Byron Shire Council has fined a builder who was working on a house site off Orana Road, Ocean Shores, for sediment leaving his building site during the heavy rainfall in March.
I witnessed the amount of contamination that left Council’s work site just a kilometre up Orana Road from the builder’s site. There was no attempt by Council to restrict the amount of silt that disappeared into the stormwater drains during the high rainfall period and flowed into Marshalls Creek and Ocean Shores Golf Course.
How can BSC fine a private builder for allowing siltation to leave his building site while BSC allowed a much larger amount of siltation from their work site to infiltrate the stormwater system at the same time? This is hypocrisy at its best.
Alan Dickens, Brunswick Heads
You are correct Alan, a large amount of silt did come from the council roadworks. Presumably council will either clean up the silted drains or recompense those affected as they cannot really fine themselves. On the other hand would the builder be willing to do the same?