Cassowary Coast Regional Council

The Cardwell Sewerage project will proceed in accordance with existing approvals and funding commitments, despite a recent call from Mulgrave MP Curtis Pitt, to divert the funding to the Innisfail Water Treatment Plant.

Cassowary Coast Mayor, Bill Shannon, said the $21 million Cardwell project was moving ahead, following the recent final approval of a $15.2 million subsidy under the State Government’s Smaller Communities Assistance Program (SCAP) which funds sewerage and water projects in smaller communities.

“I believe the provision of the SCAP subsidy – which is only available to communities with less than 5000 residents – is also in line with a State Government objective to sewer coastal communities in Queensland within a specific timeframe,” Cr. Shannon said.

Council CEO, Terry Brennan, said the council had already received an initial five percent of the subsidy payment and funding for the project was included in the council’s 2009/10 Budget.

“Council staff and engineering consultants are currently working through the more detailed design aspects of the sewerage project, as well as looking at how to meet EPA requirements for the plant,” he said.”

The Innisfail Water Treatment Plant and the Innisfail Sewerage Treatment Plant, which are next on the council’s priority infrastructure list, are not eligible for SCAP funding. (Innisfail’s population is over 5000.)

The estimated cost of the water treatment plant is $15.9 million, while the sewerage treatment plant in Innisfail will cost approximately $33.4 million.

“The Innisfail Water Treatment Plant and Sewerage Treatment Plant projects would normally attract a 40 percent subsidy under the State Government’s Water and Sewerage Program,” Mr Brennan said.

“However, no new funding for this program was provided in the last State Budget. A new program will not commence until 2011 and details of the program have not yet been finalised.”

Cr. Shannon said the council would continue to seek funding for the Innisfail water and sewerage plants, but the current lack of funding options for these projects should not be allowed to delay the Cardwell Sewerage project.

“The Cardwell Sewerage project already has funding approval and it will proceed,” he said. “The people of Cardwell have been waiting long enough.”