UN awards

GEMBOOK’S long-awaited sewerage system upgrade was last week highly commended at the United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards.
The town’s sewerage strategy was runner-up in the Lincolne Scott Triple Bottom Line Award, while insurance and motoring service company NRMA took home the award.
Yarra Valley Water (YVW) managing director, Tony Kelly, said the Gembrook community should share in the project’s recognition as extensive consultation was undertaken on the strategy.
The strategy is being implemented to connect Gembrook’s septic-tank system to a reticulated-pressure sewer system, which is based on a ‘triple bottom line’ approach which involves balancing financial, social and environmental considerations.
Mr Kelly said a pressure sewer system solution was chosen over a traditional gravity sewer because it would provide a lower overall cost to the community, as it requires less energy-intensive pumping stations.
He said it was also a more suitable system for the town’s hilly terrain and environmental sensitivity because the pipes are laid at a much shallower depth than conventional gravity sewers.
Gembrook Township Committee president Bob Farr said the current sewerage system was keeping the town from future growth because the only form of sewerage has been septic tanks.
“Being without sewerage has held Gembrook back. One example is that for years someone has being trying to get a doctor’s office up and running on the block of land next to the post office, but they would need to put in a fairly large septic tank behind the office and there would be no space for parking,” he said.
Mr Farr said over the past six years the community has been involved with looking at different options for the town to implement a sewerage strategy.
Mr Kelly said the Gembrook community originally approached YVW to request a sewerage system upgrade in 1998 and YVW was proud to have developed such a sustainable solution with their input.
“This recognition at the UN awards highlights the viability of projects that are built around long-term environmental Sustainability.
“The Gembrook Sewerage Servicing Strategy is a great example of balancing triple bottom line principals; it was developed through community engagement and models that identified the township’s most appropriate servicing solution,” he said.