Mullaway residents step up their fight for better drainage

MULLAWAY residents have filled Andrew Fraser’s electorate office to voice their concerns about inadequate drainage in the town.

PETITION: Coffs Harbour MP Andrew Fraser meets Mullaway residents at his office.

MULLAWAY residents have filled Andrew Fraser's electorate office to voice their concerns about inadequate drainage in the town.

The group took their concerns to the member for Coffs Harbour after they said their complaints about the drainage had fallen on deaf ears at Coffs Harbour City Council.

The Mullaway residents presented Mr Fraser with a petition containing 340 signatures and explained the need for adequate drainage.

The open drains fronting homes along Mullaway Dr and Orchid Rd are of key concern to the residents, with many citing them as health and safety risks.

Inadequate drainage is said to trigger the growth of algae, raising the local concerns over risks of contamination and mosquito-borne diseases.

Mr Fraser said he intended to "try and broker a solution" with the city council, which he said had "a moral responsibility" to rectify the issue.

"I think some simple drainage solutions out there, which wouldn't cost the earth, should be considered by council with a long term view to giving them what everyone else sees as a right," Mr Fraser said At the end of the meeting, Mr Fraser agreed to visit Mullaway and assess the drainage in coming weeks.

"I'm not obliged to do it but having walked those streets ... I walked around in a pair of boots and thought 'good God this is sloppy'."

Mullaway resident Veronica Ryan said Mr Fraser was receptive to their concerns and she hoped this could be the first significant step to a solution.

"He was listening, which is what we wanted, and he's actually been to Mullaway, which is a big thing," she said.