‘Poonami Army’ calls for TCC action against Wulguru’s sewerage

Fed up with floods of sewerage, Wulguru’s ‘Poonami Army’ has formed up to pressure Townsville City Council to fix the problem.

Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters and Councillor Fran O’Callaghan met with Leanne Dobbin and the Poonami Army to find a solution to Wulguru's sewerage problem.

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Wulguru’s sewerage back-flow issue has lingered like a bad smell for 30 years according to impatient residents, who have formed a ‘Poo-nami Army’ to demand Townsville City Council fix the problem.

Their cause has the support of prominent Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters, who along with Councillor Fran O’Callaghan, met with the residents at Burnett Cres on Thursday afternoon.

“This neighbourhood has been suffering through a decade-long problem which sees their homes, yards, and streets inundated with sewage during heavy rainfall – what the locals have dubbed a “poonami”,” Senator Waters said.

Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters and Councillor Fran O’Callaghan met with Leanne Dobbin and the Poonami Army to find a solution to Wulguru's sewerage problem.

“With families at risk of illnesses from exposure to E. coli, giardia and salmonella, it’s an appalling health and safety disaster and a shocking ongoing failure by the local government.”

As a matter of principle, Cr O’Callaghan said she intended to vote against council awarding future community grants until something was done to fix the situation.

A TCC spokeswoman said they were continuing work on the design of a new pump station and had released tenders for the construction of a pressure main with works estimated to cost around $13 million.

“Council is also continuing investigations into illegal connections that may be putting the sewerage system under pressure and identifying which part of the network will require additional upgrades, above the $13 million,” the spokeswoman said.

“Staff have been working closely with residents to aid in the clean-up and to install relief valves to minimise the issue until the construction of these assets has been completed.”

Originally published as ‘Poonami Army’ calls for TCC action against Wulguru’s sewerage