Council undertook community engagement about the proposed Community Wastewater Management Scheme (CWMS) Extension to Rosetown, Wyomi and Pinks Beach. Consultation was open from 11 June 2025 to 9 July 2025.

The engagement sought to:

  • Build awareness and understanding of the environmental, health, infrastructure and financial benefits and impacts of the project; and
  • Understand how Council can best support property owners in the delivery of the CWMS, including payment options and onsite works.

The purpose of the engagement was to ensure that property owners had the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed extension to inform Council's decision making.

651 information packs were distributed to property owners about the project. In addition, two information session were held, in person and online, along with three drop-in sessions held locally to provide further information about the proposal.

Engagement opportunities were promoted through Council's website, newsletter and social media as well as direct mail and posters to local businesses. Thank you to all of the property owners who attended and participated in the information sessions that were held and provided feedback via the online form. We appreciate the opportunity to share information and receive your feedback on this important initiative for our community.

A total of 107 written responses were received during the engagement period. These responses represented property owners of 134 properties. There was good representation from all areas proposed to be serviced by the CWMS expansion in the feedback received. Responses were received from property owners with dwellings as well as those with vacant land.

A detailed Engagement Summary Report summarising all the feedback received is available here.

At the 22 July 2025 Ordinary Council Meeting, Council considered the outcomes of the engagement process and resolved to commit to extend the Community Wastewater Management Scheme to the areas of Rosetown, Wyomi and Pinks Beach by formally requesting funding from the Local Government Association of SA.

Project Summary
  • 651 properties to be connected in the areas of Rosetown, Wyomi and Pinks Beach - 270 of which are vacant allotments;
  • Project cost of approximately $25 million, with an indicative grant subsidy of $18.5m to underwrite the costs to property owners. Final funding figure will be confirmed through detailed design, which is expected to occur in the coming months;
  • Connection fee per property $7,448 (SA Water equivalent for 2025-26 – adjusted annually and will be locked in at the time of commissioning construction);
  • Residents are encouraged to consider this project as risk mitigation for your property, as many on-site systems, if non-compliant with current regulations, are likely to require installation of a holding tank, due to small block sizes and proximity of the many bores. This upfront and ongoing costs (or a replacement on-site system where still possible) will be many thousands of dollars more for those properties in the future, than the heavily subsidised cost with the subsidy/grant Council hopes to secure;
  • Connecting properties to the CWMS will protect our precious groundwater by addressing the current risks to public health and the environment from aging and non-compliant on-site wastewater systems, mitigate the future costs of replacement of failing systems, and in all likelihood increase property values, amenity and appeal of our township;
  • These factors have culminated to our community having now been prioritised for funding consideration through the statewide LGA grant program, ahead of many other Councils which are seeking to access the program for similar CWMS upgrades;
  • Although SA Water has indicated it has no plans at this stage for extending potable water supply into these expansion areas, Council is liaising with its ‘Water Futures’ team about the benefits and efficiencies that can be taken advantage of, if this aspiration were implemented at the same time as the construction of the CWMS extension. Council will continue to advocate for this and provide further updates when available; and
  • Treated reuse water is expected to be made available to the Kingston golf course, while also servicing other parks, ovals and foreshore amenity watering needs.
What happens next?

Council has now formally written to the LGA, requesting that funding be allocated and secured for the project, in order to then undertake detailed design (also funded through this program) and ultimately construction of the CWMS extension. The outcome of this request is expected to be known in October 2025, when the LGA Board will consider our application.

Subject to receiving funding, the next steps are:

  • Appointment of contractor to undertake detailed design and construction;
  • Detailed design (or design and construct tender) to develop the specific details of the project including infrastructure and locations and construction method;
  • Consultation with property owners on the financing arrangement options Council proposes to be offered to assist property owners, other supports available and the logistics of how formal/legal agreements are entered into for connection of each property;
  • Construction of new sewer pipes, pumpstations and treatment facility; and
  • Connection timing of individual properties and operation of the scheme.

There is still a lot of work to do, with connection to the CWMS not expected to be available until around mid 2027.

We understand that property owners may have questions, particularly in relation to timing and costs. As we progress the project, we will provide property owners with regular updates and more information about final costs, payment options and other supports available.