The operator of a South Coast holiday and caravan park has been fined $30,000 by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) after it allegedly discharged over 180,000 litres of untreated sewage into the environment at the park premises in January.
INA Operations Pty Limited (INA) is licensed to operate a sewage treatment plant at its Merry Beach Holiday & Caravan Park in Kioloa, a holiday destination south of Ulladulla. The park is located a short distance from the popular Merry Beach and is part of the national Ingenia Holiday and Caravan Parks organisation.
An EPA investigation found that a leak in the park's underground sewage system caused raw sewage to seep into the environment on and around the site, including a nearby creek that flows directly into Merry Beach.
Director Operations Adam Gilligan said the leak contaminated the creek with elevated levels of ammonia, E. coli, enterococci, faecal coliforms, copper, and zinc.
"Although testing by the local council confirmed that waters at Merry Beach were not impacted, water samples taken from the creek inlet showed faecal coliforms and enterococci at levels well above the relevant Australian and New Zealand water quality guidelines," Mr Gilligan said.
"This occurred during peak tourist season – when many families come to enjoy Merry Beach and its beautiful surrounds – posing an unacceptable risk to the community.
"The park's operator notified us as soon as it became aware of the leak, however, the incident had already been occurring for around 10 days.
"While we acknowledge INA's cooperation and its commitment to implementing additional measures to prevent future incidents, it's critical that all licensees continue to meet their environmental responsibilities to safeguard the community and environment from harm."
INA has previously received a Formal Warning and Official Caution relating to other water pollution incidents at the site.
To prevent public exposure to the contamination, the EPA directed INA to install 'no swimming' signage at access points along the creek, which remained in place until water levels returned to normal. Soil and waters impacted by the spill have since been fully cleaned up by the company.
