Hilltops, NSW – The sewerage treatment works serving the towns of Harden and Boorowa in the Hilltops local government area have been operating in their current forms for decades, highlighting growing pressures on aging regional infrastructure. As Hilltops Council continues to manage these facilities, community concerns are mounting over maintenance, capacity, and the need for upgrades, with recent discussions touching on the handling of sensitive financial details in closed council sessions.
Each township has a sewer fund but will each township use their own funding?
The Harden Sewerage Treatment Plant has recently undergone significant remediation works, including rehabilitation of treatment ponds damaged by flooding, realignment of pond layouts, upgrades to recycled water rising mains, and construction of new spillways. These improvements have enhanced efficiency and sustainability for the Harden-Murrumburrah community. The plant, like many in regional NSW, has been in operation for well over 30 years in its essential form, with components reflecting the infrastructure standards of earlier decades. Typical lifespans for such lagoon-based or pond systems range from 30 to 50 years before major renewal or replacement becomes necessary, depending on usage, maintenance, and environmental factors.
Exact original construction costs for the Harden facility are not prominently detailed in recent public records, but the scale of remediation works needed reflects the substantial investment required to extend its operational life.
Boorowa’s sewerage treatment works face similar longevity challenges. The facility has served the town for many years in its present configuration, with infrastructure that has required ongoing attention to meet modern environmental and operational standards. Like Harden, its effective lifespan is approaching or exceeding typical expectations for such assets, prompting questions about long-term planning and renewal.
Both towns’ sewer schemes are funded primarily through user charges and developer contributions accumulated over time. While Hilltops Council publishes aggregated financial information in its annual reports and budgets, detailed breakdowns of individual town sewer funds are not always itemised publicly in an easily accessible format. Overall, the council’s sewer business activity shows restricted cash and investments. These funds support ongoing operations, maintenance, and capital works across the schemes. Water funds, by comparison, hold larger restricted balances, reflecting different investment priorities and grant inflows. But is there anywhere near enough money to fund major upgrades when a renewal was costly at Gundagai in recent years and that was before the rise in costs of materials.
Nearby towns provide useful comparisons. Gundagai, in the neighbouring Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council area, saw its sewerage treatment plant upgraded at a total cost of approximately $19 million. This project received significant state government support, including $10 million from the NSW Government’s Safe and Secure Water Program, with additional contributions from the Australian Government. The upgraded facility was announced as ready to proceed around late 2022, demonstrating how targeted state intervention can accelerate critical infrastructure renewal in regional communities.
Hilltops Council itself has benefited from state government funding for related projects. Water! The proposed Harden to Boorowa Pipeline, aimed at improving water security. It received $412,500 from the NSW Government’s Safe and Secure Water Program to advance the design and tender-ready phase. The overall estimated cost for the full pipeline project has been placed around $56 million, underscoring the scale of investment needed for regional water. Where will the cash from for the Sh$t to flow downhill to be treated?
Boorowa residents have faced particular challenges. The town has experienced ongoing issues with drinking water quality, requiring operational improvements at the water treatment plant supported by NSW Government programs. Additionally, there have been difficulties with effluent management, including challenges in achieving reliable gravity flow or effective discharge “down the hill” due to topography and ageing infrastructure. These combined pressures create a difficult situation for the community, affecting both public health confidence in drinking water and the reliable treatment and disposal of wastewater.
Estimating the cost to fully upgrade plants in towns the size of Boorowa and Harden draws on experiences from similar regional NSW councils. Projects for comparable small-to-medium communities often range from $10 million to $25 million or more for comprehensive modernisations. This can include converting older lagoon or pond systems to more efficient mechanical or advanced treatment technologies, improving compliance with environmental licences, enhancing capacity for growth, and incorporating energy efficiency or water recycling features. For Boorowa and Harden specifically, a full upgrade might fall in the $15–20 million range each, depending on the chosen technology, site constraints, and whether integration with pipelines or regional solutions is pursued. These figures align with recent examples like Gundagai’s $19 million project and other regional upgrades in the $12–15 million bracket.
Council has indicated plans for major water and sewer upgrades and maintenance across Harden and Boorowa over the coming 20 years, but will it be too late. Funded through a combination of user charges, reserves, loans, and potential grants, community consultation on annual water and sewer charges has highlighted the need for these investments to ensure long-term sustainability.
A point of contention for some ratepayers is the handling of detailed sewer infrastructure discussions in closed council sessions. While commercial sensitivities, legal advice, or negotiations with contractors can justify confidentiality, core financial figures—such as fund balances, contribution levies, and projected costs—are routinely published in annual budgets, financial statements, and revenue policies. Greater transparency in open sessions could help build community trust, especially given the direct impact on household charges and service quality. Open discussion of high-level options and funding strategies need not compromise competitive processes.
The situation in Harden and Boorowa reflects wider challenges across regional NSW: ageing assets built decades ago, increasing regulatory and environmental expectations, population and growth pressures, and the high cost of renewal in smaller communities with limited rate bases.
Hilltops inability to function financially and refrain from large deficits is well documented as being nigh on unachievable. State government programs like Safe and Secure Water have proven effective in supporting upgrades elsewhere, as seen in Gundagai, and continued collaboration will be essential.
Hilltops Council faces the task of prioritising investments while managing impacts on ratepayers. For Boorowa in particular, resolving both drinking water quality and effluent management issues is a priority that could benefit from accelerated funding and innovative solutions, such as the Harden pipeline or other regional partnerships. But no one is coming to save them or Harden.
As planning progresses, residents and stakeholders will be watching for clear timelines, funding commitments, and opportunities for input. Transparent, well-communicated strategies that draw on successful models from neighbouring areas could help deliver reliable, modern sewer services that support the liveability and growth of these important Hilltops communities for decades to come.
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