MOTION TO ALGA NATIONAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2023 · Report

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING                                            11 APRIL 2023


   A. Approve the following motion that has been submitted to the Australian Local Government
      Association:
      "This National General Assembly calls on the Australian Government to formulate a National
      Policy on Ocean Sewerage Outfalls that aims at NO new ocean and estuarine sewerage
      outfalls to be built/developed along the Australian coastline, and that dedicated funding is
      provided to support local regional governments and wastewater providers with existing ocean
      and estuarine outfalls, to develop new methods/technologies and make every effort to recycle
      100% of all treated wastewater generated within their localities, and avoid the need to
      discharge in the ocean."
   B. Approve Cr Amelia Lorentson to present this motion at the National General Assembly noting
      Councillor Lorentson has formed this motion.


REPORT
In forming the motion, Cr Lorentson has worked with Council Officers and members of the
community. Further detail relating to this motion as formed by Cr Lorentson is below:

National Objective:

Why should this be debated at the NGA?

Our beaches and coastline are some of our most important public places. It is unacceptable that in
2023, treated and untreated sewage is still being discharged into our oceans. Our environment and
community demand a better way of managing waste. Wastewater creates a management problem
for local regional governments and wastewater providers that has environmental, socio-economic,
and public health consequences.

Advocating for a National Policy and Strategy that aims at no new ocean and estuarine sewerage
outfalls to be built/developed along the Australian coastline and dedicated funding to develop new
methods and technologies and make every effort to recycle 100% of all treated wastewater
generated to avoid the need to discharge in the ocean, will also improve the long-term sustainability
of Council’s and wastewater providers infrastructure to communities across Australia.

Data gathered in 2016 from 165 of the 175 ocean and estuarine outfalls provide the first national
snapshot of wastewater discharges to Australia’s coastal environment.

The total volume of wastewater discharged to Australia’s oceans in 2016 was 1350 gigalitres:
equivalent to 2.7 Sydney harbours. The potential value of this water would have been more than
more than $1 billion, had as little as 20% been recycled (based on $1.95/kL recycled water charge
by Victoria’s Southeast Water). *Clean Ocean Foundation, Outfall Database

Background Information:

This is what is happening in our backyard in Noosa. We have a sewage Treatment Plant at Burgess
Creek that discharges treated effluent directly into the Coral Sea at Sunshine Beach. The significant
volume of discharge and constant outflow of treated effluent (including stormwater) going into
Burgess Creek and our oceans is, in my opinion, causing erosion to our dunes and coastal
ecosystems that are threatening road infrastructure and private homes.

I question and will continue to question why an activity of dumping treated wastewater and
contaminated stormwater into our oceans is tolerated, and in fact legal.
Are we tolerating practices that compromise the environment, are reasonably foreseeable and
preventable?
Is it environmental best practice?
Is the ‘permitted use’ and environmental practices that were ok 20 plus years ago to dump treated