A report is due to come back to the May council meeting after the community raised strong concerns about sewage issues in the Bonny Hills area.
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Rainbow Beach was off limits to swimmers during a time of high tourist numbers after treated overflow was released from the Bonny Hills/Lake Cathie Wastewater Treatment Plant into Duchess Gully Creek in January, which subsequently flowed to the beach.
The controlled overflow followed heavy rain.
Cr Peta Pinson brought forward a mayoral minute about sewage issues in the Bonny Hills area to Port Macquarie-Hastings Council's February meeting after receiving correspondence from the Bonny Hills Progress Association.
It followed a public meeting, convened by community member John Bryson, which raised concerns about sewage issues at Bonny Hills.
Those attending the public meeting included the mayor, council officers and community members.
Bonny Hills Progress Association secretary John Drinan chaired the meeting in an independent capacity.
The public meeting's resolution expressed the community's strongest concern about the likely health hazards for beach users caused by discharges from the wastewater treatment plant and associated sewage infrastructure during recent heavy rains, and the reputational damage caused to Bonny Hills and local businesses dependent on tourism.
"The community requests your urgent advice about the actions that can be taken to prevent these hazards in future, given increasing population pressures and the likelihood of increased frequency of extreme weather events," the public meeting's resolution said.
The Bonny Hills Progress Association sent the resolution to the council as part of a letter.
The council noted that correspondence.
Council's chief executive officer Dr Clare Allen will respond to the correspondence appropriately addressing the issues raised and advising the council's resolution in the matter.
Dr Allen was also asked to provide a report to the May council meeting detailing the issues raised in the correspondence from the Bonny Hills Progress Association and options available to council to address these issues.
The progress association has set up a sub-committee to investigate the sewage issues.
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