Town split on sewer

WOOLI business owners have offered general support for a Clarence Valley Council plan to build a sewer for the town, but the support is not universal.

WOOLI business owners have offered general support for a Clarence Valley Council plan to build a sewer for the town, but the support is not universal.

Wooli Caravan Park manager Chris Priem and Wooli Hotel Motel owner Ian Rees welcomed the prospect of a sewerage scheme, saying it would be likely to improve water quality and the town's appeal.

But Wooli Quality Assurance Program co-ordinator and Wooli oyster grower Ron Guinea said he had concerns about treatment ponds.

Mr Guinea said he wanted a guarantee there would never be leakage from effluent treatment ponds.

"We need the purest water we can to sell the product," he said.

"Unless it's nowhere near a catchment we don't want it in our industry, and if it affects us then we need assurances that it's a good thing and we'd be compensated."

If the proposed upgrade to reticulated sewerage system were to leak it could damage the Wooli catchment's oyster farms.

The issue of contamination carries significant weight in the Clarence Valley, with Iluka experiencing issues with groundwater contamination from septic waste in recent years.

Mr Rees said that Wooli had a unique marine park environment that would benefit from a sewerage system.

"It's wonderful, it's a good thing if they look at that," he explained.

Mr Priem welcomed the potential implementation from a number of perspectives and is confident that an upgrade would be environmentally sustainable.

"While the septic system here at the caravan park works fine, as far as we operate, sewerage would be better because it's treated," he said. Whether Wooli will be investigated is dependent on a Clarence Valley Council vote at Tuesday night's meeting.

A report by Clarence Valley Council deputy general manager Rob Donges said the council would start an investigation as financial assistance became available under the Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Scheme.

"The final cost of council's sewerage augmentation will not be known until the Yamba sewerage augmentation tenders are awarded," his report to a council committee meeting said.

Originally published as Town split on sewer