It was back at the 2004 Council elections that the algal blooms at Pambula Beach (pictured) were a huge issue in the Bega Valley. The culprit was, and is, widely believed to be the ocean outfall of Merimbula's treated effluent.

Now, nearly 10 years later, with 2 new holding dams and an irrigation scheme still unable to deal with much of the reclaimed water, Council is favouring a longer pipe out to the ocean at a capital cost of $20 million dollars.

This issue is one of the main reasons Fraser Buchanan stood for, and was elected to Council back in 2004 and, even though he's no longer a Councillor, he continues to speak out against Council's latest plan. This morning he explains his opposition and offers other options that haven't been explored.

Jen Hunt ABC