Construction on the third stage of the Southern Suburbs Rising Main is set to kick-off within weeks after Townsville City Council today engaged Newlands Civic Construction to undertake the project.
The $10.4 million tender awarded to Newlands is to construct the Wulguru gravity sewer and rising main, with a separate tender to be awarded for the construction of the pump station in Wulguru.
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the project would relieve current pressure on the wastewater network in Wulguru and surrounding suburbs and allow for future growth in the area.
"Improving the capacity of our wastewater system in our southern suburbs has been an ongoing process and now that this tender has been awarded, the final stage can begin," Cr Hill said.
"The project has had $13 million committed in the 2021/2022 Budget and will include the construction of a new wastewater pump station in Wulguru, a new gravity main and a new pressure main.
"This will significantly reduce the pressure experienced by the wastewater system during the wet season and cater for the population growth of the southern parts of the city."
Townsville Water and Waste Committee chairperson Russ Cook said Newlands would start construction as soon as possible.
"One of Council's key priorities for this tender was ensuring that the construction could start as soon as possible to ensure that a key section could begin ahead of the upcoming wet season," Cr Cook said.
"We're expecting construction to begin as soon as possible, with work to be completed by the end of next year and more than 30 direct and indirect jobs to be created and supported during this time.
"Now that this tender has been awarded, we can move ahead with the construction and begin the section of work from Edison Street across to the Turf Club.
"By the time this project is completed next year, Council will have invested around $54 million in enhancing out wastewater network in the southern parts of the city."
