Refresh Vaucluse and Diamond Bay

From 13 January 2025 we will be conducting potholing along Carlisle Street and Dover Road (approximately 15 metres south of the pedestrian crossing on Dover Road). The work will last up to 3 weeks, weather permitting.

To minimise traffic impacts, we are planning this work during the school holidays. Our work will involve small sections of digging, trenching and saw cutting on the road and parking will be restricted, and areas of 'no parking' will be in place. To minimise parking impacts, we will be staging our work in sections as we work along Carlisle Street and Dover Road. The areas of 'no parking' will be clearly delineated with traffic barriers and signs advising of dates when no parking will apply.

To ensure the safety of our crew, residents and road users, traffic control and signage will be in place. You can find out more information about our work.

Thanks for your patience during our work.

We thank the Vaucluse community and visitors to Parsley Bay for their patience during our project work in 2024.

Over the Christmas period, the site will be shut down from 20 December 2024 to 6 January 2025.

If you have an urgent enquiry about Sydney Water services during the holiday period, please contact our faults line on 13 20 90.

Have a safe and happy Christmas holiday!

From Monday 13 January 2025 to Monday 17 February 2025, we will be delivering and installing pipes on Hopetoun Avenue. Water trucks will be periodically parked on Hopetoun Avenue to facilitate the removal of excess water until the end of July 2025.

To prepare for underground drilling, we will establish an exclusion zone on a section of the pedestrian path and nature strip on Hopetoun Avenue. This area will be used to unload pipework and install it along the closed pedestrian path leading to Parsley Bay Reserve. To help manage excess groundwater, water trucks will be temporarily parked on the shoulder of Hopetoun Avenue to connect to the pipework and remove water as needed during our work. Up to 8 truck movements a day may be needed, depending on the volume of groundwater. Hopetoun Avenue will remain open to traffic and we will have traffic management in place to direct construction vehicles to our work area and to safely guide pedestrians and road users.

From Monday 6 January 2025 to Friday 31 January 2025, we will be delivering the underground drilling equipment to our construction site at Parsley Bay. The project team anticipates that we will start the construction of the pipe installation in late January 2025.

Temporary removal of parking on Parsley Road

The delivery route for the drill rig will remain open to traffic, however some parking on Fitzwilliam Road (approximately 4 spaces) and the eastern side of Parsley Road (approximately 20 spaces) will be temporarily removed for up to 7 days over a period of 4 weeks. This will provide safe access for delivery vehicles and to maintain traffic flow during the unloading process. The equipment will be unloaded on Parsley Road before being transported down Horler Avenue. Areas of 'no parking' will be clearly delineated with traffic barriers and signs advising of applicable dates. We will release parking once the deliveries are complete.

We thank you for your patience during our work in Parsley Bay.

New amenities at Parsley Bay by mid 2025.

We have awarded the contract to construct the new amenities at the Caretaker's Cottage to Gartner Rose, an experienced construction company with expertise in renovating heritage buildings. Gartner Rose is coordinating construction work and site access with the Parsley Bay pump station main work contractor Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure (ACI) to minimise our impacts to the surrounding community. Both Delivery Partners will be working together to schedule heavy vehicle movements to and from the site, minimise worker parking in local streets, minimise changes to pedestrian access and combine construction progress update for the local community.

Although actual construction work is planned to start later, the site establishment will commence the week starting Monday 14 October 2024. The new amenities building is expected to be completed in mid-2025, weather permitting.

For more information please access the notification distributed to residents on Friday 11 October 2024.

The project has reached significant milestones in September 2024.

In Parsley Bay, we will be demolishing the existing amenities in preparation for constructing the new pump station, starting construction of the new amenities at the Caretaker's Cottage and closing one of the pedestrian access paths from Hopetoun Avenue and the access path from Parsley Road to ensure public safety.

In Carlisle Street, Rose Bay, we are preparing for construction of a new wastewater pipeline in Rose Bay. This includes service investigation and potholing work along Carlisle Street and Dover Road. This work is scheduled to start in the week commencing 30 September 2024 and will last up to 2 weeks, weather permitting. To minimise traffic impacts, we are planning this work during the school holidays.

We have issued notifications to residents in the Rose Bay and Vaucluse area to advise of our work.

You can read the Parsley Bay notification in full and the Carlisle St notification here.

We thank you for your patience during our construction work.

Thanks for meeting us on Saturday 7 September 2024.

On a beautiful spring day in Parsley Bay, we met community members at the Parsley Bay Reserve to update everyone on our construction progress.

Thanks to everyone who attended and asked us questions about the purpose of the project, our construction schedule and how we will minimise construction impact to the community.

We will continue to meet with the community throughout the construction period and provide updates on our progress to build the new pump station and new amenities on the ground floor of the Caretaker's Cottage. Temporary amenities will be available adjacent to the kiosk before the old amenities block is demolished.

Throughout construction visitors will continue to have access via to facilities at Parsley Bay including the children’s playground, park and beach. Access to Parsley Bay will be maintained via Horler Avenue, Fitzwilliam Road, The Crescent and the additional northern access path on Hopetoun Avenue.

Many thanks for your patience during our construction work.

We would like to provide an update on the progress of the project and invite you to meet the team in Parsley Bay Reserve on Saturday 7 September 2024.

Read the latest newsletter.

We look forward to meeting you on Saturday 7 September between 10am and 12 noon in the Reserve near the Kiosk.

As we start construction in the Parsley Bay car park, we are undertaking initial vegetation removal, tree pruning and weed management from 16 August 2024 for 2 to 3 days.

This involves around 17 trees, including a mix of mature and juvenile trees in proximity to the existing toilet block. We will protect adjacent trees to ensure there is no impact to their root systems.

From September 2024, the existing toilet block will be demolished in preparation for the new pump station and the excavation for the pump station will start in October 2024. You will be able to access temporary toilet and shower facilities in the park prior to the demolition of the existing toilet block.

Our work hours

Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm and on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. If we need to work outside these hours, we will notify residents in advance.

The Reserve remains open to visitors, and you can access Parsley Bay via Horler Avenue, Fitzwilliam Road, Hopetoun Avenue and The Crescent.

Thanks for your patience during our work.

You can still grab a drink, lunch or a snack at the Parsley Bay Kiosk.

To access the Parsley Bay Reserve please use the pedestrian tracks on Hopetoun Avenue, Fitzwilliam Road and The Crescent.

Find out what's happening at Parsley Bay.

Our delivery partner Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure has started work at Parsley Bay to build a new wastewater pumping station and supporting infrastructure that will redirect untreated wastewater away from one of Sydney's 3 remaining ocean outfalls.

We invite you to pop in for a chat with the team from Sydney Water and Abergeldie to learn more about this important project.

Date: Saturday 22 June
Where: Parsley Bay Reserve, Vaucluse
Pedestrian access is open using existing walking paths and tracks on Horler Avenue, Hopetoun Avenue, The Crescent and Fitzwilliam Road.
Car parking is available on local streets as the car park via Horler Avenue is closed.
When: Anytime between 10am and 12 noon.

We look forward to seeing you there.

In May 2024, Sydney Water published an Addendum to the project Review of Environmental Factors, which includes recommendations from the Specialist Ecology Services Report.

Both documents are available to the community.

On Wednesday 29 May 2024, our project team will establish the construction site in the car park at Parsley Bay. From this date, we will close the car park and Horler Avenue to vehicles and install boom gates, pedestrian signage and site fencing.

From the end of May for the next few months we will carry out investigations to locate underground power and water services in Horler Avenue, relocate services, connect to high voltage power lines in Parsley Road and Fitzwilliam Road, and prepare the site for construction activities.

To complete these works, we will:

• deliver materials and equipment
• install a truck turntable in the car park
• take away spoil from the site using vacuum trucks
• install erosion and sediment controls around the car park
• realign Horler Avenue to allow trucks to enter and exit
• widen the car park entry (removing sandstone blocks and replacing them on completion of work)
• relocate existing street lighting on Horler Avenue
• prune the fig tree adjacent to the toilet block and trim trees on private property
• install temporary toilets and shower facilities in the park.

From September 2024, the existing toilet block will be demolished in preparation for the new pump station. Temporary toilet facilities will be provided throughout construction.

During construction, you will continue to have access to the reserve using existing tracks and paths and tracks on The Crescent, Hopetoun Avenue and Fitzwilliam Road.

You may notice:

• vehicles entering and exiting the car park
• trenching, saw cutting the road and rock breaking (if required)
• installing pipes and conduits with site vehicles and equipment on the road and verges
• limited clearing of vegetation in the pump station site area.

All our work areas will be reinstated after work is completed. When you visit Parsley Bay, please be aware that we have your safety in mind. We request that you follow the directions of traffic controllers and our project team.

Managing our construction impacts

We will minimise impacts as much as possible through active monitoring of noise, dust and vibration, our selection of machinery, considering the hours we conduct our high-impact activities and training and supervision of our workforce. Management plans are in place for each stage of work.

Noise and vibration

• Turning off machinery when not in use, use of low noise machinery, limiting higher noise activities and staff will be trained to be noise conscious.
• Limiting the use of equipment at the same time in the same location.
• Using noise barriers such acoustic blankets and fencing, where possible.
• Completing noise and vibration monitoring on a regular basis.
• Scheduling noisy work during daytime hours where possible, implementing respite periods for nearby residents and businesses.

Visual impact

• Using shade cloth and maintaining a clean and tidy site.
• Positioning lighting to minimise light spill.

Air quality and dust

• Using water to suppress and dampen down dust.
• Ensuring plant and equipment is well maintained.
• Stockpiling kept to a minimum.

Traffic impacts

• Traffic management, access to properties on Horler Avenue maintained, and safe pedestrian access into Parsley Bay Reserve.
• Workers transported to site in a shuttle, minimising car movements.
• Trucks will not arrive and queue prior to 7am in residential areas.

Biodiversity (flora and fauna)

• Vegetation clearing under the supervision of a qualified ecologist.
• Vegetation trimming of street plantings along Horler Avenue in consultation with Council.
• Where fauna, including eggs or nests, need to be physically relocated or rescued, an ecologist or licensed wildlife handler will supervise the activity.
• The amenity building will be inspected for any fauna, including Bent-wing bats, immediately prior to demolition.
• All workers will be made aware of wildlife and ecologically sensitive areas and the need to avoid impacts.
• Areas delineated for site clearing, access and material storage.

Erosion and sediment control

• Site-specific water management, erosion and sedimentation controls in place.
• Ground disturbance minimised.
• Controls installed to prevent off-site tracking of mud/dirt onto public roads.

Waste management

• All waste transported off the site in accordance with the EPA's Waste Classification Guidelines 2014.
• Soil spoil and any other wastes would go directly into a truck or skip bin.

Contamination

• Imported material is certified for intended use, free from contamination.
• If unexpected contamination is found, management protocols are in place.

Heritage

• If any heritage items (Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal) are found, work will stop, and management protocols are in place.

Fuel and chemicals

• A secure, lockable and floored area is used for storage of fuel, oil and other chemicals, Emergency Spill Procedure kits kept within the site compound.

On 1 May 2024, our delivery partner Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure notified residents in Vaucluse and surrounding suburbs about the closure of the car park and Horler Avenue to vehicles in Parsley Bay from 29 May 2024 to late 2026.

The closure of the car park will keep our workers and the public safe as the site construction site is established and we continue site investigations. The amenity block will remain open until we set up temporary amenity facilities in the Reserve.

What you need to know

During construction community members will have access to:

• pedestrian tracks/paths on Fitzwilliam Road, and The Crescent
• pedestrian and pram access on Horler Avenue
• pedestrian access from Hopetoun Avenue, which may change during construction
• toilet and shower facilities within Parsley Bay Reserve
• Parsley Bay Cafe Kiosk, until we start construction of the new amenities block in the Caretaker's Cottage
• the children's playground, beach and bay area.

Traffic control and pedestrian signage will be in place on Parsley Road and Horler Avenue to assist pedestrians to move safely past our work sites and into Parsley Bay Reserve during work hours. Parking will be available on nearby streets.

Work hours

Our work hours will be Monday to Friday, from 7am to 6pm and on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. We will not work on Sundays or public holidays. If we need to work outside these hours, we will inform you in advance.

Thanks to the Dover Heights community for meeting with us on Saturday 13 April at Eastern Reserve.

The Sydney Water team met with the community to discuss the redesign of the new pump station at Eastern Reserve. The location of the pump station is now closer to Eastern Avenue, and we have removed the hard stand area, reduced the pumping station footprint, removed the sandstone blocks and significantly reduced the visual impact while maintaining access to the popular walking track. There was general support for the new pump station design.

We spoke with over 50 people, including Waverley Councillors, about the proposed infrastructure. We have noted comments that will assist us to further improve the visual amenity for people living close to the pump station and those using the reserve and walking track.

We will now work with the design engineers to complete the next stage of design. We will invite the community to a meeting over the next few months to present the refined design.

Thanks to the Dover Heights community – it was great to meet you!

In early 2022, we consulted with the community on the design of a new pump station and supporting infrastructure at Eastern Reserve that will provide a solution to the legacy ocean outfalls at Diamond Bay.

After receiving the feedback, we have been working on redesigning the pump station to further minimise impact on community, the reserve and walking track. The pump station will be mostly underground, and we have moved the pump station closer to Eastern Avenue, combined the vent stack with a clifftop light pole, removed sandstone blocks and hardstand area near the pump station footprint to improve local access to the reserve and included landscaping to blend with the local environment.

Come and meet the team

Our team will be hosting a drop-in information session so you can learn more about the new pump station design.

Date: Saturday 13 April
Where: Eastern Avenue, Eastern Reserve, Dover Heights
When: 12 noon to 3pm

We look forward to meeting you on Saturday 13 April at Eastern Reserve.

If you have any questions or would like further information, our community engagement team can be contacted at vauclusediamondbay@sydneywater.com.au or 1800 641 349.

On 22 March, our delivery partner Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure notified local residents about the Parsley Bay site establishment and investigation works.

What you need to know

Over the coming weeks, you will notice us in the area. You will see our people and vehicles in the Parsley Bay car park and Horler Avenue doing the following work activities:

• surveying and installing survey pegs
• installing environmental controls
• pre-condition surveys of roads, carpark, park facilities, footpaths
• locating existing underground services.

This work will help progress environmental management plans prior to construction starting at the end of April or early May.

Work hours

Our work hours will be from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays. We won't work on Sundays, public holidays or over the Easter long weekend. We will let you know in advance if we need to do work outside of these hours.

How will the work affect you?

Access will be maintained into Parsley Bay through Horler Avenue and the car park will remain open while this investigation work is underway. We will notify you when we intend to close any car park access and parking spaces.

Thanks to everyone who came to meet the project team at Parsley Bay.

We enjoyed meeting over 50 community members who asked questions about the purpose, benefits and work schedule for the new pump station and pipeline in Parsley Bay. We are listening. Stay in touch.

In late December 2023, we appointed Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure (ACI) to deliver the Refresh Vaucluse and Diamond Bay project.

Sydney Water's property on the corner of Portland Street and Lancaster Road will be the site compound for this work. We will start site compound establishment work from late February 2024.

What you need to know

You will notice the following work activities:

• minor vegetation clearing within the compound area
• widening gates, installing fencing and signage
• delivery of equipment, temporary site sheds and facilities
• establishing parking, laydown, stockpile, plant and equipment storage areas.

We will ensure our contractors are parking on-site. Access to properties and the bus stop on Portland Street will be maintained.

We'll make every effort to reduce any impact our work may have on you.

Work hours

Our work hours will be from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays. The site compound may be in use after these hours with light vehicles only entering and exiting during that time.

In 2024, we are pleased to announce that we have selected an experienced delivery partner to construct the Parsley Bay project safely while minimising impacts on the environment and the community. 

We are also progressing the infrastructure at Eastern Reserve. We would like to provide you with an update on the progress of the project and invite you to the community event in Parsley Bay Reserve on Saturday 24 February 2024.

See our latest Refresh Vaucluse and Diamond Bay February 2024 Newsletter.

As we move towards starting construction, we have updated our FAQs about the project. It contains project information, current progress and anticipated start date.

You can find the latest FAQS here.

Read our latest October 2023 Newsletter.

If you have any questions or want more information about the project, contact us at vauclusediamondbay@sydneywater.com.au or 1800 641 349.

With the year coming to an end, we would like to provide you with an update on the progress of the project.

A lot has happened this year and we would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone in the community and our stakeholders for their feedback and suggestions.

Please follow the link below to our 2 recent newsletters

Newsletter – October 2023

Newsletter – February 2024

We wish you a joyous and happy holiday season and a happy new year.

We're installing a new fence and gate on Portland Street and Lancaster Road to secure the site. Fence installation and landscaping works are planned to start from Monday 12 December 2022 and are expected to take one week to complete, weather permitting.

Our work will include:

• removing all non-native vegetation and timber fence
• excavation works using small machinery
• installing a new Colourbond fence and gate
• restoring impacted areas with new landscaping.

We'll make every effort to reduce any impact this work may have on you.

Work hours

Our works will be from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday. We will not work on weekends and public holidays.

If you have any questions, contact our community engagement team on 1800 641 349 or email us at vauclusediamondbay@sydneywater.com.au

We asked for community feedback and we received 216 submissions. These submissions and our responses to the issues raised have been compiled into a Decision Report.

In response to your feedback we have made some changes to the proposal.

Parsley Bay

Following the submissions, we had another look at the new pump station at Parsley Bay. We have included safeguards, such as a gate at the proposed stairs and are looking at how we can further improve the aesthetics of the pump station.

We also changed the layout of the pump station and moved it further into the car park to minimise its impact on the surrounding vegetation and rocky terrain. This is in line with community and Council expectations.

We are progressing the design towards construction, which we expect to start mid 2023.

Rose Bay

We have reviewed the construction methodology for Carlisle St, Rose Bay. To minimise impacts to the community, mainly around traffic and parking, we will be changing the methodology from open trenching to trenchless along Carlisle Street, Rose Bay.

Eastern Reserve and Diamond Bay

We acknowledge the proposed design requires further refinement to minimise its footprint and visual impact. Engagement with residents and councils has led to the decision to revisiting the infrastructure layout, location and design to divert the Diamond Bay outfalls.

An independent geotechnical service provider has been appointed to carry out additional investigations and modelling of the area to complete independent verification of the geotechnical assessments of the construction site.

We are also pursuing alternative options for servicing the Diamond Bay precinct.

As we are revisiting the infrastructure layout and design to divert the outfalls, the construction timeline for this part of the project is yet to be determined.

We are now planning for the demolition of the residential property at 33 Lancaster Rd.

Upcoming work

We're doing site investigations to assess the condition of the property and ground. Soil investigation works are planned to start from Wednesday 14 September 2022 and expected to take 2 days to complete, weather permitting.

Following these works, we will start with the removal of the vegetation at the site. We will also install a new fence and gate on Portland Street. The new fence and gate will be similar to the one currently in place – it will just be extended to secure the site.

We'll make every effort to reduce any impact this work may have on you, but you may notice increased activities on site.

We thank our neighbours for your cooperation during these works.

The demolition of the depot will commence on 25 July 2022 and will take about 2 weeks to complete. All work will happen inside the fenced in area of 33A Lancaster Road.

Asbestos Removal

Investigations by a licenced asbestos assessor have determined traces of non-friable asbestos in the building. This kind of asbestos is considered low risk as it is mixed with cement, so very hard and solid. A SafeWork NSW certified asbestos removal specialists will remove the asbestos inside the building before we start demolition of the building.

An exclusion zone will be set up around the building, to prevent unauthorised access. The building is within the fenced in SW property, which is not accessible to the public. Signage will be in place to inform about the work including contact details. Asbestos air monitoring will be used during the works.

Work Hours

Our work hours will be from 7am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday.

We will not work on weekends or public holidays.

We know our work can be disruptive, so we'll make every effort to reduce any impact this work may have on you.

If you'd like to know more, email our community engagement team at vauclusediamondbay@sydneywater.com.au

It's time for change, and we're working to ensure this iconic area of Sydney gets the clean, blue backyard it deserves.

This project will have many environmental benefits – improving the harbour and coast water quality, protecting the health of marine ecology and community, and reducing odour. It will also bring the wastewater system into line with the rest of Sydney.

We're holding an online Q&A webinar to discuss the Refresh Vaucluse Diamond Bay project and the proposed design. It is also an opportunity to answer any of your questions or concerns.

The webinar will be held on Wednesday 27 April 2022, 5pm– 7pm.

Our work hours will be 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday.

We'll need to work at Parsley Bay Beach to identify the location of utilities as we plan for construction.

Our work will include:

• digging within the car park and adjacent areas at Parsley Bay Beach
• restoring the impacted areas.

This project will put an end to the continuous discharge of untreated wastewater.

We will start site investigations from Thursday, 25 November 2021. This work is expected to take 2 weeks to complete, weather permitting.

We'll need to work in Oceanview Avenue, Kimberley Street and Eastern Avenue Reserve to identify the location of utilities as we plan for construction.

Our work will include:

• digging within the road and road verge along Oceanview Avenue
• digging within Eastern Avenue Reserve
• digging at the rear of 33 Kimberley Street
• restoring the impacted areas.

We know our work can be disruptive, so we'll make every effort to reduce any impact this work may have on you.

Together with the Architects and Woollahra Council, we developed the concept for the new amenities in Parsley Bay, which we plan to locate within the ground floor of the Caretaker's Cottage.

Please see the latest community newsletter, featuring an artist's impression of the new facilities and the concept design floor plans for your information.

The feedback we have received so far shows just how important Parsley Bay is to the local community and we're working hard to ensure that we minimise the impact our work will have on the surrounding community and the long-term amenity of the reserve.

The latest newsletter will provide you with an update on where we're up to and next steps.

Together, we'll refresh the wastewater system in Vaucluse, Dover Heights and Diamond Bay to put an end to the continuous discharge of untreated wastewater into the ocean.

By redirecting wastewater flows from these catchments to the nearby Bondi treatment plant, we're protecting the health of the community and marine ecology by reducing the impact to the ocean by at least 93%.

Detailed construction design has kicked off with community consultation as its cornerstone. During this stage, the delivery contractor will be looking to optimise the project's design with a view to further reducing impact to the community and environment.

Construction of this exciting project is expected to commence next year.

From Watsons Bay to Dover Heights, the wastewater system is out of date. The wastewater we collect is not treated. Instead, it flows directly into the ocean at 3 points along the cliff-face. It's time we fixed the system.

Back in June we released our Review of Environmental Factors (REF), which looked at the environmental impacts of the work we need to do to divert the wastewater system to the treatment plant in Bondi.

We asked for community feedback and we received 33 written submissions. These submissions and our responses to the issues raised have been compiled into a Decision Report, which is now available to download.

However, in responding to these submissions, we did more than just write a report. We also got our technical team back in to do some more investigating. We wanted to make sure that we didn’t just listen to what you had to say but also, act on it.

Parsley Bay

Following the submissions, we had another look at the new pump station at Parsley Bay. We spoke to surrounding residents and to Woollahra Council and have come up with a new design.

We have changed the layout of the pump station in Parsley Bay to minimise its impact on the surrounding vegetation and rocky terrain. This is in line with community and Council expectations.

You can read more in Section 3 of the Decision Report.

Below the cliffs of Vaucluse and Diamond Bay, wastewater flows directly into the ocean untreated and this is no longer acceptable. It’s time for change and we’re continuing to work to ensure this iconic area of Sydney gets the clean, blue backyard it deserves.

After years of planning, we’ve landed a solution that has the support of the local and wider Sydney community. Our solution will see wastewater diverted away from the ocean and sent to a nearby treatment plant in Bondi, maximising the use of Sydney Water’s existing network while keeping construction and environmental impacts to a minimum. We still need to build new infrastructure, but it’s just enough to get the job done.

We’ve been assessing the potential construction and environmental impacts of building this solution. This work is now complete and we have a Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for you to look at.

Head to the document library on the right to read our latest newsletter, providing an overview of the proposed solution and download the full REF.

Meet the team

With physical distancing in place, we have opted to host 3 virtual community information sessions. If you have some questions and would like to speak to the project team, please join one of our Zoom sessions.

• Tuesday 16 June, 5:30pm to 7pm
• Thursday 18 June, 5:30pm to 7pm
• Wednesday 24 June, 5.30pm to 7pm

Make a submission

As this is a formal process, please send your written submissions to vauclusediamondbay@sydneywater.com.au by Sunday 28 June 2020.

Given the limited open space, geology, as well as the highly sensitive heritage, coastal and harbour iconic locations, the main challenge was always to find suitable sites to locate 2 underground pumping stations.

In determining those sites, we listened to our Community Reference Group (made up of local residents as well as representatives of Woollahra and Waverley Councils) to minimise possible construction and environmental impacts, while designing solutions that enhance our amenity at sites where work needs to be done.

Almost all the new infrastructure will be located below ground. Anything above ground, such as valves or electrical kiosks, will be minimal and designed to blend as much as possible with the existing environment.

New wastewater pipes, ranging between 20cm to 37.5cm in diameter, will be laid using trenchless technology up to 80m below ground, so there will be minimal construction impacts during or after construction. There will be some short sections of open trench work on the road verges where we connect to the existing network.

Sydney Water will continue to work with the community, as well as local councils to refine design aspects. The final solution design will be displayed in March 2020, when we seek formal submissions from the public as part of the environmental approval process. Construction is expected to occur in the second half of 2020. View or print the concept design map.

The new infrastructure required for this includes a wastewater pump station. We worked with the Community Reference Group and Woollahra Council and looked at the suitability of several possible sites for the new pumping station. Most were ruled out because of heritage sensitivities or community impacts. We agreed to locate the pumping station underground where the existing amenities building is located at the rear of the Parsley Bay Reserve car park. Before starting, we will build toilet block amenity closer to the recreational area to ensure there are no disruptions for community members wishing to use the facility.

Diverting the Vaucluse catchment involves:

• intercepting the network connection to the existing ocean outfall pipe at Parsley Bay
• constructing a new pumping station in Parsley Bay (70 L/s)
• installing 35 centimetre wide pipe using trenchless horizontal directional drill that will connect existing main at Rose Bay.

We will continue working with Woollahra Council to develop the design of the new amenity building. View or print the artist's impression.

The existing pipe is large and has capacity to easily get the wastewater to the treatment plant at Bondi. Once at Bondi, the wastewater will be treated and discharged into the ocean through deep ocean outfall pipes.

Diverting the Diamond Bay catchment involves:

• intercepting the existing outfalls at Eastern Reserve and Diamond Bay
• installing a 30 centimetre wide pipe to connect Diamond Bay to Eastern Reserve
• 33 L/s pumping station at Eastern Reserve
• 20 centimetre wide rising main to connect to the existing Rose Bay sub main.

Working with Waverley Council and guided by local input, we will refine the design to blend with the environment. We will also contribute to Council’s planned improvements to the clifftop boardwalk at Diamond Bay. You can view or print an artist's impression of Eastern Avenue Reserve.

It will be achieved through the installation of a 37 centimetre wide gravity main running from Carlisle Street and a 35 centimetre wide pressure main running from Parsley Bay. These mains will connect to the existing Rose Bay sub main in Dover Road.

This will involve some short sections of open trench work on the verge of roads where we need to connect to the existing network. The work is expected about 4 to 6 weeks to complete.

The works will not affect traffic as the construction will be occurring on the road shoulder. You can view or print the map showing these connections.

The events were promoted on Facebook, reaching over 14,000 people in the local area, resulting in over 3,300 visits to this Sydney Water Talk site.

For those came to one of our 'pop-up' sessions visit our photo gallery and feel free to share your favourite images via your social networks.

Apart from all the latest project news, you can also pick up some free goodies such as Sydney Water shower timers. Join our team between 10am and 1pm at:

• Sunday 24 November 2019 – Parsley Bay Reserve – BBQ with Rose Bay Rotary Club
• Saturday 30 November 2019 – Diamond Bay Reserve – BBQ with Rose Bay Rotary Club.

Apart from all the latest project news, you can also pick up some free goodies such as Sydney Water shower timers. Join our team between 10am – 1pm at:

• Saturday, 9 November 2019 – the Eastern Reserve, Dover Heights (near the Eastern Avenue entrance)
• Sunday 10 November 2019 – Rose Bay North's shopping precinct (near the supermarket) on Old South Head Road
• Saturday 16 November 2019 – Rose Bay East shopping precinct (near hardware store) Old South Head Road
• Sunday 17 November 2019 – Rose Bay shopping precinct (near Rose Bay Hotel) New South Head Road
• Sunday 24 November 2019 – Parsley Bay Reserve – BBQ with Rose Bay Rotary Club
• Saturday 30 November 2019 – Diamond Bay Reserve – BBQ with Rose Bay Rotary Club.

If you can't make it to one of these sessions, you can always call us on 1800 732 069 or email vauclusediamondbay@sydneywater.com.au to tell us what you think or ask us a question.

During the meeting the group discussed options to refine the concept design, as well as activities we’re planning to involve the community to refine the plan for diverting wastewater from Vaucluse and Diamond Bay to the Bondi Treatment Plant.

Recently, we distributed a project community update newsletter to residents across the Vaucluse, Dover Heights and Rose Bay area to recap the project’s benefits and seeking for your feedback. If you didn’t receive one the community update can also be found under the ‘Document Library’ on this website.

We’re relying on your feedback to help us develop a concept design which will benefit the community, so call 1800 732 069 or email vauclusediamondbay@sydneywater.com.au if you have a question or let us know what you think by registering and posting your comments here.

While we’ve already extensively modeled the wastewater system in your area to identify a solution, we still need to do more to better understand the topography, soil and site suitability.

Changing the way wastewater flows in your area means we need to reconfigure existing and new supporting infrastructure like underground pipes and pumping stations. However, recent advances in technology enables us to work with you to refine the concept design to have the least impact on the environment and the community — locating supporting infrastructure underground and using pipes which will be about 30cm in diameter and up to 70m below street level.

Working with you we expect to complete the concept design by the end of this year and following public submissions, complete environmental approvals by March 2020. Construction is then anticipated to start in the latter half of 2020.

Next steps

Throughout this process we will be seeking your views to help us refine the route, appearance, footprint and proposed construction approaches for the new infrastructure.

We’ve already held our first Community Reference Group in June 2019, and in the coming weeks and months we will be letter-boxing and holding local community information sessions, as well as seeking your views through Sydney Water Talk and interactive feedback online tools.

Please subscribe here to receive latest news and details about these information events. If you have any questions or concerns, drop us an email or give us a call. Your feedback is always important to us.

Call 1800 732 069 or email vauclusediamondbay@sydneywater.com.au

The Refresh Vaucluse Diamond Bay project will now commence detailed work to redirect untreated wastewater away from these outfalls and transfer it to the Bondi Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Refreshing the wastewater system in your area will address the pollution, water quality and public health risks associated with the ocean outfalls and bring your wastewater system up to the same standard as the rest of Sydney.

Sydney Water is very pleased with the support we’ve received from the community to date and we'll be looking for your continued involvement as we work to fix this long-standing problem.

Our solution

This year we've investigated various ways we can treat the wastewater we collect from Watsons Bay, Vaucluse, Diamond Bay, Rose Bay North and parts of Dover Heights.

After a public expression of interest process, we set up a Community Reference Group and over 4 meetings, we've tested our ideas. They've given us important input on what the community values and loves about the area.

With this information, we've chosen to connect the ocean outfalls to a large wastewater pipe that runs along Old South Head Road. This pipe has capacity and it's the easiest way to get the wastewater that currently flows directly into the ocean to a treatment plant.

What's next

Next year will be an important one for this project.

There's a lot involved in planning an infrastructure project of this scale and local knowledge can help identify local solutions to local challenges. That's why we'll continue to involve the community as we come up with a design, seek environmental approvals and secure funding.

Once these approvals are secured, Sydney Water can commence construction in 2020 and this legacy issue will become history.

Let's keep talking

While we still don't have all the answers, it's important we keep talking. 　

Your feedback is important to us.

Call 1800 645 466 or email vauclusedaimondbay@sydneywater.com.au.

Our Community Reference Group (CRG) had its first meeting on Tuesday 29 May. It was a great opportunity for our team to meet community representatives from across the peninsula and to share the purpose of the group:

“To enable Sydney Water to better understand community expectations for the Vaucluse and Diamond Bay Ocean Outfalls so that community values can be included in the decision-making for the long-term solution”

The meeting helped to set the scene – the background to this project, the findings of our recent pollution study and how we and the CRG will work together to review and refine possible solutions.

Key points raised during the meeting:

Drivers for the project

• The pollution study found there was a very high risk to public health and a high risk to the environment from the outfalls, which is unacceptable to Sydney Water.
• Sydney Water has an opportunity to fix this ongoing problem of the outfalls.
• Many in the community would be surprised to hear that the wastewater from the ocean outfalls is untreated – they would strongly support Sydney Water moving ahead with a solution.
• Nearby swimming beaches have good water quality for swimming and Sydney Water is monitoring water quality near the outfalls.

How we find a solution

• The solution needs to minimise impacts to the community and be affordable.
• The cost/benefit of options will be a key factor for discussion during our second meeting.
• The review of options needs to consider community values across the whole project area – from Watsons Bay, Vaucluse to Dover Heights and Rose Bay North.
• Solutions need to be assessed based on a range of factors including local/wider community benefit, public health, aesthetics, community and other stakeholder support, environmental improvement, cost to Sydney Water’s customers, community disturbance in construction and operation, future needs, best practice and learnings from other projects, new technologies and financial responsibility.

Community engagement

• The whole community needs to get involved and understand why this project is needed
• CRG members will discuss what they’ve learnt with their groups, neighbours and friends and encourage involvement in the discussions

Community Reference Group Meeting #2

The CRG will meet again on Tuesday 3 July to give feedback on a range of potential solutions. We will summarise the outcomes of that meeting here on Sydney Water Talk.

We will share details and seek feedback from the wider community about feasible options later in July. Look out for a project update in your letterbox or check Sydney Water Talk in July for more details.

Tell us what you think

It's not too late to let us know what you value about life on the peninsula. Information gathered through our online poll and issues mapping tool will help our team and the CRG understand community values when assessing the initial long list of possible solutions.

Community Reference Group Membership

Our CRG members:

• Allan Aaron, Vaucluse resident and convener of the Vaucluse / Diamond Bay Precinct Committee
• Bruce Bland, Rose Bay resident and Vice President of Rose Bay Residents Association
• Tony Booth, Vaucluse resident and member of Vaucluse Progress Association
• Peter Cappe, Dover Heights resident and member of the Dover Heights Precinct Committee
• Dov Frazer, Dover Heights resident, convener of the Dover Heights Precinct Committee and member of the Bondi Wastewater Treatment Plant Community Consultative Committee
• Leon Goltsman, Vaucluse resident and Waverley Councillor for Bondi Ward
• Ron Nothman, Dover Heights resident and member of the Dover Heights Precinct Committee
• Terry Pullinger, Vaucluse resident
• Peter Quartly, North Bondi resident and convenor of the North Bondi Precinct Committee and member of the Bondi Wastewater Treatment Plant Community Consultative Committee
• Bruce Thom, Vaucluse resident and Chair of NSW Coastal Council
• Susan Wynne, Vaucluse resident and Deputy Mayor of Woollahra Council (Vaucluse Ward)
• Bob Steele, Vaucluse resident

Representatives from Waverley Council, Woollahra Council and the Office of the Member for Vaucluse are attending the CRG meetings as observers.