A member of the public reporting a terrible smell has led EPA Victoria to fine a dairy farmer at Wurruk for allowing dairy effluent to flow into a local waterway.
The man has been fined $2035 for depositing more than 1000 litres of dairy effluent into the unnamed waterway, an offence under Section 115 of the Environment Protection Act 2017.
EPA officers inspected the property on September 9 and found a pipe running from an effluent pond into a recovery drain that was overflowing into the paddock.
There were four dead cows in the drain.
The officers found the farm’s dairy effluent management system also needed repairs, so EPA has issued the operator with an improvement notice requiring he take action to stop the current overflow and repair the system to prevent any future leaks.
Under the Environment Protection Act 2017 and the Infringements Act 2006, the operator has the right to have the infringement notice reviewed or be considered by a court.
Members of the public can report pollution by calling EPA’s 24-hour hotline or providing details online.
