Renewed calls for reasonable compensation to replace depot
Published on 17 April 2025
The NSW Government must accept accountability for replacing Singleton Council’s water and sewer depot—displaced by the Singleton bypass—and spare local households a $20million cost burden for infrastructure that would otherwise continue to serve the needs of the community.
Mayor of Singleton, Cr Sue Moore has written to the NSW Minister for Roads and Regional Transport, The Hon. Jenny Aitchison MP to request fair and reasonable compensation for the loss of the depot in a bid to spare water and sewer customers a price rise above CPI (Consumer Price Index).
The proposed water and sewer charges are included in the draft 2025/2026 Fees and Charges as part of the 2025/2026 Draft Delivery Program and Operational Plan, which is currently on public exhibition until 14 May 2025.
Council’s Water and Sewer depot moved out of the Water Works Lane site in December 2021 and has since been operating from temporary premises on John Street, Singleton, which are too small and impractically located.
Cr Moore said with $700million invested by the Federal and State governments to fund the Singleton Bypass, Council maintains that it’s not fair for the community to foot the bill for a new depot due to the forced acquisition.
She said Council action to pursue compensation for a replacement depot highlighted the Just Terms Compensation Act is unreasonable, and had let the community down.
“Transport for NSW is replacing a water pump station and water and sewer mains directly impacted by the bypass. However, to date they have not offered reasonable compensation to cover the replacement costs of the water and sewer depot that was also displaced,” she said.
“Council’s position is and remains that our customers should not have to pay $1 more to replace existing infrastructure that without the Bypass project, would have continued to meet requirements well into the future.
“Council has pursued Transport for NSW for the fair and just compensation our community deserves to cover the costs of replacing this vital infrastructure, including launching action in the Land and Environment Court in 2023. An outcome is still forthcoming.
“Our Water and Sewer teams are currently operating out of a temporary facility that is inadequate to our needs, which is compromising the efficiency of our services.
“We simply cannot wait any longer to pursue a new water and sewer depot and with no other funding options available and reasonable government support not forthcoming, we find ourselves in the untenable position of having to choose between providing a less efficient service to our customers or covering the cost of a new depot.
“The situation as it stands is that our community is effectively making a $20million contribution to the bypass by covering the cost of a replacement water and sewer depot that should have been compensated as part of the project.”