10th April 2026
Environmental and community groups Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC), Community Environment Network (CEN) and Future Sooner are calling for the NSW Land and Environment Court to use the maximum penalties available when sentencing Delta Power and Energy for causing a massive fish kill in Lake Macquarie in 2022.
In December 2025, Delta was found guilty of pollution from a faulty chlorine dosing plant at its Vales Point coal-fired power plant in 2022, sparking a mass fish kill and seagrass damage in Wyee Bay, Lake Macquarie on the NSW Central Coast.
The Land and Environment Court met today in Sydney. Further evidence of local council clean up actions will be gathered by the Environmental Protection Authority prior to sentencing Delta in August.
Quotes attributed to Nature Conservation Council of NSW Senior Climate Campaigner Jacqui Mills:
"Delta's recklessness has resulted in the deaths of thousands of fish and rays. The sad thing is that this carnage was entirely preventable had they maintained the plant properly.
"The maximum penalties must apply given the seriousness of this case. Delta should also be forced to cover full costs for the investigation, and clean-up and rehabilitate the lake," Ms Mills said.
"This guilty verdict tells us we cannot trust Delta Electricity to look after the environment in its operations. Stricter rules must be enforced, and Delta must not be given a free pass on air or water pollution".
Quotes attributed to Chair of the Community Environment Network Gary Chestnut:
"Delta did not care about Vales Point Power Station's proximity to the sensitive Lake Macquarie ecosystem when it failed to maintain its chloring dosing plant.
"On the basis of Delta's appalling environmental record, the IPC must refuse its proposal to extend its mining operations below and around Lake Macquarie."
Quotes attributed to Future Sooner spokesperson Gary Blaschke:
"Vales Point power station is NSW's oldest coal plant and has an unenviable track record of harm. It dodged air pollution regulations for 12 years and the mass fish kills were the latest in a long list of wrongdoing.
"Communities have had enough. We spoke out in record numbers, when the Chain Valley Colliery expansion proposal was placed on exhibition in 2022, about the air pollution that would be caused if the proposal went ahead.
"In the four years since 2022, Delta has not addressed our concerns, particularly about air pollution, biodiversity, mine subsidence and climate change. The exhibition was the same year as the fish kills and nothing has changed so it is clear Delta is still putting operational convenience ahead of human and environmental wellbeing."
