Update from The Mayor – Civic Precinct Site & The Water Treatment Plant

On the 10th of March Mayor Rowena Abbey spoke about a number of issues, including the Civic Precinct site and the Water Treatment Plant.

Mayor Abbey said she was pleased that Council had endorsed 209 Comur Street as the preferred location for the redevelopment of a new Civic Precinct. Moreover, she clarified the funding arrangements for both the Civic Precinct and the Water Treatment Plant, saying “Council is not prioritising the Civic Precinct over other equally significant projects such as a new Water Treatment Plant. The two projects must be financed from completely separate income streams.

“Under legislation, Council’s finances for water and sewer projects must be managed and funded separately to other new operational infrastructure such as the Civic Precinct. The cost of a new Water Treatment Plant can only be funded by Government grants and/or charges levied for users of Yass water. The money cannot be taken from one project and transferred to another.

“Should we be able to secure funding, I am confident that Council is capable of managing these two major projects concurrently, both with significant and long-lasting community benefits” she said.

In terms of the Water Treatment Plant, Mayor Abbey acknowledged that people have been experiencing more discoloured water as a result of overnight water upgrades.

“Council staff are working hard to flush the mains as quickly as possible and I urge anyone with discoloured water to contact Customer Service” she said.

“In regards to the water treatment plant project, the peer review of stage one works has been completed. It supports the proposed stage 1 works – to improve the quality of the water during extreme weather events- and offers a recommendation to bring forward a stage 2 scope work, however, this requires major upgrade works at the water treatment plant and fits more appropriately with the scope of work for Stage 2.

“Council is progressing the Business Case and funding applications for the stage one works. Peer Review on stage 2 for the major water treatment plant upgrade is continuing” she said.

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