Upgrade set to boost regional investment and growth
An $85 million upgrade of the Warrnambool Sewage Treatment Plant will help boost regional growth and investment when it’s completed this year.
The project is Wannon Water’s largest-ever infrastructure investment and aims to ensure the plant has sufficient capacity for a projected increase in sewage volumes while continuing to protect public health and the environment.
It involves the construction of two new treatment tanks which will increase storage capacity by around 50 per cent, a new inlet pump station, chemical dosing and odour control facilities and an ultra-violet disinfection system.
Minister for Water Gayle Tierney said the project was supporting future growth of the local community.
Member for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora joined Wannon Water Board Directors for a first-hand look at the site today.
Board Chair Helen Scarborough said after two years of work, it was exciting to see the huge project nearly complete.
“Once construction is finished in mid-2025, we’ll be commissioning the new equipment and installing another UV system to serve the treatment plant’s four existing tanks. This will provide an additional layer of protection for the environment and human health,” Dr Scarborough said.
“We also want to ensure the surrounding area is returned to a state that protects its environmental values. We’ve used around 85,000 cubic metres of material excavated from the site to shape a large sand dune around the east and north sides, helping to minimise visual impacts once it’s revegetated. A draft landscape concept plan is being developed in collaboration with Eastern Maar, community groups and other stakeholders.”
In conjunction with the upgrade project, Wannon Water is preparing an Effluent Management Strategy for the plant. The strategy aims to consider the community’s long-term expectations and identify alternatives for the future disposal of effluent from the plant. It’s being influenced by a panel of interested people and stakeholders who are meeting over the next two months to provide input.
Ms Ermacora said the upgrade project would help secure the region’s future as a popular and attractive region for investment.
She said development in the area was expected to continue thanks to population growth and the expansion of the food industry. The sewage treatment plant currently services nearly 15,000 houses, a figure expected to increase by more than 80 per cent to 25,000 properties in the next 50 years.
“This upgrade project is essential, allowing for an additional $199 million of annual economic value and 1,512 more jobs for the region by 2040. It’s great news for Warrnambool, Allansford and Koroit and for South West Victoria as a whole,” Ms Ermacora said.
