSW government legislation derail Council’s work to deliver a pressure sewerage scheme for Stuarts Point, Grassy Head and Fishermans Reach.

“Due to state government legislation that was poorly written in 2011, we were informed that there will be a delay in delivering the project by eighteen months.

“The legislation in question locked in a fixed amount of $30 million as the trigger to require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), with no allowance for inflation during the ensuing years.”

SPaDCO Chairperson Mary-Lou Lewis said, “We are all concerned with imminent and ongoing EPA issues, not only contamination of dwellings but also the environment and waterways.

“Why were we not informed in October?”

Local resident Genevieve Lovell commented, “The Mayor has revealed the Council have known about the sewerage blow out since October, so what should we make of the councillors who profess to be interested in working for the whole Kempsey community when not one of them declares the sewerage fiasco?”

The announcement came days before a community consultation meeting discussing large scale residential development in Stuarts Point.

“The email making the announcement went out to a selected few residents last night, and is it a coincidence that the Allum homes drop in information session is tomorrow night?

“How as a community can we move forward with all the issues we have when the council deliberately deceives the community?”

Karyn Martin spoke to media on behalf of the Stuarts Point and District Community Organisation (SPaDCO) saying, “Now that this is in the hands of State Government, they need to stand up and get this done.

“The bottom line is that in 2022 no community ratepayers, and the rates are high, should be living with faecal matter in their yards and waterways.”

Mayor Hauville urges residents to contact Member for Oxley Melinda Pavey as well as the relevant ministers to petition them to overturn the requirement for an EIS.

Contact details for NSW Government Ministers can be found at www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/ministers.aspx.

By Jen HETHERINGTON