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Council & Business

4 July, 2022

Talbot residents push for action on sewerage system

While funding was announced almost 12 months ago, works are yet to start on a centralised sewerage system for Talbot, with residents “desperate” for the works and the Central Goldfields Shire Council continuing its push for the priority project...

By Riley Upton

Talbot residents push for action on sewerage system - feature photo

While funding was announced almost 12 months ago, works are yet to start on a centralised sewerage system for Talbot, with residents “desperate” for the works and the Central Goldfields Shire Council continuing its push for the priority project.

The Victorian Government announced $630,000 for the commencement of a structure plan and business case for the project in September last year, alongside a council contribution of $60,000.

The planning work, referred to as the Talbot Futures Project, will identify options for a centralised sewerage system and provide up-to-date cost estimates for a preferred option.

The structure planning elements will ascertain how to best manage future growth that would be enabled by the provision of a sewerage system, while retaining the town’s heritage character.

Residents have been pushing for Talbot to be sewered for decades and while last year’s funding announcement was hailed as a step in the right direction, are still waiting for the project to begin.

Talbot resident Reiny Gunther has been a champion of getting Talbot sewered for more than 25 years and said it almost happened before the Central Goldfields Shire was formed.

“I’ve been involved with this project right from the start, back when it was still the Shire of Talbot and Clunes,” he said.

“It was discussed back then and it was agreed that Clunes would get sewerage and Talbot would get it the following year.

“Clunes was done but Talbot wasn’t because the government decided to amalgamate and create the Central Goldfields Shire.”

A stalwart of the Talbot Football Netball Club and past president, Mr Gunther said the lack of sewerage in town creates headaches and unnecessary costs for sporting clubs.

“I have been involved in most of the constructions down at the footy ground over the last 45 years and there are now seven septic tanks and drains there, it’s a joke,” he said.

“Every time you try and do something at the grounds, whether it’s an extension or anything, you have to pay to install a new septic tank because we don’t have sewerage.”

Mr Gunther described the journey towards securing sewerage as an “ongoing struggle”, but one that will ultimately reap significant rewards for Talbot and the broader community.

“Talbot will not grow as long as there is no sewerage, it will stagnate and we’re already losing businesses, the milk bar is gone and the number of students at the school is decreasing,” he said.

“It’s been an ongoing struggle, when all the bodies agreed to make this happen we had trouble funding it until the funding announcement last year and not a great deal has happened since.

“It doesn’t matter how you look at this, everything will grow if we have sewerage and everything will benefit from the school to the local sporting clubs.

“Imagine if there were an extra 100 houses in Talbot and the benefits that would bring — the town desperately needs sewerage.”

The Central Goldfields Shire Council is currently advertising a tender for the structure planning and community engagement components of the project, which is expected to see heavy community involvement.

Central Goldfields Shire mayor and Talbot resident Chris Meddows-Taylor acknowledged council has had difficulty in appointing consultants for the project.

“Whilst we have had some challenges in finding consultants to deliver the broad scope of the project, it is great that the tender for the community engagement stage of the project is currently being advertised — this is a key step forward in this work,” he said.

“As one of our priority projects, this project will help us plan a sustainable future for Talbot with confidence and to enable the opportunity the community has wanted for so long — to grow and develop.

“It is exciting news for Maryborough and for the whole shire as well.”

Cr Meddows-Taylor said while the project will directly benefit Talbot, it will also curb issues of housing shortages and is something council will continue pushing for.

“Planning for sewerage and growth in Talbot is a critical element in resolving the housing shortage together with better digital connectivity and more frequent passenger rail services,” he said.

“This planned development enables our shire to leverage from the massive benefits of a rapidly growing Ballarat including housing, jobs, services and countless other opportunities.

“We are grateful to the Victorian Government for their investment in the project thus far, and we will continue to advocate for additional funding as a pre-election commitment from both sides of politics that will enable us to deliver a centralised sewerage scheme in the next term of government with confidence.

“It is a key element in the Ballarat-Maryborough population growth corridor.”

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