The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956)(about) |
Previous issue
Monday 17 December 1888
Next issue
Send to:
|
4 corrections, most recently by keith.furnell - Show corrections
THE PORT MELBOURNE
LAGOON BILL
The Port Melbourne Lagoon Bill, which has been submitted to Parliament by the Chief Secretary), is the outcome of several conferences of local bodies which have been held to consider what steps should be taken to mitigate the nuisance arising from the pollution of the Port Melbourne, Lagoon, by sewage flowing into it from the municipali- ties of South Melbourne and Port Mel- bourne. The subject has been under dis- cussion for years past, but the local bodies interested have been unable to come to anything like an agreement concerning the amount of their con- tributions to the works. the lagoon has, however, become, such as abomina- tion that, to conserve the public health, action has been rendered imperative,. The scheme devised by Mr. Thwaites. C.E, of the Public Works department in 1886, has been adopted. It provides for carrying off storm waters by means of underground sewers starting at Crockford and Ingles streets, Port Melbourne, and thence along Esplanade west. At Spring-street they join with the drain, which serves about 90 acres of Port Melbourne. The sewers are continued along Esplanade west from Spring-street to the present position of the main drain in Port Melbourne, to which point converges the drainage of about 130 acres from central parts of that borough, and thence to the pro- posed site of the pumping station near the South Melbourne gasworks. It will there collect drainage from large portions of South Melbourne, by intercepting the flow into the lagoon. At the pumping station the whole
of the polluted drainage will be raised by pumping plants a height of 10ft. or 12ft. The sewage will then be carried along Graham and Pickle streets to Hobson's Bay by 36in. wrought iron pipes, and be delivered into about 18ft. of water. lf the scheme be carried out it will involve the reclamation of the whole of the lagoon lying between Bridge and Graham streets to the levels of the adjoining streets. The land can subsequently be sold to defray the cost of the works. It has also been proposed to fill a second portion of the lagoon, extending from Graham street to Rouse street. The reclamation of the area between Bridge and Graham streets would give a frontage of 66ft. to 184ft. The land proposed to be re-
claimed was in 1886 estimated to be worth £4 per foot. The cost of the drainage works is stated at £28,110, and of filling £18,000, or a total outlay of £46,110. As a set off against this expenditure is the value of the land, £22,000. Property in the locality has greatly increased in value since the scheme of works was first submitted by Mr. Thwaites, and it is believed, therefore, that the proceeds of the sale of the land would cover the cost of the undertaking. It is in tended that any excess of expenditure shall be borne by the Government, the Harbour Trust, and the corporation of South Mel- bourne and Port Melbourne. Provision is made for the diversion at the pumping station of storm waters borne on the gutters from the sewage.