Murrumbidgee Council says no action on alleged Gundaline fuel spill
By Krista Schade
Murrumbidgee Council has released a report following investigations into an alleged fuel spill at Gundaline Station, east of Hay.
In the report, Council’s Director of Planning and Infrastructure Garry Stoll advised no action would be taken.
Mr Stoll cites the extended time frame of the alleged incident to the report, the anonymous nature of the allegations and the lack of evidence at the site when inspected in May 2024.
In July, The Riverine Grazier published claims that 11,800 litres of diesel had spilled and been drained into a main irrigation channel, causing a fish kill event, in December 2022 or January 2023.
The allegations were raised in an unsigned, series of written allegations sent to The Grazier, NSW CEO of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Tony Chappel, Acting Deputy Secretary of SafeWork NSW Trent Curtin, District Fisheries Officer Shaun Burke and the regional office of EPA in Griffith.
The parcel of information also included photographs and maps.
The recent Council report states on August 14 of this year Mr Stoll, Council’s Environmental Health Officer Susie Leeds and NSW EPA Acting Unit Head of Regulatory Operations Michael Waanders met at Gundaline, with a representative of Customised Farm Management (CFM) Richard Malone, to inspect the site of the alleged spill.
During this inspection Mr Malone told the inspectors CFM operated an electronic fuel storage monitoring system that would have alerted to a significant fuel loss.
He stated that in periods of hot weather it is “not uncommon for fish within the channels, predominately carp, to die off”.
The Council report went on to state that on the inspection date of August 12, 2024 no dead fish were found, and the earthen bund around the diesel fuel tank was “in place and no breaches were evident”.
CPRCT Consulting is acting for the sources, and has been in contact with Minister for Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Heritage and Murrumbidgee Council.
“This response is appalling,” a spokesperson said.
“It appears this was just a tick a box exercise done months after the report was made.
“Did they really think or hope the media will not report any further on this matter?
“Our plan is to now escalate this matter.
“The mention of buried chemicals and excavators as a separate matter desperately needs to be addressed as it is outright illegal.”
CPRCT Consulting says it acts for numerous ex-staff and contractors and has documentation to back up their claims, including timestamped photographs, maps and diary notes from Gundaline staff meetings.
