Western Harbour Tunnel, Warringah Fwy upgrade: John Holland fined $15,000 over alleged pollution incident

A lead contractor on one of Sydney’s largest road construction projects has been handed a five figure fine over an alleged pollution incident that has left local residents fuming.

A photo of the alleged incident.

A lead contractor on one of Sydney’s largest road construction projects has been handed a five figure fine over an alleged pollution incident on the city’s north shore.

NSW Environment Protection Authority issued John Holland Pty Ltd a $15,000 infringement notice on June 8 after water containing sediment allegedly spilled from construction areas of the Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway Upgrade into Willoughby Creek and Middle Harbour.

The EPA alleges there was a steep area of exposed soil on a construction site at Cammeray Golf Course that had no erosion or sediment controls in place.

Rain then eroded the exposed soil, allegedly causing it to leave the site and into adjacent stormwater drains.

A photo showing the alleged incident.

The EPA alleges the incident on February 9 resulted in water containing sediment entering nearby waterways and impacting ecosystems in the harbour.

Following the incident, John Holland Pty Ltd is understood to have implemented erosion and sediment controls.

In a statement, a spokesman for John Holland said the company was “considering the notice issued by the Environment Protection Authority to understand why this action has been taken.”

“We treat the protection of local environments and waterways that surround our project sites with the utmost seriousness,” he said in a statement.

“We comply with all relevant guidelines and pride ourselves on a best-practice approach to environmental management to minimise any impacts.

“On 9 February 2023, John Holland had robust erosion and sediment controls in place in relation to the predicted rainfall levels.

“The extreme weather event meant that rainfall levels far exceeded official forecasts.”

A photo of construction works on the Warringah Fwy upgrade.

The alleged incident has caused concern among local residents including Paul Walter, who chairs a local North Sydney community group.

“There’s concerns about the construction protocols because if there’s large scale sediment being washed into the harbour that’s a serious problem,” he said.

The EPA statement said it was “satisfied the site was prepared for future rain events” but emphasised “the importance of companies taking preventive measures on construction sites to protect the environment.”

“It is disappointing that despite the company conducting a pre-rain site inspection, erosion and sediment controls were not installed on the steep area of exposed soil until after the rain event,” NSW EPA executive director Steve Beaman said.

An aerial photo of the Warringah Freeway.

“On this occasion there was minimal impact to the local area but this fine serves as a reminder that companies must have preventive measures in place ahead of weather conditions that create higher risk for the surrounding environment.

“The EPA expects construction sites to be properly managed to protect local environments and waterways.”

Transport for NSW awarded John Holland Pty Ltd a Stage 2 contract to deliver sections of the Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway Project in 2022.

The road project – estimated to cost $7.4 billion – includes building twin main line road tunnels linking the Rozelle Interchange to the Warringah Freeway.

The tunnel is expected to open to traffic in 2027-28.