A new state of the art Wastewater Treatment plant at Point Lookout has taken the next step with Redland City Council calling for Expressions of Interest to design and construct the facility.
Division 2 Councillor for North Stradbroke Island Cr Craig Ogilvie said while the final design of the new plant was yet to be decided, the Expression of Interest included stipulations for the new plant to provide environmental improvements and eliminate odour for near-by residents.
“The current plant is more than 30 years old and is nearing the end of its useful life, meaning it has become quite expensive to maintain and doesn’t meet the needs of a growing Point Lookout community.
“The new facility will use state of the art treatment technology, which will result in considerable environmental improvements, most notably eliminating odour emissions, which is a key consideration of the plant’s design.
“The new facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2016 and will increase sewering capacity, allowing all Point Lookout properties to be sewered in the future.
“The current plant struggles to manage demand during the peak tourism season, so the new plant will mean this will soon be a thing of the past.”
Cr Ogilvie said the new facility would be located at the site of the existing plant so little vegetation clearing was required.
“Building the new plant on the footprint of the existing facility reduces the impact on vegetation, maintaining Straddies strong environmental character,” he said.
“Using the latest technology, the new facility will also result in wastewater being treated to a much higher quality, which will again support the environment.
“The new facility will also be able to accommodate Straddie’s expected growth and will provide economic benefits during construction and commissioning.”
Cr Ogilvie said Council would work with the successful construction contractor to minimise impacts on residents.
“With any large construction project there will be some minor disruptions, but Council will work hard to keep the community informed as to the progress of the project and reduce any associated impacts on residents,” he said.
“Council has already written to residents in the immediate vicinity of the plant and will continue to provide regular updates.”