By Benjamin Millar
Authorities have been forced to ditch plans to remove warnings for contact with water in Stony Creek following a backlash from concerned locals.
Star Weekly earlier this month reported that 12 months after millions of litres of toxic run-off from the Tottenham warehouse fire flooded the creek, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) was intending to remove contact warnings for the creek water.
However the plan has been rebuffed by a group set up to advise on Stony Creek’s rehabilitation, despite creek water coming back within recreational guidelines for human contact.
EPA regional manager Stephen Lansdell said water quality in Stony Creek has greatly improved since the fire, with chemicals such as PFAS, benzenes and acetone now within guidelines or below detectable levels.
“Melbourne Water has done considerable work to remove the most heavily contaminated creek sediment between the fire site and Paramount Road, which has significantly reduced immediate risk to downstream environments,” he said.
EPA scientists, with advice from Victoria’s Chief Veterinarian office, consequently drafted new signage for the creek. The signage allowed contact with the creek except after heavy rain, and allowed dogs to swim but advised that they be washed after as a precaution.
Deidre Anderson, Maribyrnong council’s representative on the Stakeholder Advisory Group, said the EPA told the group at a recent meeting of its intention to downgrade Stony Creek’s contact warnings to the same as other urban waterways.
Ms Anderson said the group believed this decision failed to take into consideration the usage of the creek. “It is widely used as a crossing, particularly by children to get to schools [and childcare centres] such as Clare Court and Kingsville Primary,” she said.
“Since Cruickshank Park is also an off-lead dog park, children and dogs enter the creek and it is not feasible to prevent stirring up sediment or to prevent dogs from drinking the water.”
The group wrote to the EPA and Melbourne Water arguing the change in warnings also failed to reflect the historic industrial contamination of the creek, the catastrophic effects of the warehouse fire, and the need for further remediation.
Mr Lansdell said following the feedback, and considering further remediation works are planned, EPA will ditch the new signs for the time-being.
Melbourne Water general manager of waterways Tim Wood said Melbourne Water and EPA are continuing to assess the scope of further remediation works along Stony Creek.
“Contaminated land and waterway specialists have been commissioned to assist with this task,” he said.
“Required works will be scheduled as soon as practicable, taking into consideration weather conditions and safety of recreation users of the waterway.”
