RAVENSWOOD residents will have to wait at least another year to be connected to an infill sewerage system, enduring another 12 months of potentially deadly diseases that could affect their health and local river systems.
The Mandurah Coastal Times has discovered that after a State Government decision in November to begin works on infill sewerage in Spearwood, works to install a similar system for 50 houses in Murray Bend, Ravenswood have been put on the backburner.
Last week, a spokesman for Water Minister Graham Jacobs said an infill sewerage system for Murray Bend would be taken into account in next year’s budget.
“The situation in Spearwood was an exceptional one,” the spokesman said.
“All future projects (including Murray Bend) will be taken into account for the 2010/2011 budget, which is already under way.”
This comes as a major blow to affected residents and Shire of Murray who continue to fight for an infill sewerage system.
Earlier this year, the Mandurah Coastal Times revealed residents were being forced to pay up to $1000 to have their overflowing septic tanks pumped, with some residents reportedly pumping their tanks into their backyards or onto vacant land.
They said this posed a serious health issue for their families and a major environmental hazard because bacteria from the tanks was flowing into the nearby Peel-Harvey rivers.
Shire of Murray executives recently presented the case to the Legislative Council Standing Committee on Environment and Public Affairs.
Chief executive Dean Unsworth said significant health and environmental risks to the residents of Murray Bend and local waterways remained.
Mr Unsworth said that while disappointed the project would not be put back on the list for funding immediately, he was encouraged that the infill program was back on the agenda.
“We are hopeful that the information given to the committee will be strongly considered,” he said.
Affected resident Geoff Freemantle said he was disappointed.
“We feel very left out,” he said.