Complaint management

Council only has jurisdiction to act on certain complaints, and shares the responsibility of water pollution issues with other government bodies. Please refer to the information below which outlines authorities for various water pollution  types.

Acid sulfate soils

• Occurring on residential land and some commercial land - Contact Council for further clarification.

Dewatering

• Occurring on residential land and some commercial land - Contact Council for further clarification.

Emergency response

• Local road or waterway - occurring on residential land and some commercial land - contact Council for further clarification.
• Main road, highway or motorway - contact your local office of the Department of Transport and Main Roads.
• Major waterway (e.g. river, broadwater, ocean, bay) - contact your local office of Maritime Safety Queensland.

Fish kill

• Less than 50 fish - contact Council for further clarification.
• 50 or more fish - contact your local office of the Department of Environment and Science.

Release of contaminants

• Rubbish, cement, oil, paint etc. - Contact Council for further clarification.
• Bilge water (boat) - Contact your local office of Maritime Safety Queensland.
• Soil and sediment from a building or development site – Contact Council for further clarification. In addition to responsibilities under the Environmental Protection Act 1994, property developers and contractors are subject to the Planning Act 2016. They may have conditions on their approval about sediment and erosion control.
• Soil and sediment from a State Government or Council development site – contact the Department of Environment and Science.

Regulation (Inspection process)

Legislation requires Council to respond to complaints received. This response will depend on the complaint history, current compliance status and the risk of the alleged offence. Actions taken by Council may include:

• sending an advisory letter and fact sheet to both the alleged offender and the complainant
• conducting an onsite investigation.

Enforcement

Council is legally required to enforce water pollution issues. If you have difficulty complying with the legislative requirements, contact Council for assistance or advice.

Failure to comply with requirements, may result in one or more of the following enforcement actions:

• a letter being issued requiring action or work to be conducted
• a legal notice being issued requiring action to be taken or work to be conducted
• issuing of a Penalty Infringement Notice (also known as a PIN or on-the-spot fine)
• prosecution

Useful links

• Dispute resolution centres
• Department of Environment and Science
• Health land and water
• International Erosion Control Association Australia
• Water Quality Guidelines for Public Aquatic Facilities