Once a contractor is engaged, NEW will work closely with them to minimise disruption throughout the construction period, with particular attention to school holidays and other busy times.

The construction timeline will span multiple school holiday periods. As part of the tender process, contractors are required to submit a detailed program of works and a communication plan, which helps ensure the community stays informed and disruptions are managed effectively.

Residents have chosen the external design of the new pump station inspired by the Kiewa River. It was the clear favourite, receiving 83% of the 264 votes cast.

We are continuing to explore amenity enhancements in conjunction with stakeholders and approval processes.

North East Water activated a temporary raw water pipeline in Mount Beauty following another landslip that permanently damaged the existing pipeline. The temporary pipeline will ensure a secure supply of water to Mount Beauty until a new raw water pipeline can be completed in 2026.

Yes. The infrastructure will be designed to ensure the safety of swimmers and other recreational river users.

The offtake design will incorporate safety measures including approved mesh screening that is safe for both aquatic animals and humans.

No. The town’s water treatment plant is more than equipped to safely manage the treatment of drinking water sourced from within this catchment. Regular water quality monitoring and sampling has been undertaken in the area to confirm this.

While regular maintenance of the site will be required once the project is completed, it is not considered that trucks will be using this unloading bay on a regular basis.
More frequently, a few times a week, there will be light vehicles, such as utes and cars, visiting the site to monitor the operation of the facility.

The pump station is not likely to emit noise greater than that of the natural surroundings.

The Independent Project Assurance Review, undertaken by specialist engineering firm SMEC, reviewed North East Water's technical assessments and projected costs for two sites - Embankment Drive (site 2) and Tailrace (site 9 multiple locations). The review concluded that Embankment Drive (site 2) provides greater water security for Mt Beauty, a lower bushfire risk, better operability and constructability, and was more cost effective.

It also concluded that adequate information was provided to perform the comprehensive review and that a reasonable process was followed to identify and shortlist site options. SMEC did, however, suggest the assessment of site 2 does not currently demonstrate that a weir is an essential element of the scope of site 2.

An alternative pump station building site could be considered on the other side of Embankment Drive further from the river, if a weir was not required. A review of the site constraints and hydraulics would be required to determine if these alternatives are feasible.

Nearby traffic and pedestrian routes may be disrupted during periods of the construction depending on the final location. Where needed, traffic management measures will be in place for the duration of the project. Where possible, we will minimise the impacts to community events or activities.

The Community and Key Stakeholder Reference Group was established during phase one of this project to assist in the project decision making regarding the new offtake location. Once the location was finalised the group was disbanded.

Members included:

• Mount Beauty Action Group representative/s
• Upper Kiewa Valley Community Association representative/s
• Other community group representative/s
• Residential customer representative/s
• Business customer representative/s
• Local neighbourhood representative/s (streets, neighbours of recreation reserve)
• Relevant Government Departments (Alpine Shire Council, Department of Health, Country Fire Authority, North East Catchment Management Authority, Goulburn Murray Water etc.)
• AGL