SUBCONTRACTORS have been engaged to continue construction on the Bathurst water harvesting project after the previous contractor was dismissed.
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Three companies will continue the work on stage one of the project.
The council has engaged Optimal Stormwater Pty Ltd for the design of the project and the supply and installation of water quality pretreatment systems.
QMAX Pty Ltd will be responsible for excavation and installing pumps and associated equipment on land near the Macquarie River, within the boundary of the waste water treatment and water filtration plants.
The third subcontractor, LMI Pty Ltd, will install the polymer lining at the Bathurst Water Filtration Plant for the 8ML pond and the waste water treatment plant 28ML pond.
Mayor Robert Taylor said engaging new subcontractors is a step in the right direction.
"We are very pleased to have secured appropriately qualified contractors to assist with the completion of the first stage of the water harvesting scheme," he said.
"As we continue to grow, this project is crucial for our town's water security and ensures we are proactively safeguarding our population."
The water harvesting scheme has been under construction since December 2022, with Hynash Constructions leading the project after the council accepted its tender.
Work came to a halt in September 2024 following the disturbance of asbestos-containing material in Snudden Park, off lower Durham Street.
The soil containing the asbestos had been excavated as part of the pipework installation.
Bathurst council confirmed it terminated the contract with Hynash in September 2024, citing significant construction delays.
"The works are over a year late, and the contractor has not provided any reasonable explanation or remedial action plan to overcome the delay in completing the works," council's general manager, David Sherley, said at the time.
The council has since spent more than $750,000 remediating the area, with the bill likely to grow.
