Yarram Sewerage Authority

Full description

Yarram Sewerage Authority was constituted by Order-in-Council dated the 24th of April 1939. This was in response to an application made to the Governor-in-Council by the Alberton Shire Council (VA 2372) under the Sewerage Districts Act 1928 (Act No. 3772). Membership of the Yarram Sewerage Authority was to consist of the councillors of the Alberton Shire Council for the interim period. The Order-in-Council specified the boundaries of the Yarram Sewerage District and set the amount permitted for the Sewerage Authority to borrow at being forty thousand pounds with an overdraft of two thousand pounds. The principal works of the Yarram Sewerage Authority as specified by the application was to consist of constructing and maintaining reticulation and branch sewers, main sewers, pumping plant, rising main, treatment works and a sewerage farm.

Under the Sewerage Districts Acts, any municipality or group of municipalities who would like to have sewerage works constructed, maintained or continued were required to make an application to the Minister, who was to pass it on to the Commission of Public Health (VA 694). Application could also be made by a petition of not less than 200 ratepayers of a particular area, or by a constituted Waterworks Trust.

The application to the Minister was to include a general plan of works and a description which set forth the object and purpose of the proposed sewerage works, how the funds were to be obtained, an estimate of costs, a statement of the annual value of the property to be benefited by the works, the boundaries of the proposed sewerage district, details of works proposed that would lie outside of this proposed district, and the Waterworks Authority from which water would be obtained for the proposed undertaking and the terms and conditions of supply. The Minister was to forward the general plan and description to the Governor-in-Council for sanction.

Notification of the application for works and the location of where the plan and description have been deposited for viewing by the public were to appear in local newspapers and the Victorian Government Gazette at least a month before the proposed works were to be sanctioned. Petitions by ratepayers in favour of or against the proposed works were to also be forwarded on to the Minister for submission to the Governor-in-Council. Inspection copies of the application, plan and description were to be deposited at the local Municipality Office of each applicant, the office of the Minister, the offices at the Commission of Public Health and/or the offices of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (VA 723).

If the Governor-in-Council approved the submission for works, a Sewerage District could be proclaimed by Order-in-Council. The Sewerage District was to be a body corporate, with perpetual succession, common seal, the ability to borrow money, capable of suing and being sued, and purchasing, holding and alienating land e.t.c.

If the Sewerage District was within one municipal district the members of the municipal council were to be the members of the Sewerage Authority. If the Sewerage District was shared between several councils, then the members of the Sewerage Authority was to consist of one person appointed by the Governor-in-Council and others elected by the municipal councils concerned, the commissioners of a Waterworks Trust of other body supplying water for the project, or by the councillors of the ridings of the municipal district concerned. The members of the Sewerage Authority were not to number more than six.

Sewerage Authorities were required to hold regular meetings and were able to create by-laws and regulations and levy sewerage rates. Sewerage Authorities were to be regularly audited, and were therefore required to keep and maintain accurate accounts. Due to the close relationship between Sewerage Authorities and Water Authorities (such as Waterworks Trusts), office space and recordkeeping systems were often shared.

The Yarram Sewerage Authority became incorporated into the Alberton Water Board (VA 2223) from the 1st of January 1984.