JOURNALIST: Nick Perry
THE Community Wastewater Management Scheme project to connect the majority of Moonta, Moonta Bay and Port Hughes is back on the agenda.
District Council of the Copper Coast CEO Peter Harder has revealed the CWMS will be discussed at council’s next meeting on February 1.
“The CWMS for all of Moonta, Moonta Bay and Port Hughes has been on the cards for many years now ... and is well overdue,” Mr Harder said.
“There have been a lot of subdivisions in Moonta Bay and Port Hughes in particular and the council’s commitment was to connect them at some stage to a treatment plant.
“We are now being called on to meet that commitment.”
The Department of Health has said if DCCC does not commit it may take control and charge council accordingly, which Mr Harder said must be avoided.
Current estimates indicate the project will cost about $25million.
The exact cost to council, the charge to ratepayers and other details are yet to be debated, but Mr Harder said the CWMS will initially connect about 3650 properties.
“Each person’s costs within their property boundary will be different; however, we would hope to have a standard connection fee across the area,” he said.
For the full report, see the print issue of this week's YP Country Times.