City operations manager Matthew Hall talks to some of the angry residents.
Camera IconCity operations manager Matthew Hall talks to some of the angry residents. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Coodanup: Mandurah council to consider further options for stormwater drain

Jill BurgessMandurah Coastal Times

COODANUP resident Ange Smith claims the City of Mandurah is riding roughshod over ratepayers and residents with zero consultation regarding what she described as plans for a cess pit on land fronting two Peel Parade properties.

But after a meeting with around 20 angry residents on site yesterday, City operations manager Matthew Hall apologised for the lack of consultation and said the council would consider further options.

“We did not expect it to become a major issue,’’ he said.

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Ms Smith claimed land adjacent to 32 and 34 Peel Parade had been a designated nature reserve for decades and despite the council taking no responsibility for maintaining it, the home owners had kept it watered and mowed and ensured it stayed weed and rubbish free.

That was until last week when one of them asked a surveyor outside her home what he was doing.

“It was only then she learned the council appeared to have renamed the land “verge” rather than “reserve” and decided, for no logical reason to turn the entire area into a deep ‘biofiltration’, Ms Smith said.”

“The proposed basin area is within metres of the two homes and, apart from the obvious health risks, it will likely devalue their properties and others nearby by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“There is absolutely no need to destroy trees, slash property values or add health hazards to the area.”

Last week, residents received hand-delivered letters notifying them of construction work in Kurdal Road, Peel Parade and Wamba Road and advising that the City was continuing a program to retrofit drainage infrastructure by upgrading existing traditional pit and pipe systems.

They were told the project had been identified for the road reserve verge with construction starting on May 20.

Residents claimed there had been no time to absorb the information or study the plan.

Mr Hall said the proposal was only a concept plan and would not happen this financial year, if at all.

He said the council would look at further options.

“We have identified a storm water issue but want a good result,’’ he said.

“We will go away and look at the best possible outcomes.

“Nothing more will happen without consultation.”