Despite being at the top of Cessnock City Council’s priority list for sewerage, it was recently revealed that North Rothbury would not be connected to the sewer until 2024/25.

The villagers fear they will be seen as the “poor cousin” to the neighbouring new town of Huntlee.

“We’re in the 21st century now,” resident Robyn Talbot said.

“We’re not an outpost any more; the ‘burbs have caught up with us.”

North Rothbury Tidy Towns secretary Patricia Ables said leaking septic systems sometimes forced pedestrians onto the road verge on Wine Country Drive to avoid walking through treated effluent.

But Ms Ables acknowledged that most people in the village were happy with their septic systems.

“People knew what North Rothbury had when they bought here,” resident of 70-plus years, John Butler, said.

Ms Ables said the sewerage system was among a number of infrastructure issues in North Rothbury, with roads and maintenance upgrades and better broadband facilities also on residents’ wish lists.

Hunter Water proposed in 2014 that it would connect 214 properties in North Rothbury to its sewer network at a cost of $12 million.

The corporation intended the work would be funded via a levy charged to every property owner throughout the Hunter – a levy that requires the approval of the pricing regulator IPART.

“Hunter Water’s water and sewer prices for the next four years were approved by IPART just four months ago, meaning there is no current opportunity to review the proposal,” a Hunter Water spokesperson said.

Cessnock City Council is calling on Hunter Water to review the decision and complete the North Rothbury works by August 2020.

Ward C councillor Melanie Dagg moved the motion at council’s October 19 meeting.

“It is simply unacceptable that the growth areas completely surrounding North Rothbury will be fully sewered and yet no formal date has been set for the provision of basic sewerage services in the village of North Rothbury,” she said.