The DRRA is hugely concerned about failing infrastructure in the district and this is exactly why investment by the council needs to be prioritised towards infrastructure and not golf courses - as per their economic development plan.

Our infrastructure is in a dire state and we actually need government intervention to solve it. As the burden to ratepayers is just too high. We have a small ratepayer base to service the region and as a result our infrastructure upgrades and repairs are being neglected.

We are also severely concerned about the township's Waste Water Treatment Plant where we understand aerators to be broken. A spokesperson for the council has advised us that the towns waste i.e. poo's and wee's are treated with "wave" action from the wind before it is discharged into our river. We don't think this is good enough and we question if warning signs need to be erected along our river to warn residents of the high levels of faecal colliforms in the water.

As you can see from the photo of our WWTP there are no waves occurring. What does it mean on warm sunny days when there's no wind around - it just isn't getting aerated and therefore not treated, we just question if this is good enough for our river and what impact is this having on the environment? Especially when you consider the council has consent to discharge 6,200 cubic metres of waste daily.

"We know that experts state good quality aeration systems are needed in order to effectively treat waste. Oxygen is needed by the bacteria to allow biodegradation to occur. So if the council is clearly stating that there is little to minimal mechanical aeration in the KDC system - then how much treatment is actually going on before our wastewater is entering our river?"

If minimal treatment of waste is occurring, is it any wonder then, that we have zombie fish swimming in our river?

DRRA Chair,
Rose Dixon.

© Scoop Media