Stinky, leaking Russell Island toilet triggers investigation into wetlands pollution claims

An investigation has been launched into a beachside composting toilet allegedly leaking effluent into a popular fishing spot and sensitive wetlands.

A southside council is on notice and an investigation has been launched into a beachside toilet allegedly leaking effluent into a popular fishing spot and wetlands.

Fears that faeces are bubbling out of the composting toilet on Russell Island and contaminating nearby RAMSAR wetlands sparked a State Government inquiry and reignited complaints to Redland City Council.

Stinking runoff was seen bubbling out of the toilet block, next to a soon-to-open children’s playground on the island’s The Boulevard.

The composting toilet pit is centimetres from the top of the water table and is often inundated at high tide.

Residents said they feared the smelly sullage was draining into the local waterway, a popular fishing spot, and have called on the council to fix the problem.

Redland City Council cordoned off the new children’s playground, but the leaking toilet remained open on the weekend.

Complaints were sent to the council and to the Department of Environment and Science (DES), which said it was making inquiries with the council about the matter.

Leakage from the toilet (lefthand side of image).

DES said it was a matter for the council, which failed to respond to questions about when the toilet leak would be fixed or what levels of bacteria were found in tests conducted on the run-off.

Bay Island Progress Association vice president Keith Mills said the council had neglected infrastructure such as sewerage and sealing of roads on the islands.

He said three other public toilets were leaking into the water table at Jackson Oval, Jock Kennedy park and at the High St hall.

“The council has turned a blind eye to building sewerage infrastructure on the islands, even though it has allowed hundreds of houses to be built,” Mr Mills said.

“We have the highest rates in southeast Queensland and yet we are treated like this is the Third World.

“We have asked for the sewerage issue on the islands to be investigated but nothing has happened and there are four public toilets that we believe pose safety and health hazards.”

Council did not respond to questions about the toilets.

Since last year it has approved 304 residential homes on the Southern Moreton Bay Islands and 1131 in the past five years.

Since 2019, the council said it had invested $18.6 million in infrastructure on the bay islands with a further $11.04 million in its latest Budget.

The council said the allocation included funds for drainage upgrades, as well as upgrades for footpaths, parks, pontoons, road sealing and marine works.

The money was also for the SMBI Ferry Terminal Upgrade project on each of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, commuter interchanges on Lamb and Karragarra Islands, and the renewal and expansion of the Russell Island ferry terminal car park.

The council said it had no control over plans for a controversial sewage treatment plant for the Shoreline development in Redland Bay, the mainland entry point to the bay islands.