Community & Business
12 November, 2025
Gilgandra's $20 million sewer treatment plant
The NSW Government has invested $17.8 million in a new sewage treatment plant for Gilgandra that will "future-proof" wastewater services for the town.
Gilgandra Shire Council (GSC) has contributed $2.2 million toward the $20 million project which will transform the towns existing 60-year-old structure into a new state-of-the-art plant.
This new plant will use a high-tech activated sludge treatment system known as Intermittent Decanted Extended Aeration (IDEA), capable of treating sewage to a much higher standard to improve effluent quality for better community and environmental outcomes.
The project also includes upgrades to two pump stations and pipelines, making the plant more user friendly, reliable and cost effective, reducing maintenance and expanding its capacity to service a larger population. Construction is due to start in early 2026 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
The nearly $18 million in funding is part of the state government's Safe and Secure Water Program, supporting up to $1 billion in water infrastructure projects across the state.
Director for grants programs, Kirsty Fenton, for the department of climate change, energy, the environment, and water, said the funding will enable council to prepare for the future by building a new treatment plant that will keep up with demand, operate more reliably and safeguard the environment.
"We're committed to helping regional towns get the infrastructure they need to provide better services to the community and unlock economic growth opportunities, which is why we've thrown our support behind Gilgandra to get this project off the ground.
"I'm really pleased to see this project inching closer to shovels in the ground and I look forward to seeing it cross the finishing line in 2027."
GSC mayor Doug Batten said the town's existing infrastructure is under significant strain as the 1960s design has reached the end of its useful life.
"As we work towards a greater population, supported by a new industrial estate, Inland Rail, and renewable energy opportunities, the pressure on the system will only increase.
"We're making sure our community has a treatment plant capable of meeting demand while maintaining a higher-quality effluent to better protect the environment.
"This major investment from the NSW government is a lifeline for our community, enabling us to build a new sewage treatment plant fit for the 21st century, and ensuring we have wastewater infrastructure that will support Gilgandra now and for decades to come," said mayor Batten.
