TasWater, Huon Aquaculture cough up for waterway pollution

Nearly half of the Environmental Protection Authority’s infringement notice prosecutions in the last financial year were issued to one government business. SEE THE LIST OF VIOLATORS >>

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NEARLY half of the Environmental Protection Authority’s infringement notice prosecutions in the last financial year were issued to TasWater, while a prominent salmon producer paid $40,000 for environmental offences.

The EPA Annual Report revealed four $1,680 fines were issued to TasWater from 2019-20 – two for depositing controlled waste and two for contravening a permit condition.

The incidents involved a sewage spill at Sandy Bay, a “significant discharge of untreated sewage” from Macquarie Point and a “significant discharge of non-disinfected effluent” from Selfs Point sewage treatment plant between July and September 2019.

TasWater’s Bryn Estyn Water Treatment Plant near New Norfolk. Picture: Peter Matthew

A TasWater spokeswoman said the organisation held an investigation and took remedial action following the incidents, including increased incident management training, prioritising relining sewer mains and improving alert systems to respond to incidents more efficiently.

“Upgrades and renewals of infrastructure are prioritised based on risk and to systematically reduce impacts on the environment over time,” the spokeswoman said.

“This is part of a 10 year $1.8 billion investment into capital works program to upgrade our infrastructure.”

Pure Living Soil copped two fines totalling $5,040 for contravening a composting facility permit condition and failing to notify the director of the release of pollutant from the facility.

A North West resident and central North Coast resident were fined $1,680 and $840 for burning tyres, while a Northern Tasmania individual paid $1,680 for disposing of controlled waste which had an adverse affect on waters.

Prince of Wales Bay Sewage Treatment Plant digester tank. Source: SUPPLIED.

In addition to the nine infringement notices, the EPA prosecuted Huon Aquaculture with one count of “depositing a pollutant where it could reasonably be expected to cause material environmental harm” and five counts of breaching an Environment Protection Notice.

The fish farming giant was convicted for the offences and fined $40,000.

Huon Aquaculture had apologised and regretted the breaches, issuing a statement on their website that they were “committed to protecting the environment and working towards Tasmania’s environmentally sustainable future”.

"The Hub", near Strahan where the three Macquarie Harbour fish farm operators, Huon Aquaculture, Tassal and Petuna, house their salmon and ocean trout farming operations. West Coast of Tasmania Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

EPA issued two written warnings over the year under the Environmental Management and Pollution Control act, with 86 infringements and one abatement notice occurring under the Litter Act 2007.

Twenty of the year’s 30 marine fuel and oil spill reports related to coastal areas and estuaries.

1,527 reports were made to the EPA over the year.

TasWater. Picture: SUPPLIED.

The annual report highlighted the need for TasWater and EPA to work together to divert more treated effluent away from the waterways to the land.

But despite a small increase in reusing and recycling wastewater from previous years, 89 per cent of treated effluent from the latest reporting period ended up in estuarine, coastal and inland waters.