wastewater treatment plant on Round Mountain Road, Hastings Point.
Photo Alexander Bowden
Tweed Shire councillors backed away from establishing a Waste Water Advisory Group (WWAG) that would look at all waste water issues across the Tweed Shire at Thursday’s (19 June, 2025) meeting.
The WWAG had been established as a result of discussions at their 15 May meeting on how to ensure community feedback provided on the draft concept design of options 4 and 5 for the contentious Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant (HPWTP).
Mayor Chris Cherry and Deputy Mayor, Meredith Dennis had voted against the WWAG on 15 May, preferring a nominated community representative to liaise with the staff during the draft concept design process for the two HPWTP options under consideration.
Councillor Dr Nola Firth had argued in favour of the WWAG saying that it would look at all wastewater issues across the Tweed Shire. This had then been supported by the majority of councillors
Recission motion
At Thursday’s meeting (19 June), Crs Cherry, Dennis and Kimberly Hone lodged a rescission motion for the WWAG.
Mayor Cherry told the meeting that she supported a recision of the WAGG because, ‘a general advisory committee (WWAG) with regards to all wastewater treatment plants is not going to serve the purpose that we need in terms of a tight, timely community input into the design [of the HPWTP] and into the way this upgrade occurs’.
Cr Firth argued against the rescission motion, highlighting there were a number of future wastewater plants that will need upgrading across the Tweed Shire and that the WWAG provide a whole of shire approach to the upgrades.
While Cr Rhiannon Brinsmead said she was going to vote for the rescission motion she highlighted the excellent work that Cr Firth had done in creating the motion under pressure when the alternative had not been a proposal she could have supported at that time.
The rescission motion was carried with Cr Firth voting against.
Consultative Committee
Cr Hone then proposed a motion to establish a Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant Consultative Committee (HPWTPCC), which was seconded by Cr Dennis.
Mayor Cherry spoke in favour of the motion while also regretting that point two had not been removed, as ‘it’s actually the neighbours who do know what’s exactly going on at the plant and the impacts to them’.
All councillors voted in favour of the motion to establish the HPWTPCC.
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