Big firms win water plant jobs

Jessica Benton
A CONSORTIUM of international companies has won a $90 million contract to build a new water treatment plant in Geelong’s northern suburbs.
John Holland, one of Australia’s largest contracting businesses, won the work along with global engineering, construction and services company Kellogg Brown and Root and wet infrastructure and strategic engineering firm Montgomery Watson Harza.
The Northern Treatment plant will supply Shell’s Corio refinery with recycled water to ween it off the city’s drinking supplies. Authorities estimate water savings of about five per cent a year from the Shell supply alone.
Shell has committed $44.1 million to the project, with the Commonwealth contributing $20 million, State Government $9.2 million and Barwon Water $16.1 million.
The treatment plant will recycle trade and household waste on vacant industrial land adjacent to the refinery.
Community facilities and sporting fields could also have access to the plant’s recycled water.
Barwon Water expects the project to reduce discharges to Corio Bay by 10 per cent a year.
Barwon Water said the Northern Treatment Plant was scheduled for completion in mid 2012.
Premier John Brumby said the treatment plant formed part of a joint State Government and Barwon Water “major initiative” for the region.
He highlighted the treatment plant when he last week said that governments and Barwon Water were investing more than $580 million in a series of projects to maintain supply to Geelong, the Surf Coast and the Bellarine Peninsula.
Mr Brumby said the projects would create up to 540 direct jobs in the region.
Construction of the treatment plant would account for 100 jobs, he said.
“The Victorian Government and Barwon Water are undertaking record investment in water infrastructure projects to secure Geelong’s long-term water supply, which is helping create jobs,” Mr Brumby said.