Treatment Plants

Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP's) are critical infrastructure for every modern city. They are generally located at an appropriate distance from residential areas due to odour and perception impacts. One commonly used tool to denote these distances is the utilization of buffer distances - more related to distance than specific odour modelling and odour mitigation strategies.

Given the increasing value of land and attraction for rural living lifestyle, wastewater treatment plants that were once located in remote rural locations are now being faced with encroaching development.

Buffer distances are required as industries such as wastewater treatment plants, when not sufficiently separated from sensitive land uses, can reduce neighbourhood amenity due to odour. It is not always possible to eliminate impacts on sensitive land uses, as it is unwise to permit land uses that would reduce amenity of sensitive land use. The main role of the buffer distance is to ensure sensitive land uses are separated from industries in order to protect amenity. It is important also to note that the buffers need to allow for the future needs (i.e. expansion due to increased population pressures) and ensure the viability of the waste water treatment plants, which are integral infrastructure for the development of the city.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Buffer Study

Beca Consultants (on behalf of Council) have prepared a draft report titled 'Odour Buffer Distances for Ballarat North, Ballarat South and Cardigan Village wastewater treatment plants' outlining a number of recommendations for the future management of planning controls and buffer distances for the wastewater treatment plant. The dispersion modelling, completed as part of the study, has led to the recommendation of buffer distances for each of the wastewater treatment plants.

In brief the draft report recommends to:

• Amend the existing Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO) 3 affecting Ballarat North WWTP and Cardigan WWTP to ESO4 and include the third treatment plant (South) within an ESO4.
• Include reference and strengthen the Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) and introduce a new Local Planning Policy relating to WWTP odour buffer areas and decision making under the associated ESO.
• Specific recommendations regarding changes to the location and size of odour buffers of the three wastewater treatment plants.

How can you be involved?

Submissions to the draft Odour Buffer Distances for Ballarat North, Ballarat South and Cardigan Village wastewater treatment plants report closed at 5pm on Monday 4 February 2008.

Download the Odour Buffer Distances for Ballarat North, Ballarat South and Cardigan Village wastewater treatment plants (PDF - 3310KB)
or view hard copies of the document are available at the Ballarat Town Hall, Sturt Street, Ballarat or at The Phoenix, Armstrong Street South, Ballarat. 

The submissions received to the Odour Buffer Distances for Ballarat North, Ballarat South and Cardigan Village wastewater treatment plants report will be considered in finalising the document.  Officers will now prepare to report to Council on the matter in the near future.