Stink about sewerage cost cleared up

Council has cleared up confusion about why Murrumbateman residents will pay upfront for a sewerage scheme council has yet to build.

A contingent of angry residents have publicly complained about a rates increase of $600 to build a system which they can’t use for at least 12 months.

Margaret Head spoke at council on behalf of those residents on Wednesday night to say the charge was unfair, particularly on low-income earners and pensioners such as herself.

“We residents have more and more expenses heaped on us while incomes have remained virtually unchanged… It lacks sensitivity… and smacks of unscrupulous behaviour, a lack of modern principles and could be seen as villainous,” she said.

“You haven’t been mindful of vulnerable families.”

It lacks sensitivity… and smacks of unscrupulous behaviour, a lack of modern principles and could be seen as villainous – Margaret Head

However after some discussion at council chambers she now understood the process better.

“I understand now that things have to be paid for, it always comes down to user pays.”

Director of Engineering Gary Chapman explained it’s a case of “Murrumbateman residents [need to] start to meet their commitments into the future, or failing that, the Yass residents will have to continue to pick up the tab over the next year and a half.”

“If you think the residents of Murrumbateman deserve a free ride, that’s for councillors to decide.”

“If you think the residents of Murrumbateman deserve a free ride, that’s for councillors to decide.” – Director Gary Chapman

Councillor Geoff Frost said he could not think of a policy “more designed to upset people”.

“Charging people for a service that we’re not yet delivering, is not acceptable.”

“Charging people for a service that we’re not yet delivering, is not acceptable.” – Cr Geoff Frost.

However Councillor Michael McManus said Yass residents had already been footing the bill.

“The reason we can build this sewerage scheme for Murrumbateman, is that the people of Yass (via the town’s reserves) are building it [for them].”

“Everyone in Murrumbateman knows that you only need a decent drop of rain and it smells,” he said.

“Anyone who walks around the streets of Murrumbateman after any rain can smell it, and you can actually see it in the streets.

“It travels down the gutters and it actually goes into the ground water… The ecoli levels in the ground water at Murrumbateman were above the World Health Organisation limits.”

He said without a sewerage scheme, Murrumbateman growth was severely restricted.

He was sure Yass developers who had been charged $5700 per block and who were disgruntled about subsidising the Murrumbateman scheme too, would be thrilled to know Murrumbateman developer Graeme Shaw had been charged $15,000 per block for a sewerage system.

“Between developers and Yass townspeople, $800,000 is all going into the reserves.”

The system at Murrumbateman will cost $9 million, of which the federal government is providing $2 million.

“So we’ve been using Yass residents’ and developers’ reserve to build a sewerage scheme for Murrumbateman,” Cr McManus said.

“Otherwise Murrumbateman residents can do it on their own and pay $1800 every year, forever.

“Otherwise Murrumbateman residents can do it on their own and pay $1800 every year, forever” – Cr Michael McManus

“All we are asking is that the people of Murrumbateman come good and do the same thing that Yass people are already doing – remember that Yass people have been paying for this for the last eight years in some form [or another].”

He used the analogy that when one buys a house and land package, signs the contract, installs the slab, orders the bricks and begins construction, payment instalments are required throughout the process, not just when the home is finished.

The reason there had been no consultation with residents was because of a freeze on council staff communication about the process until council’s rescission motion was dealt with.

Councillor David Needham agreed it was an infrastructure project charge, not a fee-for-service. But council had also done a “lousy job” of communicating the issue.

Cr Frost said it was deplorable for council to be pitting one village against another. Council served the shire as a whole.

There are currently 109 residences attached to the septic system in Murrumbateman.

Graeme Shaw’s development at Fairley has been charged $15,000 per block for a sewerage scheme. Existing Murrumbateman residents are angry at being charged $600, a year before they can use the system. PHOTO Briony Barac