Remember when: Algae contamination in the Albert River led to fears of cattle poisoning

LANDOWNERS were warned to keep their cattle away from the algae-infected Albert River — only hours after a dead cow was discovered on the river bank.

Flashback: River contamination fear

Gold Coast Bulletin, Wednesday December 4, 1991

LANDOWNERS were warned to keep their cattle away from the algae-infected Albert River — only hours after a dead cow was discovered on the river bank.

Primary Industry Minister Ed Casey said Water Commission officers personally informed landowners that water at the Luscombe weir had recorded a high algae cell count.

“The officers told the landowners it would be advisable to avoid letting their stock use the river water,” he said.

Poisonous blue-green algae had already hit 1000km of the Darling River from the Queensland border to Wilcannia, NSW.

Farmers in the region were told to prevent their stock drinking the water and 50,000 families had been affected by the contamination.

Gold Coast Bulletin 1991, December 4. Front page.

The previous day, Albert River resident Fred James had discovered a dead heifer, about eight or nine months old, on the edge of the river about 250m upstream of the Luscombe weir, southwest of Beenleigh.

“By the look of decomposition it had been dead for two or three days,” he said.

“It showed no signs of lantana poisoning, a noxious weed which they eat during dry spells which can kill.”

Mr James said it was the second dead cow discovered on the riverbank in the previous fortnight.

Mr Casey’s spokesman urged the beasts owner to contact the local district veterinarian officer and the Brisbane Department of Primary Industries as soon as possible.

“This is so a post-mortem can be done as a precaution,” he said.

Further tests were done to determine how wide the contamination was.