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Wednesday 23 July 2024
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The Barnes Quadrella JULY 13 was a proud day for Rye Football Club legend Allan Barnes. Little did he know when he was roving for the team in the 80’s and 90’s that he’d one day witness all four of his sons run out together for the Rye seniors. When Clayton, Mitchell, Justin and Tyson took the field against Devon Meadows it was the first time in the history of the club that four brothers had played together in the senior side. Picture: Barry Irving OAM See “Four brothers pull on the Demons’ jumper” - Page 29
Septic servicing costs ‘on the nose’ Cameron McCullough cameron@mpnews.com.au MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is tightening enforcement of its wastewater policy, requiring some landholders to have their systems serviced quarterly or risk substantial fines. There are 22,000 properties on the peninsula that rely on wastewater systems - the highest number of
wastewater systems of any Victorian municipality. Following the adoption of its Wastewater Management Plan 20182023, the shire has audited systems, lobbied for better sewerage on the peninsula and reviewed its internal policy. Boneo resident Jeff Clencie was surprised to receive a letter from the shire in June last year identifying his wastewater system and requesting a service report to be supplied.
“We had purchased the property nine years earlier and had not had the system serviced. We complied with their request,” Clencie said. A follow up letter from the shire said “maintenance of the system by a competently trained person must be carried out at least once every three months”, detailing a fine could be issued for non-compliance. A fine of about $2000 (10 penalty units) can be imposed under the Environmental Protection Regulations
2021 (Vic) (‘EPR’) for failure to take “all reasonable steps to ensure the system is operated so as not to pose a risk of harm to human health or the environment”. “I believe it is outrageous. It is far too frequent, and very costly and inconvenient to have my septic system serviced every three months,” Clencie said. The EPR requires wastewater systems to be serviced but do not stipulate the service intervals.
“The requirement for three-monthly servicing for all aerated sewage treatment plants is imposed by the Environment Protection Authority in the certificate of approval for each type of sewage treatment plant,” a spokesperson from the shire’s environmental health team said. “All aerated treatment plant manufacturers include three-monthly servicing in system specifications and it is industry best practice.” Continued Page 7