Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant performance upgrade

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June 2025 update:

Council has resolved to form a consultative committee to support the performance upgrade for Hastings Point WWTP. The committee will include four local community members who will provide feedback on strategic aspects of the project, including options for the plant’s future.

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to join the committee open on Monday 28 July 2025.

We will be seeking residents from across the Tweed to join the committee – especially those with experience in water, wastewater, or financial management.

The committee Terms of Reference, which will include criteria for membership, will be provided on this page Monday 28 July, when EOIs are advertised.



The Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant currently services about 12,860 people who live, work and holiday in Cabarita Beach, Bogangar, Hastings Point and Pottsville.

Ageing assets and population growth is putting pressure on the plant’s performance. While the plant is licensed by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to service about 18,000 people, it needs some improvement works now to ensure it can meet this licensed capacity into the future.

Community benefits

By upgrading the performance of the plant, we will be able to provide resilient and efficient wastewater services for current and future populations. The quality of treated wastewater will be higher, ensuring the plant continues to meet the conditions of its EPA licence.

Options for upgrading

In 2024, Council engaged external engineering consultants, GHD, to evaluate 5 potential upgrade options for the Hastings Point WWTP. This assessment considered technical performance, environmental impact and financial feasibility to identify the most suitable upgrade.

The consultants recommended Option 4: Construct a third extended aeration tank (EAT) as the preferred solution due to its balance of performance, cost and environmental outcomes.

The consultant's report was then subjected to a peer review by Hunter BECA, an independent engineering consultant, who also concluded that Option 4 was suitable compared to the alternatives.

View the Options Assessment Report 2024 and Peer Review of Options Assessment 2024 for details on the options.

Option 4 involves:

  • constructing a third extended aeration tank
  • new inlet works and odour treatment system
  • a 99kW solar array
  • other complementary improvements
  • renewal of existing components at the plant.

The GHD assessment names these benefits of Option 4:

  • maintains the current plant’s operational philosophy with a familiar technology whilst increasing treatment capacity, reliability and redundancy
  • relatively low technical risk in construction and commissioning
  • relatively low energy consumption
  • low maintenance
  • reuses a large amount of existing infrastructure that has remaining life.

Have your say

In May and June 2024, Council sought community feedback on the draft Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant Options Assessment. Of the submissions received:

  • 50% supported the proposed performance upgrade, with some specific issues raised
  • 33% were neither for nor against, with some specific issues raised
  • 17% were against the proposal.

Following additional community input in late 2024 and early 2025, Council resolved at their 20 February 2025 meeting to undertake additional engineering assessment works for both Option 4: constructing a third extended aeration tank (EAT) and Option 5: converting to a membrane bioreactor (MBR) process with the addition of a contact tank. The additional works are now underway and will focus on:

  • further developing performance upgrade Options 4 and 5, to provide more accurate costings and consider outcomes of the noise and odour studies
  • further investigating the current and future loadings on the Hastings WWTP including the impact of holiday loading
  • considering all relevant legislative and regulatory requirements following the performance upgrade of the plant
  • considering Options 4 and 5 in the 2025-26 budget.

For the full Council meeting minutes, visit Council Meeting – 20 February 2025.

What’s next?

We are proceeding with additional assessment works for Options 4 and 5. It is estimated this additional work will take 12 months to complete. The additional engineering investigation report will then be provided to Council to determine a preferred option. This report will be made available on this page prior to Council decision.

Once Council has determined a preferred option, we will finalise the concept design, review environmental factors and determine planning and other government agency approvals. This is expected to take 12 months.

When these actions are complete and approvals are in place, the project will move to the detailed design stage and after that, construction will commence. This is expected to take an additional 2 years.

June 2025 update:

Council has resolved to form a consultative committee to support the performance upgrade for Hastings Point WWTP. The committee will include four local community members who will provide feedback on strategic aspects of the project, including options for the plant’s future.

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to join the committee open on Monday 28 July 2025.

We will be seeking residents from across the Tweed to join the committee – especially those with experience in water, wastewater, or financial management.

The committee Terms of Reference, which will include criteria for membership, will be provided on this page Monday 28 July, when EOIs are advertised.



The Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant currently services about 12,860 people who live, work and holiday in Cabarita Beach, Bogangar, Hastings Point and Pottsville.

Ageing assets and population growth is putting pressure on the plant’s performance. While the plant is licensed by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to service about 18,000 people, it needs some improvement works now to ensure it can meet this licensed capacity into the future.

Community benefits

By upgrading the performance of the plant, we will be able to provide resilient and efficient wastewater services for current and future populations. The quality of treated wastewater will be higher, ensuring the plant continues to meet the conditions of its EPA licence.

Options for upgrading

In 2024, Council engaged external engineering consultants, GHD, to evaluate 5 potential upgrade options for the Hastings Point WWTP. This assessment considered technical performance, environmental impact and financial feasibility to identify the most suitable upgrade.

The consultants recommended Option 4: Construct a third extended aeration tank (EAT) as the preferred solution due to its balance of performance, cost and environmental outcomes.

The consultant's report was then subjected to a peer review by Hunter BECA, an independent engineering consultant, who also concluded that Option 4 was suitable compared to the alternatives.

View the Options Assessment Report 2024 and Peer Review of Options Assessment 2024 for details on the options.

Option 4 involves:

  • constructing a third extended aeration tank
  • new inlet works and odour treatment system
  • a 99kW solar array
  • other complementary improvements
  • renewal of existing components at the plant.

The GHD assessment names these benefits of Option 4:

  • maintains the current plant’s operational philosophy with a familiar technology whilst increasing treatment capacity, reliability and redundancy
  • relatively low technical risk in construction and commissioning
  • relatively low energy consumption
  • low maintenance
  • reuses a large amount of existing infrastructure that has remaining life.

Have your say

In May and June 2024, Council sought community feedback on the draft Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant Options Assessment. Of the submissions received:

  • 50% supported the proposed performance upgrade, with some specific issues raised
  • 33% were neither for nor against, with some specific issues raised
  • 17% were against the proposal.

Following additional community input in late 2024 and early 2025, Council resolved at their 20 February 2025 meeting to undertake additional engineering assessment works for both Option 4: constructing a third extended aeration tank (EAT) and Option 5: converting to a membrane bioreactor (MBR) process with the addition of a contact tank. The additional works are now underway and will focus on:

  • further developing performance upgrade Options 4 and 5, to provide more accurate costings and consider outcomes of the noise and odour studies
  • further investigating the current and future loadings on the Hastings WWTP including the impact of holiday loading
  • considering all relevant legislative and regulatory requirements following the performance upgrade of the plant
  • considering Options 4 and 5 in the 2025-26 budget.

For the full Council meeting minutes, visit Council Meeting – 20 February 2025.

What’s next?

We are proceeding with additional assessment works for Options 4 and 5. It is estimated this additional work will take 12 months to complete. The additional engineering investigation report will then be provided to Council to determine a preferred option. This report will be made available on this page prior to Council decision.

Once Council has determined a preferred option, we will finalise the concept design, review environmental factors and determine planning and other government agency approvals. This is expected to take 12 months.

When these actions are complete and approvals are in place, the project will move to the detailed design stage and after that, construction will commence. This is expected to take an additional 2 years.

Page last updated: 16 Jul 2025, 05:48 PM