Byron Shire Council has voted to continue investigating the use of Lavertys Gap as a water supply for Mullumbimby despite staff advice that the scheme faces major regulatory hurdles, water quality concerns, and increasing costs.
Councillors have narrowly backed a motion from Greens councillor Elia Hauge and independent councillor David Warth seeking further investigation of several ‘hybrid’ supply options that would combine water from Lavertys Gap with the Rous County Council (RCC) regional water network.
Councillors defy staff recommendation
The decision came despite a staff recommendation that Council abandon the hybrid proposal and proceed with a permanent connection to RCC water. Staff warned there were fundamental obstacles to obtaining state approval and concluded that Lavertys Gap had limited capacity to provide long-term water security for Mullumbimby.
Opponents of the motion also pointed to the cost of the ongoing investigations. Labor councillor Peter Doherty told the meeting that about $640,000 of Council money had already been spent examining future water supply options for Mullumbimby.
‘We’re potentially asking ratepayers for a 35 per cent rate increase,’ he said. ‘I think it’s very important that we look at trying to rein in the spending and just connect to Rous and move on.’
The staff report found the weir’s estimated yield was substantially below the town’s current water demand and noted that water quality can deteriorate rapidly following rainfall events, potentially requiring costly treatment upgrades.
Staff said the additional treatment requirements, regulatory complexity, and limited water yield made it difficult to demonstrate that the scheme represented the best value for money.
Deputy Mayor Jack Dods, who initially supported the hybrid proposal, told the meeting the latest investigations had changed his view.
‘The staff report is pretty clear and pretty damning,’ he said.
‘My fear… is we are just going to spend more money on reports, more money on consultants, more money on Council staff time to get another staff report back that says we can’t do this.’
Value of multiple water sources emphasised
Supporters of the motion argued that the latest investigations had not properly tested a time-based hybrid model, where Lavertys Gap would supply the town during normal conditions and RCC water would be used during droughts or periods of poor water quality.
Future pricing for water supply
Cr Hauge said rising RCC water prices, climate uncertainty, and the value of maintaining a local water source justified further investigation.
‘We have a supply there. Why wouldn’t we make use of it?’ she said.
Cr Hauge also said the latest modelling showed there was sufficient flow over the weir to meet the town’s daily demand for much of the time and argued that Council should complete the strategic planning work needed to determine whether the option was viable and position the project for future government funding.
She also pointed to the increasing cost of RCC water and the value of maintaining a second source of supply.
Independent councillor David Warth said Mullumbimby had relied on the Lavertys Gap supply for about 100 years and argued that a modern treatment plant could continue supplying the town well into the future
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