Coliban Water’s proposed upgrade of the Castlemaine Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) is one step closer to delivery, with the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) approving the development licence.
The EPA signed off on the proposed Castlemaine WRP upgrade plans in mid-March 2025 following a public feedback period over November and December 2024.
Coliban Water Castlemaine WRP Program Director, Danny Childs, said feedback from the public for the proposed upgrades was overwhelmingly supportive.
“We received 88 submissions from the public and 97 per cent of those were positive,” he said.
“Having that level of support for the proposed upgrade is important for us and provides confidence that we are meeting the community’s expectations.
“As we move forward with this project, we want to continue to maintain a strong connection with the community and are planning to provide more opportunities for people to engage with us.”
Feedback from the public reflected the importance of the plant’s environmental flows into Campbells Creek as well as the need to upgrade the plant to meet the area’s growing population.
“We are aware of the Castlemaine community’s passion for Campbells Creek, and the flora and fauna that live there,” Mr Childs said.
“Campbells Creek simply wouldn’t sustain the year-round flows without the releases of treated water the plant provides.
“We want to see the treated water flows released to Campbells Creek continue to provide the same high level of environmental benefits as have been in place for many years, supporting the platypus population, the birds and other wildlife that call the creek and surrounding area home.”
A planning permit submitted to the Mount Alexander Shire Council will go on public display in the coming months with Coliban Water hoping to start construction in mid-to-late 2027.
When the upgrades are completed, the Castlemaine plant will include an increased treatment capacity, provide more resilient sewer services to the growing community and further improve the quality of treated wastewater.
“The Castlemaine plant currently treats wastewater from more than 15,000 residents and businesses. We expect that number to continue rising in the coming years and are designing a plant that will meet the region’s growth through to 2053,” Mr Childs said.
“We want to provide a sustainable, once-in-a-generation upgrade that reduces our carbon footprint while supporting economic growth and development in the region.”
The upgrades will deliver the best available techniques and technology to further benefit the community by significantly reducing the likelihood of odour and noise emitted from the plant and an increase in the production of biosolids for sustainable reuse.
