Less than two months since Forest High construction company ADCO Construction was fined for polluting Manly Dam, another contamination event appears to have occurred today Friday 10 January, 2025 at Madison Way, Allambie Heights.
We do not yet know the extent or risk associated with the visible sediment in the waterway, nor whether ADCO is responsible. We will update the public as soon as possible once further information is available.
Northern Beaches Council confirmed this afternoon that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had been notified regarding today’s incident and Northern Beaches Council staff had also “attended the site and collected water quality samples to assist the EPA investigation.”
The EPA confirmed it had “received a report today alleging turbid water had been discharged from the Forest High School construction site and into the local waterway. We are in the process of investigating this report and we are also liaising with the local council.”
Anyone with information about suspected pollution events should contact the EPA’s Environment Line on 131 555.
What happened previously?
ADCO Construction was first issued a clean-up notice by the EPA in June after multiple community members complained about ‘brown sediment laden water’ being discharged down a nearby stormwater system on Allambie Road, feeding directly into creeks that flow into Manly Dam.
Northern Beaches Council became aware of the pollution in January this year, after receiving alerts from the community. They assisted the EPA in undertaking site inspections, conducting water monitoring and gathering photographic evidence of the pollution incident.
ADCO was issued a $30,000 fine from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA)
However, not everyone was pleased with size of the fine, believing an ecological fallout is still possible.
Malcolm Fisher, Vice Chair of the committee, said it’s too little too late.
A major concern from the Save Manly Dam Catchment Committee (SMDCC) was the pollution of Curl Curl Creek, which is the exclusive Sydney home of the climbing galaxias fish – which is estimated to be up to 90 million years old. Thankfully, an independent investigation, joined by Manly Observer recently, found the species still alive.
You can read more about that here: Battleground Galaxias: Join our hunt for a prehistoric fish at Manly Dam
