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Thursday, 9 June, 2022
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Stink over stack By Eleanor Wilson Kingsmere Estate resident Jarrod Lawrenson was looking forward to building a pool in the backyard of his dream home to enjoy with family in the summer months. Instead, he has found his plans overshadowed - by a nine metre high sewer vent. The towering sewer vent was erected at O’Shea Road near Clyde Road by South East Water in May this year as part of the Monash Upgrade by Major Road Projects Victoria. Mr Lawrenson and neighbours at the Berwick estate said they were angered by the lack of consultation, despite the vent sitting as close as 6.5 metres from their back fences. “If we were aware this nine metre sewer vent was to be installed within 6.5 metres of our property, we definitely would not have chosen this block to build our dream home,” Mr Lawrenson said. “We have been in our home for seven years and love to entertain guests, and now feel embarrassed and ashamed to invite people to our home.“ Mr Lawrenson said he was sent a letter by Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) in March notifying him of plans to build a sewer vent in the vicinity of his property. Upon contacting MRPV and South East Water about the issue, he claims they could not confirm the exact location of the tower and did not offer any further consultation to residents before building it. “It’s quite disrespectful and deceptive that we’ve not been given any opportunity to consult with them when it’s 6.5 metres from our back fence,“ he said. The purpose of the sewer vent is to allow the sewer and drain system to flow freely, as well as diffuse sewer gas. It connects to two pre-existing pits and air valves that previously vented near ground levels in the area. But Mr Lawrenson said the vent not only looked horrendous, but worried it posed a “significant health concern to residents”, par-
From left: Gembrook MP Brad Battin with residents Dale Purton, Jarrod Lawrenson and Jay Vummiti. 284554 ticularly to his daughter, who suffers from a diagnosed respiratory illness. Fellow resident Jay Vummiti said he also harboured concerns about the health implications of the vent, which diffuses hydrogen sulfide from the sewerage. “I’ve got two children, My daughter is immunocompromised and she already has a lot of issues when anything is toxic,” he said. “I was even thinking if I should sell the property.” Residents approached Gembrook MP Brad Battin about their grievance, who raised the issue in Parliament in April, stating the lack of
consultation with the families was “not good enough”. “It is not something that is normally directly behind residential houses, and the community there want to know why they were not consulted,” Mr Battin asked the Chamber. In response, Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said residents were notified of the installation via a letter and were provided with contact information for Major Road Projects Victoria and South East Water. Ms Allan said the sewer stack was a requirement of South East Water and would be an improvement to the pipeline for residents. “Sewer stacks resemble power poles (with-
Picture: ELEANOR WILSON
out the wires) and there are more than 1500 stacks across the South East Water network, including one on O’Shea Road near Clyde Road,” she said. South East Water general manager of service delivery Simon Willis said the sewer vents released and dispersed gas safely and were also compliant with WorkSafe Victoria guidelines. “Very low levels of hydrogen sulphide gas are released from the vents into the atmosphere,” he said. “This allows the sewer to work properly and stops the build-up of gases in a confined space.” Continued page 2
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