A major upgrade to the Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest sewer network will begin this month.
The multimillion-dollar project will see a new rising main built between Tea Gardens and the Hawks Nest Sewage Treatment Plant, including an underbore at the Myall River. The project will also involve upgrading several sewer pump stations in Tea Gardens, installing a smaller rising main between Port Way and Spinifex Avenue, and replacing an asbestos sewer main on the Singing Bridge with a new ductile iron pipe.
MidCoast Council's Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Services, Rob Scott, said the project would deliver multiple benefits to the area.
"In the immediate future, the project is going to relieve pressure on the network and reduce the risk of sewer overflows occurring during wet weather events, which is really important," said Mr Scott.
"Looking ahead, it's also going to increase the capacity of the network, which means the population in the area can grow without putting increased pressure on our infrastructure."
The multiyear project will begin simultaneously on Mungo Brush Road, at the entrance to the Hawks Nest Sewage Treatment Plant, and in the Myall Quays Boulevard-Shoreline Drive area of Tea Gardens. Construction of the new rising main on the Hawks Nest side of the Myall River is expected to take around five months.
Work will then progress to the underbore of the Myall River, which is anticipated to begin in early February 2027.
The project is expected to be completed by early 2028.
Residents and businesses will be advised of localised impacts as the work progresses.
The project adds to the significant investment Council has already made into improving sewer infrastructure in the area, with the Hawks Nest Sewage Treatment Plant upgrade currently on track for completion by mid-2027.
