Queanbeyan Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade

The Queanbeyan Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), constructed in the mid-1930s, treats sewage from Queanbeyan prior to discharge into the Molonglo River. Council has upgraded the STP on a number of occasions, with the latest upgrade being in the mid-1980s. While maintenance works are regularly undertaken on the STP, the plant is no longer fit-for-purpose. A significant works program is required to address issues including structural failure, equipment obsolescence, maintenance issues and work health and safety issues, as well as bring the treatment process in line with modern practices.

We are planning to upgrade this vital infrastructure from its current design capacity of 40,000 equivalent persons (EP) to cater for 60,000 EP. Planning for the project is well advanced, with master planning complete and the concept design being finalised.

• Additional capacity is required for current and future population growth
• The condition of the existing infrastructure has deteriorated, and there is little remaining useful life for the existing treatment plant
• It is becoming more difficult to operate the existing plant to meet licence conditions
• The existing treatment plant does not conform to industry best practice for the protection of public health and the environment
• A new treatment plant is needed to address regulator and stakeholder concerns and requirements
• A new treatment plant can be designed to achieve a high level of sustainable outcomes

• Securing Queanbeyan’s sewage treatment needs for the future
• Improved ability to control discharge water quality
• Reduced impacts on the environment and public health
• Improved water quality in the Molonglo River and Lake Burley Griffin
• Reduced energy demands
• Providing capability for water reuse
• Improved treatment and disposal of bio-solids

A Regulatory Roadmap (see link on the right) was prepared as part of the Master Plan that outlines the regulatory and planning approvals process for the project. A summary of the key jurisdictional approvals is provided:

ACT Approvals

The Sewage Treatment Plant and parts of the transfer pipeline are located within the ACT and will require planning approval under Schedule 4 of the ACT Planning and Development Act 2007 and environmental authorisation from the ACT EPA under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997.

NSW Approvals

Some parts of the transfer pipeline to be upgraded are located in NSW and will require approval under Part 5 of the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Council must obtain approval from NSW Department of Primary Industries Office of Water (DPI Water) under Section 60 of the Local Government Act 1993 at each stage of the projects development.

Federal Approvals

The NSW and ACT approvals processes need to consider the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The project is planned to be delivered in four phases as shown in the timeline below.

Indicative Project Timeline

As part of the regulatory approvals process an environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared. The EIS will be informed by environmental investigations, the concept design and stakeholder consultation. The community will have an opportunity to comment on the EIS prior to finalisation and approval by the ACT Government. Mitigation measures identified in the EIS will be incorporated into the design and construction documentation.

In addition to environmental investigations, contaminated site surveys will be undertaken to identify what measures are needed to redress the impact of past activities on the site.

In line with QPRC’s Sustainable Design Policy for Council Buildings, the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) has been engaged to provide sustainability certification for the project. The goal is to obtain both Design and As-Built Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) Ratings of Excellent (with an IS Score in the range of 65% to 75% or better).

Council has endorsed the following sustainability commitments for the Queanbeyan STP Upgrade Project.  The project team (including Council personnel and stakeholders engaged to work on the project) aspires to:

• Evaluate significant decisions using environmental, social and economic criteria
• Identify the impacts of climate change and implement adaptation measures into design
• Reduce energy consumption and investigate options for uptake of renewable energy  
• Minimise facilities water use and source from non-potable supplies where appropriate
• Optimise design to reduce the use of materials and  minimise their lifecycle impacts
• Reduce waste sent to landfill using a waste hierarchy and maximising rates of recycling
• Ensure that the heritage value of the site is maintained
• Work with stakeholders and the local community to leave a positive legacy
• Respect and value the natural habitat of the site by maintaining its ecological value
• Improve local receiving water environmental values compared to the existing STP
• Encourage local procurement and evaluate suppliers and subcontractors using sustainability considerations
• Monitor supplier’s sustainability performance and manage non-compliance against their sustainability targets

These aspirations, in conjunction with the detailed sustainability targets included in the Project’s Sustainability Management Plan, will ensure that environmental, economic and social outcomes are optimised.

The aim of the "Best for Region" approach is to ensure the most viable sewage management solution is achieved. Over the past few years, QPRC and Icon Water have partnered to explore a regional sewage treatment plant to replace the Queanbeyan sewage treatment plant and the Fyshwick sewage treatment plant situated on Dairy Road. The result of this research proposes the best for the region option is a standalone sewage treatment plant for Queanbeyan. For further information you can download the media release(PDF, 61KB) that was jointly issued by QPRC and Icon Water. 

An extensive Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan, based on the IAP2 protocol, will be prepared and implemented as part of the project. The aim of the Engagement Plan is to facilitate stakeholder and community input into key project decisions. In this way QPRC hopes to ensure that the new facility will properly address community concerns, minimise environmental impacts, maximise potential benefits, while remaining affordable and sustainable.

The Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan is being developed and will be available here when it is completed.

Googong will continue to be served by its own sewage collection and treatment system, which is completely independent of the Queanbeyan sewage system.