Melbourne creek turns bright blue after construction chemicals wash into waterway
The Environmental Protection Agency began investigating after a community member reported blue discoloration in the waters of Banyule creek, south of Lower Plenty Road in Rosanna, on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the EPA said.
The likely source had been traced to a dust suppressant used in the construction of the Victorian government's North East Link project (NELP).
Banyule creek runs through an important wildlife corridor, particularly at Creek Bend Reserve, a 5.6ha linear park peppered with river red-gums and native grassy woodlands.
Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email
Photos shared on social media by a community group on Wednesday afternoon showed the creek a fluorescent blue.
Banyule city council said in a statement that it shared the community's concern about the pollution and was working with the EPA and Melbourne Water to understand what caused the incident and manage any consequences of it.
'While we discussed the possibility of local council drains being involved, we've been advised that our drainage system is not considered a source of the pollution,' the council said.
'Our teams will continue to work alongside EPA and Melbourne Water, inspecting downstream areas and monitoring for any ongoing effects. We're committed to protecting our local environment and supporting the agencies managing this incident.'
Clean-up duties for pollution incidents fall to the duty-holder, or the party responsible – in this case, likely a contractor to the road project – in consultation with the EPA.
The NELP is part of the Victorian government's Big Build, involving the construction of more than 6km of freeway tunnels, and estimated to cost more than $26bn.
Sign up to Breaking News Australia
Get the most important news as it breaks
after newsletter promotion
NELP was cleaning up the waterway, the EPA spokesperson said. 'EPA will monitor the project which will now assess how to ensure such incidents are not repeated. EPA investigations and assessments of any harm to the environment are continuing.'
A spokesperson from Major Road Projects Victoria said the department was aware of the pollution in the creek.
'There is no threat to the local community,' the spokesperson said.
'The site clean-up is under way – however we recommend locals keep away from the creek until reviews have concluded. We will continue to work closely with the Environment Protection Authority to ensure impacts to the local environment are minimised.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Terrifying moment fire erupts inside a plane cabin in mid-air as panicked passengers rush to help the flight crew
Passengers have been left terrified after a fire broke out in an overhead locker on a Virgin Australia flight landing in Tasmania. Flight VA1528, which departed Sydney this morning, had begun its descent into Hobart around 9am when smoke began filling the Boeing 737-8FE cabin. Witnesses believe a lithium battery in the overhead luggage compartment was to blame, although the airline has yet to confirm the cause of the fire. In shocking footage, smoke can be seen escaping from the overheard luggage compartment as the crew sprang into action. The crew opened the locker to discover a lithium battery on fire with passengers revealing they saw flames leap out of the compartment when it was opened. Initial attempts to control the flames with an onboard fire extinguisher were reportedly unsuccessful. Cabin crew eventually extinguished the fire with water. Passengers can be seen jumping out of the seats in the alarming footage, obtained by Pulse Tasmania, of the incident as the fire was discovered by the crew. Once the flight had landed in Hobart, airport firefighters boarded the plane and removed the bag containing the battery. Hobart Airport COO Matt Cocker said one person received medical attention by paramedics for suspected smoke inhalation. 'The outbound Virgin flight back to Sydney is currently delayed, however all other operations at Hobart Airport are running as usual,' he said. Virgin Australia confirmed flight and cabin crew were checked over by paramedics as a precaution before being given the all-clear. 'Safety is always our highest priority. We appreciate the swift and professional response of our flight and cabin crew, as well as the support of Airservices Australia firefighters,' a Virgin Australia spokesperson said. A replacement aircraft was found for the return flight, which was delayed by about five hours, while the Boeing 737-8FE aircraft was assessed for damage. No other flights at Hobart Airport were impacted by the fire. Sam McCambridge, who works for a rental car company at Hobart Airport, said two different groups of passengers told him cabin crew extinguished a fire after realising 'a lithium battery or some sort of charging device had caught fire in someone's bag'.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Murray Watt urged to intervene after accusations proposed Queensland coalmine clearing land in greater glider habitat
Conservationists have called on the environment minister, Murray Watt, to intervene after satellite images appear to show clearing in threatened species habitat at the site of a proposed coalmine in Queensland. Images and drone footage obtained by the Queensland Conservation Council over the past two months appear to show large areas of bushland cleared at the site of Magnetic South's proposed Gemini coalmine near Dingo in central Queensland. Public documents released under freedom of information laws show the environment department told the company in 2022 it strongly recommended referral of the project to consider whether it required an assessment for potentially significant impacts on the Brigalow ecological community, and species including the greater glider, koala and bridled nail-tail wallaby. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The council wrote to Watt last month alerting him and the federal environment department's compliance unit to what it claimed was the removal of 'approximately 200 hectares of greater glider habitat' since late May in an area earmarked for an open coal pit. The council wrote it had 'urgent concerns' that construction of the mine might have commenced without referral of the project for an assessment under Australia's environmental laws. The proposed metallurgical coal project, which would produce up to 1.9m tonnes of coal a year, has attracted concerns in the past due to a Queensland government decision not to require an environmental impact statement and opposition from graziers. In its letter to Watt, the Queensland Conservation Council asked whether the alleged clearing had been approved by the federal government and whether the government needed to take enforcement action. The council wrote it believed the clearing could be unlawful and that it expected Watt's department 'to take urgent action accordingly to protect this culturally and ecologically significant place'. The council's coal and gas campaigner, Charlie Cox, said Watt needed to urgently step in. 'There is now drone footage, satellite imagery, and traditional owners on the ground all suggesting that yet another coal corporation has taken it upon themselves to start building their mine without the relevant federal approvals,' she said. Cox called on the minister to use enforcement powers to stop the alleged clearing and to call the project in for a federal assessment. 'Murray Watt is committed to reforming our environment laws that are woefully failing nature, he needs to actually enforce the existing laws too,' she said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Zhanae Dodd is a Ghungalu woman and founder of Guyala Yimba, an Indigenous human rights consultancy. Ghungalu custodians have a camp at the proposed mine site, where they have been conducting cultural ceremony since early this month. 'We're out there engaging in ceremony and keeping a fire burning,' Dodd said. 'We need to preserve these sites because on our country already there are that many mines destroying country, why do we need one more?' In a letter the council received on Friday, the federal environment department said it was 'aware of the alleged actions and potential impacts to threatened species and ecological communities protected by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act'. The department said it was engaging with Magnetic South 'regarding their obligations under the act'. A spokesperson for the federal environment department said 'the department is in receipt of the allegations'. 'As the investigation is ongoing the department will not provide further comment.' Guardian Australia sought comment from Watt and Magnetic South.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Hundreds of endangered frogs have survived after reintroduction to the wild in Victoria
Captive-bred critically endangered frogs are managing to survive after being released at a mountain stream near Mount Beauty in Victoria, with some small frogs found about a kilometre from where they were dropped off. More than 600 spotted tree frogs have so far joined dwindling wild populations in the Kiewa River system, as part of a Zoos Victoria conservation breeding program designed to boost numbers and genetic diversity after 50% of the frog's habitat was severely burnt in the 2019-20 black summer bushfires
