By Tina Perinotto
5 July 2010 – Frasers Property has copped a $1500 fine from the City of Sydney for stormwater runnoff at its huge Broadway site on the edge of the CBD during heavy rains in June.
The site and runnoff problems, which Frasers said were the result of unusally heavy rains and on which the company immediately took action, were the subject of a recent Bathurst Burr column published by The Fifth Estate.
It is understood a council officer has visited the site to discuss improvements that needed to be made.
Author of the Bathurst Burr Michael Mobbs told TFE that he had made a formal complaint to the council about the run-off during heavy storms and had been informed that Frasers had been issued with a fine.
“I’ve been informed by Sydney City Council that on Monday 28 June its Specialist Health Surveyor imposed a $1500 fine on Fraser Property Group for the stormwater pollution I complained of in the Burr column and in a statutory declaration provided to the council,” Mr Mobbs said.
“Council has also issued a draft ‘prevention notice’ and the consequence may be less or no stormwater pollution from the site in the future.”
Chief Operating Officer ??Frasers Property Australia Pty Ltd Nicholas Wolff confirmed that a fine had been issued.
“Yes a fine was issued by Council in relation to the storm water management works put in place by our on-site contractors not being able to cope with the unexpected heavy rain in early June,” he told The Fifth Estate.
“As I said in my previous response Frasers acted promptly at the time – as a result of our own monitoring procedures on the 4th June, during the peak of the rain event and not as a result of any Council or other external intervention – to ensure that those contractors rectified the works immediately and they did so over the next couple of days.
“It should also be made clear that council officers have subsequently inspected those rectified works and found them to be satisfactory.
“We will continue closely monitor our contractors active on the site to ensure that the storm water management works are maintained at a standard capable of dealing with future downpours.”
tperinotto@thefifthestate.com.au