National Sewerage Program
{{Infobox project
|name=National Sewerage Program
|logo=National_Sewerage_Program_Logo.png
|image=
|caption=
|motto=
|type=Public works
|country=Australia
|primeminister= {{Unbulleted list
| Rt Hon. Malcolm Fraser AC QC GCL
}}
|ministry= {{Unbulleted list | Department of Urban and Regional Development (1972-75) | Department of Environment, Housing and Community Development (1975-77){{cite report
| date = 1976-06-30
| title = NATIONAL SETTLEMENT DIVISION
| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/237050127?q=%22National+Sewerage+Program%22&sortby=dateDesc&c=article&versionId=263999478
| publisher = Department of Environment, Housing and Community Development
| access-date = 2020-01-19
}}}}
|key_people=Tom Uren
|launched={{Start date and age|1972|df=y}}
|closed={{End date and age|1977|08|30|df=y}}
|budget=AUD$330 million
|current_status=Closed}}
The National Sewerage Program was an Australian federal program under the Whitlam and Fraser governments{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127534614|title=sunday TIMESTYLE The Whitlam legacy — unburied by seven years of Fraserism|date=1985-11-03|work=Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995)|access-date=2020-01-18|pages=5}} established to provide funding for the expansion of municipal sewerage systems.{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-21/things-you-didnt-know-whitlam-did/5830508|title=Things you didn't know Gough Whitlam did|last=Drum|first=The|date=2014-10-21|website=ABC News|language=en-AU|access-date=2020-01-18}} At the time Australia was lagging behind other developed nations{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2014/oct/21/gough-whitlam-in-his-own-words|title=Gough Whitlam – in his own words|last=Davidson|first=Helen|date=2014-10-21|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-01-18|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} and it was later estimated that, as of the commencement of the program in 1972, 17.2% of the Australian population were not connected to sewerage.{{cite report|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/236962441?q=%22national+sewerage+program%22&c=article&versionId=263885881|title=DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT SECOND ANNUAL REPORT 1973-74|date=1974-06-30|publisher=Department of Urban and Regional Development|pages=39–40|access-date=2020-01-19|format=Annual Report}} Even in major population centers like Sydney and Melbourne, there was a backlog of over 318,000 homes waiting to be connected to municipal sewerage systems.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/gough-whitlam-left-a-long-list-of-achievements-20141021-119cpu.html|title=Gough Whitlam left a long list of achievements|last=Murphy|first=Damien|date=2014-10-21|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2020-01-18}} The program was administered by the newly formed Department of Urban and Regional Development, and over AUD$330 million of funding was allocated to be distributed to individual states and territories over ten years.{{Cite web|url=http://primeministers.moadoph.gov.au/prime-ministers/gough-whitlam|title=Gough Whitlam — Prime Ministers|website=Australian Prime Ministers|access-date=2020-01-18}} Over the life of the program the sewerage connection backlog was reduced by 30% to 40%. The program was abolished in 1977 by the incumbent Fraser government.{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224512768|title=Budget hits job chances|date=1977-08-30|work=Broadcaster (Fairfield, NSW : 1935 - 1978)|access-date=2020-01-18|pages=2}}{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134400837|title=ELECTIONS 1980 FRASER GOVT: lies, lies, lies, lies and more lies|date=1980-10-02|work=Woroni (Canberra, ACT : 1950 - 2007)|access-date=2020-01-18|pages=8}} Consequently, many communities struggled to connect to sewerage for decades afterwards.{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122486298|title=Local governments 'need more funds'|date=1985-02-27|work=Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995)|access-date=2020-01-18|pages=14}}