CAMDEN Haven oyster growers have at last been thrown a lifeline to ensure their businesses stay afloat.

Last Wednesday Port Macquarie-Hastings Council announced funding to start fixing sewage surcharging problems into the Camden Haven River system.

The surcharging problem occurs during operational and capacity issues in the sewerage system, power outages or inflow of storm water during wet weather events.

When surcharging happens, the oyster industry must stop production for three weeks.

Recent wet weather caused the industry to suspend production eight times in 12 months. That’s 18 weeks during which farmers could not touch their produce until contaminants washed away. One closure began just one week before Christmas last year. Another prevented growers showcasing their wares at the successful Slice of Haven Food and Wine Festival.

Growers have fought for action from Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to fix sewage surcharge problem for six years, only to be told a lack of funding tied hands on the issue.

Wednesday’s announcement by council’s administrator Dick Persson was greeted with much enthusiasm.

Mr Persson commented on the eight closures imposed on the Camden Haven River due to the operation of the local sewerage scheme, causing environmental, financial and social impacts on the local community.

“It is very unreasonable to think that any local industry could be put out of action for almost six months without appropriate measures being introduced to try and fix the problem,” he said.

“I have held meetings with a number of oyster industry representatives and am fully committed to ensuring a solution to this problem is found, particularly in the West Haven area.”

The council has identified a two-stage approach to alleviate the problem. The first stage will include major improvements to the sewerage scheme with increased carrier mains, increased capacity of the main pumping station, replacement of a rising main between Wharf Street and Tip Road, as well as additional sewage storage adjacent to the pumping station at the Queens Lake Sailing Club. The work will cost $1.87 million and is in addition to works already approved costing $1.12 million.

The second stage includes the provision of drainage improvements with diversionary drainage built around the perimeter of developments to reduce both localised flooding in a number of areas at the foot of North Brother Mountain and the inflow of waters into the sewerage system.

“If these works were already in place and we experienced a similar weather pattern to that of the past 12 months, we could reasonably expect only one or two weather-related outages to have occurred,” Mr Persson said.

“While we cannot completely rule out surcharging in the future, these works will dramatically reduce the occurrences in extreme wet weather to a one in five year storm event.

“This work is in addition to the sewerage fund capital works program exhibited as part of the draft Corporate Plan and addresses submissions received during the exhibition period.”