Bay island push for sewerage after mossie and smell claims

A decades-old push for sewerage for one of the state’s poorest communities has reignited claims about mosquito-borne diseases.

Russell Island resident Linda Brown, above, has started a petition to get Redland City Council and other levels of government to build a sewerage network for the southern Moreton Bay islands, where many roads are unsealed dust bowls.

A local council has come under fire for failing to heed calls over two decades to sewer four bay islands.

Redland City Council has been taken to task over its failure to provide sewerage for the Moreton Bay islands of Karragarra, Lamb, Macleay and Russell, despite independent reports recommending the infrastructure dating back to 1996.

The lack of sewerage issue was reignited last month when Russell Island resident Linda Brown lodged a petition with state parliament, calling for the islands to be sewered in stages and optional for existing residents.

Her petition, which attracted 300 signatures within days, also reawakened calls for a bridge to Russell Island, which Ms Brown said was not part of her plan.

Russell Island resident Linda Brown has paid to install her own septic system.

The petition claims run-off from some island septic tanks was becoming a breeding ground for mosquito-borne diseases and the council had ignored nutrient and sediment pollution, as determined by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council.

The claims were denied by the council, which said it kept a close watch on mosquito numbers.

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Ms Brown, who is building a house on the island, said the smell from septic tanks in public places and near the Russell Island RSL had also started to get up residents’ noses.

She said under council regulations, she was forced to pay about $9000 to install an Advanced Enviro-Septic wastewater treatment system for her new home, when she said there were better, more efficient alternatives, including reticulated town sewerage.

The population is growing on Russell Island with many blocks of land being developed.

A Preliminary Sewerage Planning Report for the Bay Islands in 1996 found septic tanks and absorption trenches were unsustainable on the islands’ small lots in the long term.

The report also said the chances of septic effluent surfacing would increase along with public health risks as more housing blocks were developed.

An AES septic tank system which has council approval.

“But the council still has not provided the necessary reticulated sewerage as requested by the (state government) Environmental Protection Agency as far back as 1999,” Ms Brown said.

“It has failed to listen to what residents need and want and instead is using our rates’ money to build infrastructure in mainland suburbs and not on the islands.

“The council is happily allowing more island blocks to be developed but is unwilling to do its civic duty and build the necessary sewers needed to cope with the population increase.”

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Redland City Council, which wrapped up an investigation into the problem last month, said it was unaware of any EPA request to provide reticulated sewerage systems for the islands.

It also said it would need state and federal money to build any large-scale project such as a sewerage network on the islands and that it was unaware of any current test results indicating onsite septic systems were causing excessive nutrient and sediment pollution.

“Maintenance of (septic systems) is the responsibility of individual property owners,” the council said.

“If these systems are properly maintained, they should not cause environmental issues or exceed standards.

“Council will continue to fund future sewer networks across Redlands Coast as part of the capital works program and may seek state or federal funding as required, in addition to developer contributions.”

Many island residents, who have already paid for their septic systems, want rates spent on sealing island roads and believe the federal and state governments, not ratepayers, should pay for sewers.

The federal government ruled out funding for a sewerage system in 2007, when it withdrew the islands’ “rural” and “remote” status, claiming they were akin to mainland urban suburbs.

Growth on the islands took off last year, with reports of island blocks selling for between $15,000 and $25,000.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed the population was expected to increase from 4234 in 2006 to 7163 over the next five years.

Macleay Island resident Sharon Ward said the unprecedented population growth on the islands warranted council spending on roads and infrastructure before sewers.

“Everyone has already paid top dollar to put in septic systems so nobody wants to then be slugged in their rates for sewerage which they will never use,” she said.

“We need sealed roads and a range of social infrastructure before a sewerage treatment plant and most people want a secure multistorey carpark at Redland Bay.”