Foul Gympie CBD odour a costly problem to fix

Gympie Regional Council has been forced to put another $150k into the replacement of a key piece of inner city infrastructure, but it will be money worth spending if succeeds in eliminating some pretty foul odours in the area

The cost of replacing the sewer pump at Nelson Reserve (and eradicating the foul odour that comes with it) has blown out by $150,000.

Gympie Regional Council has been forced to put another $150,000 into the replacement of a 50-year-old sewage pump after the winning tender for the work blew the budget.

The council voted unanimously on Wednesday to hand the job of replacing the sewer pump station at Nelson Reserve to M & K Pipelines for the sum of $1.4 million.

The project was originally budgeted at $1.25 million.

The extra $150,000 will come out of the 2021-22 budget; the initial budget was funded across the 2019-21 financial years.

Councillor Bob Fredman said it was imperative the pump be replaced; it was built in 1965 and the council’s staff report says it now fails to meet modern health and safety requirements.

The pump was built in 1965 and does not comply with modern health and safety standards.

“You try and drive a car that’s over 50 years old … it’s due for a replacement,” Mr Fredman said.

“You can spend a fortune doing estimates but there’s no test like the market.”

Infrastructure director Jim Grayson said replacing the pump should put an end to foul odours at Nelson Reserve from the station.

Originally published as Foul Gympie CBD odour a costly problem to fix