Byron Shire Council has made significant changes to the operation and management of its sewage and recycled water systems, aiming to improve financial, social, and environmental outcomes. The Council implemented recycled water and effluent reuse systems at three of its four sewage treatment plants. However, challenges have emerged that require a thorough assessment to guide future decisions.

To address these challenges, NCC was engaged to assist in developing a framework to assess potential effluent reuse options and investment. This project inovlved a two-staged approach to (1) assess the key limitations within the Council in assessing the feasibility of reuse options and (2) demonstrating a best-practice approach to options assessment using a cost-benefit analysis approach. The project leverages significant engagement with Council staff and data on water availabilities and demands. The analysis demonstrated that Council has an opportunity to develop systems with flexibility by investing in environmental uses such as irrigating sites for offset creation.

The findings from this project have been used to communicate a transparent and data-driven approach to assessing options for effluent reuse, with a focus on leveraging the robust biodiversity offset market in NSW to provide a source of revenue generation and cost-recovery.