Posted on January 10, 2017
Toxic dredging has cost Soldiers Point Marina operator $220,000.
Coming as something of a shock to the marina industry, the operator of award-winning Soldiers Point Marina at Port Stephens has been ordered to pay $220,000 in fines and clean-up costs.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority took action for illegal dredging which apparently disturbed toxic sediment.
The five-star marina has been a pin-up for the industry, the first carbon-neutral marina in Australia, and has undertaken a range of impressive Environmental Initiatives to date.
Soldiers Point Marina is owned by respected businessman Jeff d’Albora, who started the eponymous d’Albora marina chain. Though he has no interest in d’Albora Marinas now, the chain recently sold for $126m in this record sale.
In the last 15 years, d’Albora has turned Soldiers Point Marina into a boutique boating amenity with an extremely high level of service. It’s a showcase marina and, we must add, among the best we’ve ever visited.
But EPA Regional Director North, Adam Gilligan, claims a tip off to its Environment Line by a member of the public was vital in “catching out the Marina operator.”
“Time is of the essence when it comes to water pollution incidents and when EPA officers arrived on site they were able to take samples of the water and sediments,” he said.
Following the investigation which began in May, 2016, the EPA issued Clippers Anchorage Pty Ltd with fines for two separate offences, a Clean-Up notice and an official caution. The EPA appears to have made an example of the marina by issuing:
>> A $15,000 fine for pollution of waters: Clippers dumped dredged material onto their boat ramp which was observed spilling back into the Marina waters, part of the Port Stephens Marine Park. Water samples and dredged sediments had high concentrations of the compound tri-butyl-tin, a toxic anti-fouling paint chemical used on boats in Australia until it was banned 10 years ago.
>> $15,000 for contravening a licence condition: Clippers did not carry out their licensed activities in a competent manner by failing to have adequate controls to prevent pollution from the dredging.
>> Clean-Up notice requiring Clippers to lawfully dispose of the sediment: The transport, pre-treatment and disposal of the waste at a specialised facility in Sydney is estimated to have cost Clippers $190,000. The EPA have also issued an official caution in relation to the poor handling of the waste.
“They need to take immediate action to improve their environmental performance and we’ll be keeping a close eye on them to ensure they act responsibly,” Mr Gilligan said.
“Although we don’t believe that there has been any long-term environmental harm, it’s vital that companies have the appropriate controls in place to protect the community and the environment.”
According to the EPA, Clippers have fallen foul previously and been fined for environmental offences at Soldiers Point Marina.
In April 2014, the EPA says it fined Clippers $1500 following a diesel spill. In May 2016, the EPA says it fined the company $15,000 for releasing pollutants into the Marina waters while undertaking maintenance on a large vessel.
Meantime, Clippers Anchorage Pty Ltd, which purchased the marina in 2000, has won countless Marina of the Year awards and has Marina Industry Association accreditation as a 5 Star Marina that includes environmental compliance.
The EPA says it has now put Clippers on notice, but there’s no word as to whether the marina will be lose its 5 Star status from the Marina Industry Association, which has been busy bestowing the rating and other accolades on its member’s marinas in recent years to improve the public’s perception of these popular boating amenities.
Source: BoatPoint
