Landowner fined for building road through wetland
Story Added : 30th May 2011
NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) fisheries conservation manager, Patrick Dwyer, said the man also had to spend about $20,000 restoring the environmental damage caused by the construction of the roadway.
“The 41 year old man from Murwillumbah was found by NSW DPI fisheries compliance officers to have built a road through a tidal wetland on Crown land near the family property,” Mr Dwyer said.
“The road harmed 300sqm of marine vegetation, severely restricted tidal flows and obstructed fish passage to 1,100 square metres of wetland.
The man faced charges for three offences, including carrying out reclamation without a permit, harming marine vegetation and blocking and obstructing fish passage across a flat. He was also issued with a court order to ensure the ongoing remediation of the land is undertaken.
“The material used to construct the road has been removed, the area has been planted with native wetland plants and mangroves and the offender is paying for professional weed and bush regeneration services in the area for the next five years,” Mr Dwyer said.
He said that the case serves as a reminder to all land owners to make sure they speak to their local council to obtain the necessary approvals before starting any work.
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