Major civil firm's fines top $20k for waterway contamination

A leading Sunshine Coast civil contractor has been fined more than $20,000 for contaminating a waterway and breaching development conditions.

Aerial shot of site for new business and industry park Metroplex Westgate. Picture: Contributed

A LEADING Sunshine Coast civil contractor has been fined more than $20,000 for contaminating a waterway and breaching development conditions.

Shadforths Civil Contractors was issued two infringement notices relating to work it was carrying out at the Metroplex Westgate commercial precinct development on Boundary Rd at Wacol, on Brisbane's south-west fringe.

Forest Glen-based Shadforths, a company with more than 40 years of experience, has won some major public works contracts on the Coast, including groundworks for the new Maroochydore city centre and as a construction partner for the new runway at Sunshine Coast Airport.

Shadforths Civil Contractors are among the Sunshine Coast firms involved in construction of the new Sunshine Coast Airport runway. Picture: Stuart Cumming

The fines came after Brisbane City Council issued an enforcement notice to Shadforths in December last year to "urgently mitigate impacts on the adjacent waterways”.

"A member of the public reported concerns about the site... on 17 December, 2018,” a council spokesman said.

"The (enforcement) notice required the clean-up of all earth that had eroded from the premises, and the implementation of best practice erosion and sediment control under the direction of a certified professional in erosion and sediment control.”

Shadforths initially challenged the notice, lodging a Planning and Environment Court appeal a month later.

It argued it had not committed a development offence as alleged by the council and sought the enforcement notice be set aside.

However, Shadforths' lawyers wrote to the court in June to discontinue the appeal.

The council spokesman said a $13,055 fine for contravention of a development approval (corporation) and a $9791 fine for unlawfully deposit a prescribed water contaminant in waters (corporation) were issued to Shadforths.

"The developer has complied with all requirements of the enforcement notice,” the spokesman said.

"No further action is currently being taken.”

Shadforths Civil Contractors and Metroplex Westgate have been contacted for comment.