FAQs

Currently, around four million litres of untreated wastewater is discharged directly into the ocean in the Vaucluse and Diamond Bay area.

Sydney Water is building a new pump station at Parsley Bay and supporting infrastructure which will redirect untreated wastewater away from one of three of Sydney’s last remaining outfalls in Vaucluse and transfer it to the Bondi treatment plant. We’re also investigating upgrades to our network to redirect untreated wastewater flows from the remaining two outfalls at Diamond Bay to the Bondi treatment plant. 

 Upgrading the wastewater system in Vaucluse and Diamond Bay offers multiple benefits - improving the harbour and coastal water quality, as well as protecting the health of the community and marine ecology. 

We'll build new wastewater infrastructure to divert untreated wastewater from the ocean outfalls to the Bondi wastewater treatment plant. This includes:

• a new wastewater pump station in the footprint of the current amenities block at Parsley Bay car park.
• two new pipelines underneath the creek to connect to the chambers and the new pump station at Parsley Bay.
• new bathroom and shower amenities in the Caretaker’s Cottage to replace the old facility.
• a new 1.8 km wastewater pressure pipeline from Parsley Bay to Dover Road via Carlisle Street, at a depth of up to 60m using underground drilling and some open trenching at the connection point to the existing network at Dover Road.
• a new pump station at the Eastern Reserve area.
• new gravity wastewater pipelines using underground drilling at Diamond Bay. 
• a new pressure pipeline on Ocean View Road, Dover Heights which will be constructed by open trenching.
• upgrading existing pipes at Old South Head Road.
• upgrading existing and installing new infrastructure such as vents and manholes.

 We are revisiting the design and location of the pump station along with supporting infrastructure at Eastern Reserve. We aim to have the design completed by the end of this year and will provide an update to the community when this work has been completed.

Construction started in May 2024 with the closure of the car park, establishing the construction site and early work to locate water and electricity services on Horler Avenue.  Pedestrian access will be maintained via the walking track on The Crescent, Fitzwilliam Road, Hopetoun and Avenue and Horler Avenue with the assistance of traffic controllers. We’ll keep the community and nearby residents informed in the lead-up to construction and throughout the life of the project.

Construction started in May 2024 and at this stage, it is expected to finish at the end of 2026, weather permitting.

In 2018, Sydney Water released a Pollution Study Report; Vaucluse Diamond Bay Ocean Discharges, in response to the NSW Environmental Protection Authority's Pollution Reduction Program.

Based on the information in the study, we recommended that people avoid fishing, swimming or contact with water near the three outfalls while we work towards refreshing the wastewater system to stop untreated wastewater entering the coastal environment.

As part of the project, we will be building:

• a new pump station largely within the existing amenity block site and carpark. 
• a new 1.8 km wastewater pressure pipeline from Parsley Bay to Dover Road via Carlisle Street, at a depth of up to 60m using underground drilling and some open trenching at the connection point to the existing network at Dover Road. 
• two new pipes and maintenance holes (using underground drilling) will be constructed in Parsley Bay to capture the wastewater from the Watsons Bay and Vaucluse Carrier and divert it to the pump station. 
• new bathroom and shower amenities in the Caretaker’s Cottage. 

Sydney Water has considered several options to capture wastewater from the Watsons Bay and Vaucluse areas and divert it away from Sydney’s last remaining sewage ocean outfalls at Vaucluse and Diamond Bay. These options included building two new treatment plants in the area as well as the supporting pipe infrastructure; building an entirely new wastewater network from Vaucluse to the Bondi treatment plant; or transferring wastewater from Vaucluse and Diamond Bay to the Bondi and North Head treatment plants via a sea route. 

 When compared to the solution, these options were not progressed as they:

• involve the construction of around four kilometres of additional three metre diameter pipes in complex residential or ocean environments.
• include more infrastructure such as deep maintenance and vent shafts in residential areas and in roads.
• require more property acquisition and easements to build and maintain the infrastructure.
• have substantially higher construction and operating costs, resulting in higher customer bills.
• have substantially more environmental and community impacts over a longer period than the approved option.

When compared with the preferred solution to build a pump station at Parsley Bay and the Eastern Reserve area, the other options were assessed as having substantially more environmental and community impacts over a larger area, as well as being an unacceptable additional cost to Sydney Water’s 5.2 million customers. 

We looked at alternative locations for the pump station including the surrounding area, but with limited land available and narrow streets; safe construction, operation and maintenance of the station could not occur. 

If the pump station was moved to another location, similar infrastructure would still be needed at Parsley Bay (including pipes underneath the creek and wastewater chambers) to capture and divert wastewater from the surrounding area, resulting in similar environmental impacts. This infrastructure would have a similar footprint to the pump station solution, however additional pipes, multiple maintenance shafts in residential properties and roads, vent shafts and a pump station would still be required in another location, resulting in greater impacts to the community and the environment. 

Building the pump station within the existing amenity block site at Parsley Bay where the existing wastewater pipes meet will allow all wastewater from the Vaucluse and Watsons Bay area to be captured and pumped (largely via the existing pipe network) to the Bondi plant for treatment. 

Below is a schematic drawing of the Parsley Bay work zones.

To minimise impacts on the surrounding environment the pump station will be built in the location of the existing amenity block, mostly underground. An electrical kiosk and light will be visible as they will sit on top of the pump station structure. Two new maintenance holes will be built in the carpark. 

As a result of the pump station moving away from the rock face into the carpark area, there will be a permanent loss of 4 car spaces. This relocation will also allow our networks and maintenance team to access the pump station safely. We will look at urban design finishes to blend the pump station into the surrounding environment as much as possible.

Below are the images to give you a sense of what the new pump station will look after construction is complete. 

Wastewater pump stations are installed when wastewater is unable to move from one location to another by gravity alone. The pump station at Parsley Bay will be used to lift the wastewater from the area where the two main carriers meet to a higher level at Rose Bay. From there, the wastewater will flow through our existing network and end up at the Bondi treatment plant.    

The pump station and flow of wastewater is remotely monitored by our System Operation Centre. The system is set up with automatic controls and alarm systems which can be remotely monitored and operated. The team at the System Operation Centre ensures the pumps and equipment are operating safely and in case of a power outage the back-up generator can be activated.  

The pump station is designed with no overflow arrangement at Parsley Bay. In extreme weather conditions, the system will use the existing outfall system to transfer the excess flow away from Parsley Bay. Sydney Water will develop a site specific operational and maintenance plan to manage the pump station during any periods of power and mechanical outage. 

The project was assessed via a Review of Environmental Factors (REF) which was prepared under Division 5.1 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

Planning approval for the project was granted in December 2020. The approval followed community consultation on the concept design in 2020 and public display of the REF. Submissions received during the public display period were considered by the project team and responded to in the Decision Report. 

Following feedback from stakeholders, further flora and fauna assessments were conducted and are discussed in the Decision Report. 

Sydney Water has also engaged an independent ecologist to undertake supplementary biodiversity assessment to help progress the design and inform the Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP). The contractor will provide Sydney Water with the CEMP for review and endorsement to ensure the impacts on the community and the environment are managed appropriately.

We will undertake further environmental assessments if the design or construction methodology changes significantly.

The REF and Decision Report are available to view at: www.sydneywatertalk.com.au/vauclusediamondbay. 

We understand that Parsley Bay is a family friendly park and beach that is well-loved by the community, and we are committed to managing potential impacts during the construction and operation of the pump station effectively. The project will significantly improve the coastal water quality, as well as protect the health of the community and marine ecology.

In accordance with Section 6.2 of the Review of Environmental Factors (REF), Abergeldie has developed a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) to:

• Provide a framework for construction activities in an environmentally sustainable manner, minimising impacts to people and the environment
• Evaluate, minimise and avoid potential environmental impacts during construction
• Ensure all appropriate environmental management measures and controls are implemented during construction
• Comply with relevant legislative requirements, licenses and permits.

The CEMP is the overarching document in the environmental management system and it includes a number of management documents. It is applicable to all staff and subcontractors associated with the construction of the Project. The CEMP has been finalised in consultation with Woollahra Council and is endorsed by Sydney Water.

Sydney Water is highly aware of the ecological value and presence of threatened species and protected seahorse communities in Parsley Bay. No work will be undertaken within the marine area of Parsley Bay and management measures will be in place to manage sediment and run-off issues in the event of heavy rainfall.

Sydney Water is committed to providing the best outcomes for the environment and will have measures in place to reduce impacts. The importance of trees and green spaces in our community, which provide shade and help cool our urban areas, cannot be underestimated. 

The footprint of the pump station has been modified, reducing vegetation clearing to around 17 trees (a mix of juvenile and mature trees) around the pump station. We will look at ways to further reduce the number of trees and plants impacted by the project.

Through the modification of the design and construction methodology we have reduced the vegetation clearance across the project from 0.36 ha to 0.07 ha, or around 80%. 

The fig tree will remain, with sections of the tree trimmed to allow work to be completed safely.

Yes, we will work with Woollahra Council and the local Bush care group to plant trees and shrubs to replace and offset the vegetation impacted, and to rehabilitate the area.

Where possible, we will restrict vegetation removal to ground cover. If we can’t do this or retain mature vegetation that provides screening to adjacent residences, we will consult any impacted landowners and seek to replace these with mature trees wherever possible.

Sydney Water is investigating the existing overflow issues at Parsley Bay as part of our SewerFix program.

We’ve been working closely with Woollahra Council to develop the design for the new amenities facility in Parsley Bay in the existing Caretaker’s Cottage. 

The new amenities will be located on the ground floor of the cottage and provide similar facilities as the existing amenities block. It will include separate male, female and accessible/family toilets and change facilities. The entrance to the female and wheelchair accessible facilities will be next to the kiosk while the entrance to the male facilities will be on the side of the building along Horler Avenue.

Construction of the new amenities at the Caretaker's Cottage will commence in September 2024, weather permitting. Sydney Water will provide temporary amenities throughout our work in Parsley Bay prior to the opening of the new amenities in early 2025. 

For the safety of the community and our workers, the Caretakers Cottage area will be closed during the construction of new amenities. 

The Kiosk is open to visitors until work commences on the construction of the new amenities block which is anticipated to start in the third quarter (August - September) of 2024.  Alternative arrangements are currently being explored by Sydney Water to provide catering facilities for visitors to the Reserve, after this date. One option is a mobile catering facility located within the Reserve for visitors to access while the new amenities are under construction.

Four car parking spaces will be permanently removed as part of the work to allow safe access to the pump station for our maintenance team.  

We are committed to minimising and managing potential impacts to the community during the construction. To manage any impacts during the construction phase, a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) has been prepared and includes mitigation measures to manage:

• dust and noise.
• sediment and run-off.
• traffic management in and around the worksite.
• site deliveries and lay down areas.
• working hours.
• pedestrian management.
• drilling work.
• vegetation protection.
• spoil management.

Vehicle access on Horler Avenue will be closed during construction.

Pedestrian access to the reserve and beach areas will be maintained through Horler Avenue, Hopetoun Avenue, Fitzwilliam Road and The Crescent. Traffic controllers will be in place at the top of Horler Avenue to provide safe access for pedestrians and our workers.

Please see the map below for more information about pedestrian access to Parsley Bay.

Sydney Water is currently procuring a contractor to construct the pump station, amenities block and supporting infrastructure at Parsley Bay. 

Once appointed, the contractor will develop a comprehensive Construction Environmental Management Plan which will outline how they will manage and monitor potential impacts on the environment and the community in accordance with the Review of Environmental Factors and Decision Report, and the relevant legislation and standards. Sydney Water will review and endorse the plan and will work with the contractor to ensure the project is managed effectively to minimise impacts.

Stormwater assets at Parsley Bay are owned by Woollahra Council and are not related to the Refresh Vaucluse Diamond Bay project. 

Sydney Water will manage stormwater associated with the Refresh Vaucluse Diamond Bay project during construction in accordance with the Construction Environmental Management Plan.

The Nielsen Park project is not managed by Sydney Water and is unrelated to the Refresh Vaucluse and Diamond Bay Project. Please contact The Department of Planning and Environment who is managing the project on npws.sydneysouth@environment.nsw.gov.au.

After consultation with key stakeholders and the community, we have decided to revisit the design and location of the pump station infrastructure to divert the two Diamond Bay outfalls. We aim to have the design completed by the end of this year and will provide an update to the community when this work has been completed. 

We’re thankful for the ongoing support we receive from the community as we work together to reduce the continuous discharge of untreated wastewater into the ocean at Vaucluse, Diamond Bay and Dover Heights. 

Since we began consulting with the community on this project in 2018, we have engaged with the community by: 

• setting up a Community Reference Group (CRG) of 12 suitably experienced representatives from across Vaucluse, Diamond Bay, and Rose Bay.
• distributing eleven project newsletters to around 13,000 properties each issue.
• hosting six face-to-face community sessions to consult the community on the design of the pump station. Over 300 people attended to share their feedback on the project holding three online information sessions in 2020 to support the public display of the Review of Environmental Factors (REF).
• Door knocking 237 properties close to the construction sites during the REF public display period.
• holding a webinar in 2022 to discuss the Refresh Vaucluse Diamond Bay project and the proposed design.
• consulting with the community in 2022 on the 50% design through online sessions and via a survey issued in newsletters and emails. Sydney Water received 216 submissions which were compiled into a Community Consultation Outcomes Report, published on Sydney Water Talk.
• setting up 16 meetings with community members regarding the detailed design. 
• meeting with community members throughout 2023 to discuss the site layout at Parsley Bay.
• regularly updating Sydney Water Talk website and providing an email registration option for community members to receive updates on the project. 

We will continue to consult with you throughout the upcoming project phases; detailed design, construction and operation.

To find out more about the project or sign up for email updates please visit our Sydney Water Talk.

Feedback from the community and stakeholders including Woollahra and Waverley Councils have helped us to refine the pump station design, reducing impacts to the environment and the community. The footprint of the pump station will be within the existing amenity block and moved away from the rockface further into the car park area. This modification, along with other design and construction methodology changes has contributed to the reduction of vegetation clearance from 0.36 ha to 0.07 ha, or around 80%.

Sydney Water is committed to keeping stakeholders informed and will provide accurate and timely information throughout the project. We will listen to your concerns and wherever possible, act upon them.

 To find out more about the project please or sign up for email updates visit our Sydney Water Talk.

You can contact the project team by:

Phone: 1800 641 349

Email: vauclusediamondbay@sydneywater.com.au.

Underground drilling is the preferred construction technique from Parsley Bay to Carlisle Street, Rose Bay. This involves the installation of pipes using an underground drilling machine without the need to dig open-cut trenches to lay the pipes. We will need to dig a pit in the road at both ends of the underground pipe alignment to launch the drilling machine and eventually remove it. 

Underground drilling machines are generally narrow. We will be drilling a 45-50cm wide tunnel from Parsley Bay up to Rose Bay. A 35cm wide pipe will then be installed in the tunnel. 

A noise and vibration assessment was prepared for the project as part of the REF. The assessment notes that during construction there will be some temporary noise associated with digging an entry and exit pit for the underground drilling machine. Ground-borne noise and vibration at surface level is unlikely to occur during the trenchless pipe installation. 

A noise and vibration management plan will be prepared by the contractor and management safeguards will be incorporated into the Construction Environmental Management Plan.

We’ll continue to provide updates as we prepare for construction. 

These images show how underground drilling and open-cut trenches are generally constructed. 

Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure is a delivery partner engaged by Sydney Water. Management plans (Safety, Construction Management, Environmental, Community, etc.) were prepared by Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure as part of the contract requirements which were reviewed and endorsed by Sydney Water. Sydney Water reviews the implementation of management plans by conducting system and compliance audits every 6 months, in conjunction with weekly site inspections during delivery of the project. The contract also has key performance indicators in place which are designed to measure and monitor Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure’s performance during the delivery of the project.

Throughout the project, trucks and machinery will need to travel down residential streets to deliver and remove equipment. 

We’ll work closely with Council to coordinate any roadwork, traffic management, and reduce the duration of impact on the community as much as possible. We’ll provide further details in notifications to local residents as the construction work proceeds.

Measures to address sedimentation, as listed the planning approval documents are included in the Soil and Water Management Plan (SWMP) and Erosion and Sediment Control Plans (ESCP). Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure have engaged certified specialists in preparing ESCPs (Erosion and Sediment Control Plans) for Sydney Water endorsement.
Throughout construction and prior to site changes, the plans and controls will be reviewed and updated as required. Controls are inspected by an erosion and sedimentation specialist upon initial implementation, weekly by Sydney Water and daily by Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure.

The pumping station will be enclosed underground with lids. We will install a new filter on the existing vent shaft to prevent any odour impacting the community. We will also test for odour using handheld equipment and sensors to ensure no nuisance odours are detectable which may impact surrounding residents.

Once construction starts, our teams will need a site office and storage area close to the construction site. In addition, Sydney Water’s Maintenance and Networks teams require a site for the Dover Heights Reservoir to ensure its ongoing operation and safety. 

To minimise the impact on public spaces, we will use the land owned by Sydney Water located at Dudley Page Reserve in Dover Heights to install temporary office spaces and amenities for our project and maintenance team. Site preparation work has been completed and we will notify the community once we have a contractor on board and are ready to set up the site office. 

Dust suppression during demolition of the toilet, such as water sprinklers, block will be used. All construction and demolition waste will be disposed offsite to an appropriately licensed waste facility in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency waste guidelines. The project’s comprehensive erosion and sediment controls will prevent sediment entering the creek

Qualified and certified environmental consultants have collected soil that will be disturbed as part of the works and have tested it for the presence of contamination and for waste classification purposes. All soil tested has been classified in accordance with relevant Environmental Protection Agency guidelines and will be disposed of at an appropriately licensed waste facility. 

Any unexpected finds of potential contamination will be managed in accordance with the Unexpected Finds Procedure included in the CEMP. This includes the cessation of work and contacting a qualified and certified environmental consultant to examine the find and to provide advice on the next steps. Comprehensive erosion and sediment controls will be installed and monitored to prevent sediment entering the creek. 

The vegetation community at Parsley Bay Reserve has been assessed to be consistent with the Sydney Coastal Sandstone Foreshores Forest and is not classified as Littoral Rainforest. This classification was confirmed in the Ecologist Report conducted in May 2023. 

The Project Ecologist will prepare a comprehensive Landscape Management Plan to guide the restoration of the site. The Plan will be informed by consultation with Council and the Bushcare Group. Professional contractors will complete the restoration works. 

Bush regeneration will commence as soon as work in each area is complete. At this stage we anticipate that this will be in early 2026. Details of the bush regeneration plan will be included in the Landscape Management Plan which will be developed in consultation with the local Bushcare Group and Council.

No nest boxes or artificial hollows are proposed for installation as no hollows are proposed for removal. The hollow-bearing Eucalyptus robusta will be protected throughout the works. A certified Arborist is providing advice on managing the works in the vicinity of this tree to ensure it is not impacted.

A certified Ecologist has inspected the project area, including the toilet block. No microbats were observed, and it has been noted that microbats are unlikely to be present. The certified Ecologist will survey the toilet block again prior to demolition and if microbats are present, work will cease, and the Ecologist will provide advice on the next steps.

The Ecologists have inspected rocky features of the site for fauna habitat. The certified Ecologist will complete a preclearing survey prior to any vegetation clearing, including the reinspection of fauna habitat. The Project Ecologist and Project Arborist will be on site to monitor vegetation clearing. Further information can be found in the Review of Environmental Factors June 2020 (click here to download) and the Review of Environmental Factors Addendum and Ecologist Report (May 2023) on the website (click here to download). In summary, the REFA (Review of Environmental Factors Addendum) states; ‘The proposal will not be carried out in a declared area of outstanding biodiversity value and is not likely to significantly affect threatened species, populations or ecological communities, or their habitats.’

The contact details for WIRES are included in the project’s management plans and documentation as well as the site induction to ensure all site staff are aware of their responsibility to contact WIRES, the Environment Team, and the project-appointed and certified Ecologist in the event of injured wildlife.

A certified Ecologist has commenced surveys of the reserve for the Powerful Owl and its prey species. Surveys will be ongoing throughout construction. If Powerful Owls are observed in the construction area, the Ecologist will provide advice on the next steps. There is a pair of Owls currently nesting in a hollow-bearing tree outside of Parsley Bay Reserve and, recent surveys have observed the male foraging in the Reserve. The project team is liaising with the local Birdlife volunteer who monitors the local Powerful Owls. 

The volunteer has delivered an awareness session to the Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure and Sydney Water project team. 

A property condition survey is an inspection of a building or property to assess and document its general condition. The property condition survey is offered before infrastructure construction starts close to residential property. The purpose of a property condition survey is to record the structural condition of your property before work begins.

A property condition survey offers a comprehensive written and photographic record of your property’s condition prior to the commencement of construction work. For the Refresh Vaucluse Diamond Bay project, the construction includes new pump stations at Parsley Bay and Diamond Bay and supporting infrastructure to the Bondi Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF).

The survey is undertaken by a professional and authorised survey company and involves taking photographs of any visible damage or defect within buildings and structures on a property. It will also include outside structures such as sheds, driveways, swimming pools, fences and retaining walls. Depending on the size and condition of the property, an inspection can take between one and three hours.

Properties are identified through a 'zone of influence' - which is the geographical area primarily considered impacted by infrastructure projects. The ‘zone of influence’ for this project has been identified as properties along the pipeline alignment where the pipe’s depth is less than 15 m - these properties are eligible for a free property condition survey. 

 If you are a tenant, please inform your managing agent or owner about this request, or please inform the project of your landlord or agent's details.

Before construction starts in an area, the Refresh Vaucluse Diamond Bay project Community team will contact eligible properties to offer surveys to property owners. The property condition survey will be scheduled at a time that is suitable for you, ideally prior to construction occurring near your property.

The property condition survey will be undertaken by an independent and authorised survey company who have been engaged to carry out the work on behalf of the project. Inspections will 

need to take place during daylight hours to accurately record the exterior condition of the property.

If you haven’t received an offer for a property condition survey, it means your home is not within the ‘zone of influence’ identified by the project and a survey is not required.