General News
13 January, 2026
Lloyd St sewage saga leaves another bad smell
WASTEWATER flowing into the Barron River due to a damaged sewerage pump station in Lloyd Street last week was diverted back into the sewerage system after three days of overflows.
In a final public update late last week, Mareeba Shire Council cancelled a warning notice about swimming or using the river water but reminded people that heavy rains made the river unsafe in general.
The spill was part of an ongoing sewage saga at Lloyd St and surrounds, which began following network damage caused by Cyclone Jasper in 2023, resurfacing in late January 2024 with a sinkhole in Lloyd St, and will ultimately remain unresolved until the end of this year.
The latest sinkhole formed near the sewage network on Lloyd Street at the start of last week and pushed sand and soil into the temporary pump station well, blocking the sewer main and the pump, and creating a discharge overflow.
Crews worked on site from Monday clearing the pump well, but by Thursday, focused on diverting the sewerage flow away from the river, as the temporary pump was damaged.
The crews were subsequently working to remove the damaged pump and replace it with another temporary pump, to ensure the network was back to full capacity.
But once again, residents have been left gagging at the smell, which has continued to recur at the site, despite ongoing action by council, and at the sight of raw sewage running along nearby Sutherland St.
One resident, who wrote to The Express last week, said the problem was causing longer term issues for her neighbours who are closest to the site.
“The owners of the dwelling in Lloyd Street have been making daily calls to the council regarding the increase in the putrid odour and gurgling sounds,” the resident said.
“The property owners have not received any compensation for the ongoing problem and have concern for the stability of their dwelling.
“Meetings with council CEO and Mayor offered no reduction in rates even though the value of their property has been affected by the location of the pump and the ongoing stench.”
In a statement on Friday, a council spokesperson said the council crew had been doing what it could to minimise the odours and other impacts to residents from the temporary pump station on Lloyd Street.
“Council has kept the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation fully informed of the situation at all times and is responding as quickly as possible to remedy the situation to minimise environmental harm,” the spokesperson said.
“This includes using vacuum trucks to reduce sewage overflows and installing additional temporary bypass pumps to redirect flows into the sewerage system while the Lloyd Street repairs are being carried out.”
The ongoing two-year issue was nearing a permanent resolution, after council secured funding late last year for permanent repairs.
It also awarded the tender for the Lloyd Street sewer reconstruction, which also began in late 2025, and will re-commence once weather permits.
“This is a complex project which requires reconfiguration of the existing sewerage system in this area,” the spokesperson said.
“This includes new sewer mains on Sutherland Street, Lloyd Street and Eccles Street, construction of new sewerage pump stations on Sutherland Street and Eccles Street, and modification to the Granite Creek Sewerage Pump Station to connect the new works to the existing network.
“The Lloyd Street sewer reconstruction project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, weather permitting. Following completion of the project, the temporary pump station on Lloyd Street and associated infrastructure will be removed and the area reinstated.”
The spokesperson said the shire’s water and sewerage networks were ageing, with some assets approaching end of life.
“Over the last 10 years, council has done a considerable amount of work to repair, replace and upgrade this critical infrastructure,” the spokesperson said.
“This has involved significant investment in treatment plants, pipe renewals, pump stations, and sewerage network improvements.
“Council is committed to making significant progress in replacing and upgrading its water and sewerage assets, however, this will take many years.”
