Waste water plan angers residents

Torbay residents have slammed a Water Corporation plan to pump hundreds of kilolitres of waste water from Denmark's new desalination plant onto Perkins Beach from next month.

About three trucks would discharge an estimated 60 kilolitres of salty waste water six days a week into a drain on Perkins Beach Road, with a pipe carrying the "brine" to a pool behind Perkins Beach, if the proposal goes ahead.

Water Corporation Great Southern regional manager Andrew Kneebone said the plan did not require Department of Environment Regulation approval, but may need a transport licence under controlled water regulations because the brine contained anti-scalant.

The Corporation informed residents on Monday, but a truck-parking bay was built two weeks ago and construction of the pipe was scheduled to start mid-May.

Torbay Hill Residents and Ratepayers Association chairwoman Jessica Dyer, who heard about the plan last Friday, said it was "outrageous" and residents were angry.

"It has been done on the quiet and infrastructure has already been put into place," she said.

"We do not want to set a precedent of being a dumping spot.

"They say it is temporary and a small quantity but three trucks every day is not a small amount in my mind."

Torbay Catchment Group treasurer Pip Tilbrook said the lack of community consultation was "atrocious".

"It is pretty sneaky," she said.

"They seem very confident it will go ahead if they have already put in the parking bay without letting us know."

She said residents were concerned there had been inadequate environmental assessment and were worried about the impact on beach users and tourism, with Cosy Corner and Camp Kennedy located either side of the beach.

Elleker resident Wendy Coffey has started a petition opposing the plan, which at the time of print had gathered about 500 signatures.

Mr Kneebone said the corporation had worked closely with the City of Albany, which owns the land, to select a suitable site and locations closer to Denmark were unsuitable.

There will be a public meeting at Elleker Hall at 7pm tonight.