Port Huon community vow to take TasWater to ombudsman over sewage effluent pipeline

Residents are disappointed in a proposal that could see a sewage effluent outfall pipeline in the Huon River move close to a recreation area. However, TasWater says the move is for the best.

Huon Valley, Huon River Huon Highway. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

A Huon Valley community group has vowed to take TasWater to the state’s ombudsman after a controversial sewage outfall was on Thursday approved for relocation just under 500m away from a recreational area in Port Huon.

Concerns were raised by residents of Port Huon in August 2022 when TasWater proposed to relocate a Geeveston sewage treatment plant outfall pipeline from the nearby Kermandie River to the deeper waters of the Huon River.

The location, off of Shipwrights Point, is 280m south of the Huon Yacht Club, and just 470m to a jetty used by locals year-round for swimming, fishing and kayaking, and upriver from Huon Aquaculture salmon pens, sitting at a depth of 13m below water level.

The pipeline was first proposed directly parallel to the yacht club, but was moved further south during community consultations.

Location of TasWater's new sewage effluent outfall at Shipwrights Point in Port Huon, 470m away from a nearby recreation area and jetty. Picture: supplied.

Community group Port Huon Progress Association (PHPA) have been vocal on the issues related to the proposed sewage outfall relocation, as well as voicing community views on the project directly to TasWater.

A PHPA spokesman said the outfall relocation does not solve any of the problems associated with the Geeveston sewage plant, and the group have expressed their frustration in TasWater’s decision after years of discussion.

“TasWater should have measured river flows and investigated how to better treat sewage and dispose of the effluent onsite before deciding to build a pipeline to shift the problem,” the spokesman said.

“It is also basic business practice to do a cost-benefit analysis, something we have consistently asked for but has not been done.

“Instead, we, and future generations, can worry about using the water for recreational activities, and we can expect to have 12 months of traffic disruptions for all locals, commuters and tourists while the highway is being dug up.”

The spokesman went on to call community consultations a “box-ticking exercise” for TasWater that neglected to recognise Shipwrights Point as a recreation area.

The group will now push for an investigation by the Tasmanian ombudsman into TasWater’s development process for the sewage outfall.

“If that is unsuccessful, we will use other opportunities to push for a desperately needed upgrade of the treatment plant and better management of our collective waste water and public money,” the spokesman said.

TasWater head of Communications and Engagement Callan Paske said the relocation of the pipeline to Shipwrights Point is the “best option for the environment” and ensures the recreation area won’t be “impacted”.

“This decision doesn’t stop us doing future works to the Geeveston Sewage Treatment Plant to further optimise the quality of effluent,” he said.

“We have a target of zero nutrients into waterways from our operations by 2050, which will see additional work undertaken to explore recycled water use in the area to achieve that goal.”

TasWater head of Water and Environment Services Fran Smith said the decision to progress with Shipwrights Point was based on investigations of alternative locations