Cairns development sediment run-off sparks wet season earthworks ban call to protect Reef
A ban on wet-season earthworks has been mooted amid concerns construction site run-off could have dire implications for the Great Barrier Reef.
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A BAN on wet-season earthworks has been mooted amid concerns sediment run-off from Cairns construction sites could have dire implications for the Great Barrier Reef.
It is a clash between commercial pragmatism and environmental protection in one of the most ecologically sensitive parts of the world.
Freshwater resident Paul Matthews has made it his mission to get authorities to act after witnessing mass amounts of dirt being washed from worksites in his suburb.
He says the run-off is all bound for the Great Barrier Reef lagoon – care of a short network of stormwater drains – and a change is needed.
The well-known veterinarian and Stratford and Freshwater Community Association (SAFCA) treasurer wants Cairns Regional Council to either block builders from carrying out earthworks during the wet season or become rigid in its enforcement of sediment control measures.
He has photographed examples of erosion and run-off at Freshwater worksites and challenged the council to make a change.
“Cairns Regional Council advertises that it is a Reef Guardian Council,” he said.
“We are seeing a lot of this (sediment) washing into stormwater drains and into the Reef lagoon.
“The Reef is struggling at the moment, and having this sort of extra load is not going to help the situation.
“It’s a no-brainer to me and several other people that development occurring during the wet season should have proper erosion and sediment controls.”
Mr Matthews went a step further to say earthworks should be prohibited during the rainy months unless the council could properly monitor run-off.
“Development during the wet season is really counterintuitive if they want to protect the Reef,” he said.
Mr Matthews shared several alarming photos of run-off from worksites in Freshwater but said the issue existed in every suburb where new development occurred.
The subject of one set of photos was 181-183 Kamerunga Rd – the site of a future 14-unit residential development.
Developer Myles Moody said the photos were taken before the latest downpour, and provided new images showing sediment control barriers were now in place.
“I put the silt control up the day before the big rain event was forecast,” he said.
“The council did call me, and I sent them pictures.
“They haven’t had any other response back to me.”
Mr Myles said the site had been used by residents as an unofficial rubbish dump for years.
“As you will see in recent pictures, we have put a rock bed to stop the run-off and silt traps installed like every other construction site in Cairns,” he said.
“The previous pictures taken by SAFCA were when the site had been used as a local dumping ground and I had to clean up all the rubbish from it.
“(There were) items such as engine blocks, nappies, every branch from the illegal dumpers, and old engine oil containers with black oil in them.”
Mr Moody said the industry could not survive in Cairns if development was forced to shut down for months every year, on top of the wet-season difficulties builders already faced.
Massive plumes of run-off from Far North rivers and tributaries
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) states pollutants in land-based run-off reduce Reef resilience and affect biodiversity.
“Inshore areas of the marine park experience the highest impacts, whereas mid-shelf and outer-reefs are rarely influenced by run-off due to their distance from river mouths and the primary northward flow of most Queensland rivers,” GBRMPA documents state.
“However, after large rainfall events (such as the 2019 Townsville floods), flood plumes can reach these more distant areas.”
Mr Matthews argued the Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils’ development manual was outdated.
“Time for councils to advise against earthworks during wet season,” he said.
“It’s all about good planning and with a new director of planning at Cairns Regional Council, we hope to get some action.”
The council has been asked for comment.
The Urban Design Institute of Australia did not wish to comment.
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