Cedar Grove residents are up in arms about a wastewater treatment plant which has been zoned for Cedar Grove Road.
More than 10 residents met with Councillor Trevina Schwarz in Cedar Grove on May 31 to discuss their concerns and how they could work together to move the plant elsewhere.
The concern comes after a letter was distributed to residents in Fig and Couldery Courts and Cedar Grove Road, as well as adjoining streets, earlier this month.
It was distributed by the Logan Water Infrastructure Alliance on behalf of the Logan City Council.
Despite the plant being funded and zoned by the state government’s Economic Development Queensland body, council deliver the infrastructure.
The plant will be used to treat effluent from the Greater Flagstone Priority Development Area and is set to have a submarine crossing pipe under the Logan River.
A timeline for work is yet to be released.
Cr Schwarz said the state government instructs councils to construct this type of infrastructure.
She said the letter had come off the back of state government pressure to gain environmental approvals for the site.
“I wouldn't imagine anyone in Cedar Grove would be happy that they are putting this plant in,” she said.
“But we need to make sure it is the best possible plant we can have in way of treatment.”
Cr Schwarz said processes on these builds never began until state funding was guaranteed for the project.
“Council can have a say on where the plant is placed on this site, but they cannot control the zoned use for a water treatment plant,” she said.
“The state government pay for this – council and the rate payers do not pay.”
Smell and stigma concerns
Resident Michael Hollansid said he believed this was not the best location for a wastewater treatment plant.
“Not only do we not get a benefit from this, as it is all Flagstone’s waste, it’ll damage our property values and our rural lifestyles,” he said.
“I’ve lived here since the early 2000’s and I’ve never seen any consultation about the matter.
“The first I heard about it was three weeks ago with this letter.”
Mr Hollansid said it wasn’t just the look of the plant that would hurt their property values but it would also be the stigma of a sewerage plant.
“We can only imagine there will be odour,” he said.
Mr Hollansid said his major concern was running sewerage through pipes under the Logan River.
“The river isn’t in the best of health as it is, what if something happens to the pipe?”
“Yes they’ll be putting clean water back into the river too but that’s down the other side of the weir.”
Mr Hollansid said he would like the plant to be removed from Cedar Grove and put into Flagstone as that was the area that it would be servicing.
“I want more people to be aware of the issue so we hopefully have a better chance at receiving a positive result,” he said.
Residents wishing to connect with the Cedar Grove group are asked to head to Facebook and join the ‘Cedar Grove Community’ page.
