Residents on the northern side of Shady Avenue in Salt Ash are relieved to learn that that they will be connected to town water, after initially being told that they lived outside the Williamtown ‘Red Zone’.

As part of Defence’s roll out of town water to properties in the Red Zone, residents on the Southern side of Shady Ave were due to have their homes connected to town water but residents on the northern side were not.

In late November Kate Washington wrote to the NSW Water Minister and advocated for all residents of Shady Ave to be connected to town water as part of this program.

This week the Minister has responded, stating that that “Defence has written to Hunter Water advising that they will fund the provision of water reticulation to all developed properties on both sides of Shady Ave.”

Hunter Water expects this work to be completed in early 2017.

“This news will be a welcome relief to those residents on the border of the Red Zone that they have not been forgotten,” said Kate Washington MP.

“Connecting residents to town water is an important first step, but there are still unanswered questions about the impact of dust and the effect that construction on the base is having on the health of surrounding residents,” Ms Washington said.