The Sewering Coastal Villages Project is funded thanks to more than $11 million from the NSW Government’s Safe and Secure Program and over $27 million from Bellingen Shire Council against its long-term financial plan to deliver an upgraded sewage treatment plant in Urunga and provide Mylestom and Raleigh with access to the central network.

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NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) Executive Director Infrastructure Development Lisa Hingerty said, “Many locals in these coastal villages are reliant on smelly and expensive private septic tanks for their wastewater disposal which is why getting them hooked up to the upgraded wastewater treatment plant will be a game changer.”

Ledonne Construction was engaged by Council through a competitive tender process for major river, rail and road crossings.

This work has now commenced as part of Phase 2, including the underbore of the Bellinger River, in preparation for 226 connections in Mylestom and Raleigh to the Urunga Sewage Treatment Plant.

Bringing these villages onto the wastewater network will reduce the need for on-site septic tanks that pose a risk to the iconic Kalang and Bellinger Rivers that have experienced contamination incidents in the past.

Bellingen Shire Council Mayor Steve Allan said, “Contamination in the Bellinger and Kalang Rivers can potentially impact public health, wetlands and local businesses which is why we’re transforming the wastewater system here to reduce that risk and keep these waterways beautiful.”

Work on upgrading the wastewater plant began last year to double its capacity to cater for up to 10,000 people and increase the facility’s lifespan by 30 years, equipping it to handle future population growth.

Work on the plant is expected to be completed later this year while the rollout of the sewage network is on track to be finished by early 2026.