Kewarra Beach sewerage reflux

 KEWARRA BEACH.  QLD. 4879

                                                                                      

29^th March 2012  

Dear Ross,

We have been living at Kewarra Beach for two and a half years and have a channel at the back of the house.  At times of heavy rain this channel fills and overflows on to many properties and in some instances the water invades the houses.  I understand that this is the tropics But twice in this time (4/5^th  Feb 2011 and 19^th March 2012) we have had a lot of sewerage come up the drains outside our kitchen windows and in our bathroom, spilling out into other rooms.  At the very least this is a health hazard usually found in third world countries.  It’s not our drains, which have been cleaned through thoroughly twice.  We are not alone with this problem as the water department will verify.  Both times we have called them they say that that have been inundated with phone calls from people with the same problem from Kewarra Beach and Redlynch.  They just shrug their shoulders and tell us there is nothing that can be done. 

The channels and pumps are just not coping with the problems as no doubt they were built to cope with a much smaller population, but still the council gives permission for more housing estates to be built here and for resorts to expand (overriding Department of Environment Reports).

The residents here are far more concerned that our rates be used to rectify the problem of raw sewerage flowing down the streets (as happened Monday the 19^th March) than building new entertainment precincts etc.

We are in the process of gathering signatures from people who have been affected and you will receive this in due course.

In the meantime it is the council election time and we would like an assurance from you and your team that you will (not hope to, might do, sometime in the future, maybe, couldn’t care less, will shelve it, can’t afford it, delegate it, pass the buck etc.) do something positive to fix this problem, whatever it costs before we have a serious health problem, in which case the council will definitely face a class action.

                                      ____________   |  ___________

 My Comment

I recently received this letter from a distress family in Kewarra Beach. The occurrence is not only common to Kewarra Street but also to other townships along the Marlin Coast.

I am surprised with the problem even existing as the sewerage reticulation along the Marlin coast is relatively new.

I am in the process of investigating this specific problem and will get back to Facebook and the concerned family as soon as I have an answer.' 

Ross Parisi.

06.04.2012