By Michael
A PROPOSED 2.5 kilometre sewerage upgrade that would run a second pipe along the Kororoit Creek is causing a stir among Sunshine West residents.
They have voiced loud concerns about potential damage to the creek’s vegetation.
Brimbank City Council had received 75 objections to City West Water’s planning proposal to upgrade the sewerage system, which the water authority say is necessary to cope with increased waste coming from growing areas like Deer Park, Caroline Springs and Sydenham.
City West Water submitted an application to council last June for the $7 million project, seeking permission to construct a new pipe alongside an existing sewer that runs between Buckingham Reserve and Princes Highway.
Council is due to make a decision on the application sometime around April or May this year.
But residents have voiced concern that the workers accessing the creek site from Learmonth Crescent would need to cut down hundreds of trees between the creek and the crescent – something City West Water has denied.
Learmonth Crescent resident and community activist Ken Mooney, who helped organise the objections to the proposal, said he was concerned about the large number of trees that would be lost when he viewed the plans at Christmas.
“They (City West Water) were going to chop out 200 trees, that’s what we’re opposing, we’re not opposing the sewerage at all,” Mr Mooney said last week.
“There’s not enough trees in the Western suburbs,” he said “I think that we haven’t go the right to chop any out.”
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But a spokesperson for City West Water said there was never any intention to access the creek from Learmonth Crescent, and the number of trees lost would be kept to an absolute minimum, about 12, most of which would be smaller species.
Workers would access the site from Melbourne Water’s existing access points.
“Twelve trees are a little bit different from 200,” Mr Mooney said. He said that he would be content if the number of trees lost was kept to around 12.
Owen Gillingham, president of community group Friends of Kororoit Creek, who has been in talks with City West Water over the proposed works, said the group would keep a close watch on the project.
“We just want to make sure they’re above board, and that they’re going to do everything that they say they’re going to do, because we’ll be watching,” Mr Gillingham told Star last week.
He said the group planned to start water testing in the near future to ensure the work didn’t affect the creek.
City West Water has been working with Melbourne Water, the body responsible for the Kororoit Creek as well as the council, and has undertaken a flora and fauna survey to ensure sensitive areas of the creek were protected or avoided.
At 6pm on Wednesday 21 February the council will hold a consultative forum in the Glengala Community Centre, West Sunshine, where resident will be able to air their grievances and question City West Water over the proposal.
