NONE of Tasmania's sewerage plants comply with basic environmental standards, TasWater bosses have told a parliamentary committee. TasWater chief executive Mike Brewster and chairman Miles Hampton say the state's 80 treatment plants do not meet modern requirements and will require tens of millions of dollars to repair and replace. Mr Hampton said fixing the sewerage facilities demanded the company's urgent attention. "My understanding is that we don't have a single plant that complies 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day with its requirements, let alone modern-day requirements," he said. Mr Brewster labelled TasWater's sewerage infrastructure inadequate and unacceptable, saying odour, environmental discharge and trade waste all posed significant challenges. He said the council-owned company had invested heavily in water systems over the past five years in a bid to address public health concerns. "We've not invested at the same rate in sewerage and we're now coming to the point where we must tackle the sewerage," he said. The TasWater bosses said the pressure was on from the Environment Protection Authority to rectify the problem. Mr Brewster said many of the facilities did not have up-to-date licences. "They have licences 20 to 30 years old," he said. "By modern standards they would not be accepted ... they would be considered polluters." Mr Brewster told the committee tens of millions of dollars would be spent in coming years to upgrade and decommission existing sewerage sites. "Some of these plants cannot continue," he said. "That's where we are at in Launceston, where we're probably going to go in Hobart and where we are on the West Coast." The TasWater heads also told the hearing regulatory compliance cost the company $4 million a year and needed to be reviewed, with customers bearing the burden through their bills. Mr Brewster said TasWater's long-running pay dispute with its workers was still far from a resolution. The committee heard TasWater paid consultants $4.3 million in the past year, including $1 million on the company's restructure.
TasWater finance general manager Dean Page, chairman Miles Hampton and chief executive Mike Brewster.
NONE of Tasmania's sewerage plants comply with basic environmental standards, TasWater bosses have told a parliamentary committee.
TasWater chief executive Mike Brewster and chairman Miles Hampton say the state's 80 treatment plants do not meet modern requirements and will require tens of millions of dollars to repair and replace.
Mr Hampton said fixing the sewerage facilities demanded the company's urgent attention.
"My understanding is that we don't have a single plant that complies 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day with its requirements, let alone modern-day requirements," he said.
Mr Brewster labelled TasWater's sewerage infrastructure inadequate and unacceptable, saying odour, environmental discharge and trade waste all posed significant challenges.
He said the council-owned company had invested heavily in water systems over the past five years in a bid to address public health concerns.
"We've not invested at the same rate in sewerage and we're now coming to the point where we must tackle the sewerage," he said.
The TasWater bosses said the pressure was on from the Environment Protection Authority to rectify the problem.
Mr Brewster said many of the facilities did not have up-to-date licences.
"They have licences 20 to 30 years old," he said.
"By modern standards they would not be accepted ... they would be considered polluters."
Mr Brewster told the committee tens of millions of dollars would be spent in coming years to upgrade and decommission existing sewerage sites.
"Some of these plants cannot continue," he said.
"That's where we are at in Launceston, where we're probably going to go in Hobart and where we are on the West Coast."
The TasWater heads also told the hearing regulatory compliance cost the company $4 million a year and needed to be reviewed, with customers bearing the burden through their bills.
Mr Brewster said TasWater's long-running pay dispute with its workers was still far from a resolution.
The committee heard TasWater paid consultants $4.3 million in the past year, including $1 million on the company's restructure.
