Gold Coast council faces $2.1m spend after Albert River sewage spill but says ratepayers won't foot bill
ABCQueensland’s environment department has accused the Gold Coast council of misleading conduct by claiming the public will not bear any extra cost arising from the worst sewage leak in the state's history. Move to avoid prosecution But a DESI spokesperson said the $1.2m, three-year water quality monitoring program the council was already undertaking was not included in the enforcement action. "It keeps the money – ratepayers' money – within the local community, rather than council bearing the cost of a prosecution and then any penalty that could be imposed after that," Mr Wirth said. 'Critically low oxygen levels' A DESI spokesperson said its investigation found the spill caused a significant impact on water quality in the Albert River throughout the 88-day leak. "In March 2024, dissolved oxygen levels at impacted sites fell to as low as 22 per cent — the lowest level recorded in the department's Ecological Health Monitoring Program dataset since 2010," they said.
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Albert River sewage spill was worst in Queensland's history. Here's why
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