Coast waterway declared 10 times more polluted than Sydney.
A fired-up Cr Brian Stockwell said the former government’s green tape reduction, introduced in 2013 by Glass House MP and former Environment Minister Andrew Powell, which did away with regular water testing, was to blame for the sorry state of the creek’s stormwater readings, rather than operators from an industrial estate.
At the time, Mr Powell said the reduction slashed Environmentally Relevant Activities (ERA) licences from 13,000 businesses to about 4000, but would not lower environmental standards or protections.
"Businesses will still have to comply with the Environmental Protection Act and the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection will have compliance officers out on the ground to ensure (the businesses) meet their legal obligations," he said at the time.
"I think businesses have benefitted and there has been minimal to zero impact on the environment," he said.
"Both sides of politics saw that as a sensible green tape reduction.
"My criticism, and it’s vehement, is of the stupidity of the Newman Government in their green tape reduction.
"The report indicates hydrocarbons and that are getting down there as well as other pollutants.
"I remember going to Eenie Ck before the Environmental Protection Act had licensed ERAs and walking through the creek in what was virtually oil saturated with mud," he said.
Cr Jurisevic said this positive attitude to the council’s concerns was a credit to these businesses.