Warning! Warning! Warning! Are Our Local Beaches Safe?   26-02-2013

After two lots of recent flooding of the Coffs Creek pollution washing out of the creek could have reached a dangerous level. I filmed along the mouth of the creek today and found the stench of raw sewerage very strong between the creek and jetty strip section. I never investigated other areas but it must be assumed the currents carried the pollution along the whole coastal area. 

No warning signs were erected that I could find to warn people of the contamination. I seen people using water craft and walking in the water in bare feet not knowing any better. I warned two ladies with a young child of the risk and I think they may have been tourists to our area. Where is the duty of care from our Coffs Harbour City Council that never bothers to even take pollution samples for testing after pollution reports?

People need to realize that these toxic chemicals not just sewerage remain in that sand sometimes for years and lifetimes. How safe is it? Do you want your kids digging in the sand and when will it be safe? Well without regular testing no one knows. Coffs Harbour City Council is the responsible testing authority but they just don't care and nor do they show a duty of care to the public. Some of these pollution outbreaks can cause   harmful diseases. If you think I'm an alarmist go swim there. But any person that has experience in testing for harmful chemicals will know exactly what I'm talking about. Our warmer climate temperatures will make bacteria levels even higher in no time both in the water and in the sand. This could also effect local fishing in the area and further investigation in those areas needs to be taken out as well.

A question was asked some years back about where have the pipi shellfish gone from our beaches. Years of pollution can deposit many toxic chemicals into our environment for years.  You don't hear the "Greens" voice though do you? Perhaps if they were Koalas it would be different? It seems no one cares about our local environment anymore unless there's some personal gain in it for themselves?
People still using the area for recreation and walking in the water. No one was told what type of pollution is there.
Branches still in the surf.
Coffs Creek entry and the adjoining beach sands smell like sewerage in some areas.
That would no doubt take many tons of sewage and chemical outfall to do that. The tower is the adjoining surf beach area right next to the Coffs Creek outlet.
Our beaches are still too unsafe for use and our irresponsible council has no warning signs to alert local people or tourists to our area. Our beaches stink from the pollution.
Tree branches are washing up from the surf. When will they be safe to use again?

Some of the contaminated pollution will wash out to sea and breakdown but quantities can also be deposited into the sediment along the beaches where it can remain toxic for years to come making our beaches unsafe to use. Only regular depth testing along the beaches will reveal the safety and toxicity levels. I print this information to hopefully shame our council into taking action. I will also be contacting the EPA. I hope my findings are all proved wrong. But nearly all floods and with two in a row usually produce a high level of toxic pollution. The stench of sewerage on our sand sections not regularly washed by the waters is left behind from the storms and outflow from the Coffs Creek.
No toxic pollution sign warnings?
No beach closure signs?
Coffs Creek 26-02-2013 pollution.
Coffs Creek is forever getting polluted with toxic chemicals, poisons, sewerage, takeaway container garbage and natural pollutants. Its no wonder the eco system has been effected and wildlife has been disappearing for years.  Nothing is being done to combat this issue in Coffs Harbour even though we're paying for environmental fees. Our town is being conned out of our best features. Its nature, due to council inaction. There's so many things they can do to reduce these things from happening but they choose not to act. Spending around a million dollars a year on so called environmental spending these issues never receive a penny of it.
Coffs Creek 25-02-2013 pollution.
If our sewerage system overflows all sorts of toxic chemicals come out with it too. The trouble is no one wants to hear about it so they just ignore the issue.
Town Health Scandal Exposed
Nothing was done by Council until I contacted the EPA.
27-02-2013 - Why Haven't Our Beaches Been Closed For "All" Public Use Mayor Until They Are Tested To Be Safe To Use Again From Sewerage And Floating Debris? Where Are The Health And Safety Warning Signs?
Its A Public Health Scandal And Our Mayor Is A Nurse!
What Testing Is Taking Place Mayor?
                                                                                Wednesday 27-02-2013

Today only by accident I spotted this little warning sign placed by the council. But obviously no one else seen it either as it didn't stop several people from fishing and walking bare feet through the polluted waters and sand. The area still has a very strong smell of sewerage around the Coffs Creek entrance and adjoining beach areas. Nothing stipulates what the pollution is and I think if people knew what they were swimming and walking in they'd possibly behave differently. If you swim in this water its possible to get gastrointestinal illnesses. Cuts can also get infected. Don't eat shelfish from this area as they filter the crap. Most of our local shellfish has already been killed off by chemical and sewage pollution.  
2 People fishing in Coffs Creek.
One small sign that could barely be noticed. I think there's another on the other side but I never saw it.
A strong stench of sewerage still along the Coffs Creek and adjoining beach shores. If people knew they may act differently and not walk there in bare feet.
People I spoke to yesterday couldn't get their shoes on quick enough when I said the area was polluted by sewerage. Our local council shows a total disregard for health issues in this town. And a town Mayor that's a nurse makes that attitude even more disturbing in my view.
Sewage overflow is common place in Coffs Harbour every time we get heavy rains the drains backflow into the streets and gutters and into the waterways and then off to sea and some is left soaking into the sediment in mangroves and along the beach sand areas where people often sit with their kids while they dig in the sand. The polluted sand. Its a public scandal.  What tests have and are the council doing you may ask? What steps are in place to reduce sewer overflows? I know for a fact in our street alone every time we had heavy rain it used to over flow into the gutter. They've repaired ours for now after several years of overflow troubles . Let us know if your area still has this issue in Coffs Harbour? People need to realize that when this occurs its not just sewage its also highly toxic chemicals from all manner of industries. Everything gets run into the sewer system. Poisons and highly toxic chemicals are common everyday things that escape with the sewage overflows.

Below people still swimming near the jetty area with no visible warning signs that I could find. None were put out there.
Fishing in polluted waters. Sewage overflow is common in Coffs Harbour during heavy rain periods. It ends up in the creek system.
Showing tree branches on right still in the water and the brown scum could be from raw sewerage. They're swimming, fishing and walking in it still with no safe information supplied for residents. More people were also there doing the same. Two lots of creek floods over the last month or so and next to no useful resident protection information.  Next to no reallly visible signs in the right areas. Nothing to state its sewerage.
Tree branches still in the water making it unsafe for watercraft and swimming.
Local News & Information
Coffs Harbour
             Is It Time To Shut Down Our Councillors and Council Offices?

When a council such as this blatantly puts the health and lives at risk from people in our area and for those people visiting our area by not informing the public that sewage and other possible toxic chemicals has been streaming into the Coffs Creek, sea and other areas for many days its time they should be shut down for good and an inquiry held as to their present and past operations in this town.

Its not the first time and they keep getting away with it until I expose them each time. I can't hold them accountable on my own but I can expose their operations when I can. I can't be around every time though to keep check on their shifty and dangerous operating procedures. No public warnings or announcements were made to let people know that high levels of sewage and other possible toxic chemicals were overflowing into our waterways. This council will use any technicality it can to get itself out of trouble.

Signs only placed after I reported them to the EPA and even then you can barely find the signs anywhere. People were still swimming and fishing in the water with no warnings given to them. Testing too has only been an afterthought only because I've followed it up with the EPA. I'd most likely say their testing procedures will most likely be as flawed as their level of operations. Will they be testing the sand beach areas where people walk and sit and have their kids dig and play. No doubt high in toxic deposits from years of inaction. I hope I'm wrong but depth testing is the only way to find that out. They can't even be trusted to give accurate results based on their past method of operations.

Meanwhile reports of people surfing and swimming in the waters, people walking and fishing in those waters were all ignored. This council is corrupt to the highest level of operations and it needs to be closed down and replaced with a better system of operations that will look after the interests of this town. They don't care if people live of die in Coffs Harbour. Anything to cover it up or save a dollar. We have a town Mayor that's also a certified nurse yet she stood bye and let all this occur just like the previous Mayor that's also still a councillor.   

Looking through the Coffs Online website displays the pitfalls and total disregard this council has for Coffs Harbour always ignoring major safety issues and putting people lives at risk everyday. It can't go on and I will pursue and expose this corrupt council at every opportunity until they no longer can operate or till they are replaced with a more suitable system of operations to meet the needs of this town.

We now have a similar line up of councillors just in a different order and it hasn't changed their level of operations at all. Covering up the truth and placing peoples health and safety at risk. They probably don't even know what's going on because they just aren't competent operators.
If you read the previous articles above you'll see what's been going on.
        Am I Exposing The Truth Of Corruption At Our Council? You Decide.

Our council employs environmental workers and many others that oversee all operations and yet its the general public that have to continually fault them out every time over major pollution dumps that take place in Coffs Harbour.  Our own Coffs Harbour City Council is one of the towns biggest offenders of mass pollution and yet there is no level of responsibility back to the community or the environment.


These people are paid top wages to do a job they're not doing.
The public are not being informed of the seriousness of major pollution events.
Testing only took place from public pressure by the EPA only after I reported it.
Testing is most likely not done in the right areas under the right conditions and it should be monitored by an outside source that knows the areas needed to be tested. Not just the sea water but also the effluent fallout areas along the shorelines and creek banks.
No sufficient signage was displayed on walk paths to beaches and popular swimming areas.

They tried to cover up a major pollution spill by not informing the public of the toxic chemical and sewage overflow or the seriousness of such events.
The person at the top our Mayor should have known about this and yet didn't act in the best health and safety interests of the public and she is also a qualified nurse. She should know the health implications.
There are obviously no town procedures in place to protect people or the environment when toxic spills occur. They normally don't even test samples when outbreaks are reported.
Our eco system is at breaking point for years of this happening but it all falls on deaf ears.

The health of the general public and tourists alike were never considered by the council as they kept this information from the public to cover up their negligence.
If there were electricity power issues they should have had a back up system in place. Sewage overflow is a regular event in Coffs Harbour due to flooding and blocked infrastructure. Yet when this occurs no one is informed properly.  

Multiple dead fish were filmed in the Coffs Creek killed from pollution and other toxic spills are continually posted on Coffs Online and reported but the council never takes the appropriate actions. People were still fishing and swimming in the same waters.
We pay around a million dollars a year for environmental fees and they can't find any of that to fight the pollution issues in the Coffs Creek and its waterways.
There are so many other public health and safety issues breached here in Coffs Harbour its just criminal behaviour.
Reporting them falls of deaf ears. They are their own crooked law.
Looking through the pages of Coffs Online is the only honest source that people can actaully see for themselves what's going on in this town.

This council needs to be closed down and replaced with a system that will do better for our town and look to solve and provide our town with the level of care it deserves and pays for. Better infrastructure, sealed footpaths, cleaner environment and more public honesty. This council has been operating under lies, mismanagement and cover ups everyday for years.  All we want is a fair deal for our town.

                     
I can't film the pollution stench but its clear it goes all the way up high to council level.

                                                      
            Will the EPA take action against Coffs Harbour City Council?
                                                         What could they do anyway seeing "we" have to pay for it?
                                                                                         The ICAC wont act or will they?
          There is no accountability for this council of ours and everyday lives are at risk due to mismangement of our town.
                                                     All our local politicians are useless and won't act either.
                Coffs Harbour has become a town where anything goes and no rules apply only ruled by lies and cover ups.

                                                
     Should This Corrupt Council Be Closed Down?
                                             Its your health and safety at risk everyday!

            What has to happen in this town before someone steps in and takes over?
      Who is there to protect our town from this Council? The EPA are doing nothing.
                 Why haven't the sewage and chemical overflows been reported on TV?
         Why didn't council contact the TV stations to advise the public at the right time?
                            It was all covered up to stage the BCU Triathlon Event.
NOTE: Coffs Harbour will be hosting the BCU Triathlon events this weekend including the swimming so what happens if the water isn't safe or hasn't been tested to safe professional standards? Would you trust a council that lies and covers up the truth every time? 550 entrants swimming in possible polluted and unsafe waters? Our town Mayor has tried to cover up this scandel up by not informing residents of the pollution overflow to protect the BCU Triathlon event. See the photos of the pollution below of the event in which they swam. Risking the health and safety of hundreds of people. Its a low criminal act.   Look at the pollution photos at the BCU Triathlon event on the day. They're swimming in it. No one was told. The council is accountable and liable for this! They covered up the truth!  The beach was supposed to be closed.
Friday 1-03-2013
                                                             Friday 1-03-2013

                               Holy Crap! You're Swimming In It.

I thought I'd checkout the mouth of the Coffs Creek this morning for pollution as best I could armed with my camera and nose. Well the area still has a huge stench of sewage along the shoreline. I spoke to people that seen a dead Sea Snake wash up but they threw it back into the sea. The usual dog crap along the water line. And people were still swimming, fishing and walking through the water. If the sewage smells that strong along the waters edge and they are having a triathlon this weekend one has to say where is our responsible council?
"What the heck its already polluted may as well add some more". Parents let him do it.
Would you let your kids swim or paddle in polluted water? There's a public toilet over the road. "Being bought up to Coffs Harbour Bogan standards".
Our polluted beaches still wreak from the smell of sewage and the toxic chemicals that come with it. Is it safe to even walk there? These people reported the dead sea snake to me. It was thrown back into the sea so the dogs wouldn't get it.
Dog crap litters the beach area.
Human crap in the water and dog crap everywhere on the beaches.
People fishing in the Coffs Creek.
Popular Jetty Beach people still swimming here everyday, and no warning signs here at all.
Dogs may love the water but its what they leave behind that matters. Dogs can't read.
They just leave messages.
Polluted fish just give that tangy taste perhaps?
Jetty Pier no signs here?
I'd say if its killing multiple fish and sea snakes our water must be safe by Coffs Harbour City Council standards perhaps?
Until it kills people she'll be right mate! This is Coffs Harbour after all.

Facts:
Coffs Creek and its waterways are mainly tidal creeks where the pollution not only washes out to sea but also washes back and forth throughout the mangroves and wateways keeping the pollution in those areas for long to indefinate periods of time. Its not just a once off flow into the sea. Its a continued ongoing process of pollution output. This is why its such a threat to the eco system. This is why its killed fish and damages the wildlife habitat. Its not just sewage as it also contains toxic chemcicals from all manner of local industry. Heavy metals build up in sediment both in the creeks and along shorelines where your kids dig in the sands. Do you think that's healthy?
Complain to Coffs Council.
                                         Our Mayor Should Resign
2-03-2013

Our Mayor Densie Knight should resign for totally misleading and deceiving all of Coffs Harbour residents about the state of things that occurred earlier in the week regarding a major sewage overflow spill into the Coffs Creek system killing fish and presenting a huge health and safety issue for all those that took to the water during that period to present day.

Her statement made in the Advocate Newspaper on Saturday 2nd of March 2013 backs up this claim that she lied and didn't inform the town about this contamination at any time. In fact if I didn't report it to the EPA when I did they still wouldn't have taken any action over the matter. Even then events were being planned for a triathlon and people were still swimming every day in dangerous waters containing a mixture of toxic chemicals and sewage from the fallout. Plus the water was and is still carrying large quantities of floating debris from the storm period.

I quote the Mayor: "The Coffs Water staff were also kept incredibly busy making sure our water and sewerage systems weren't affected by the power cuts".

Proved to be a total lie and deception and she should stand up and make account for it. The sewerage system was indeed affected. No statements were made as to how bad either. But seeing the large sections of shoreline wreaked from the smell of sewage one has to wonder to what scale was the overflow? How can any responsible town leader outright lie about such circumstance when she full well new this wasn't the case. The sewage had been overflowing for a big part of that whole week.

Will the EPA take action against Coffs Harbour City Council?
Will The Mayor resign? She should be sacked immediately along with those others concerned that held back this information!

There is no honesty left in this council in Coffs Harbour and its been a fraud of operations especially when the health and safety of people are concerned. I inspected the area again this day and the shoreline still wreaks from the smell of raw sewage.
Its part of a long list of events and situations this council simply chooses not to act upon. Look through all the pages of Coffs Online which shows the truth in detail with photos and video evidence. They even misled the EPA and lied to them.

Did our Mayor cover up the pollution issues so the BCU Triathlon event could continue with 550 athletes? How can the beaches be closed as per their own signs below and yet be deemed safe just for this BCU Triathlon event? How could pollution testing be deemed to be reliable by the same people that were trying to cover up the pollution to start with? They wouldn't have even undertook any tests if it weren't from the EPA report I listed with them. Its a total cover up of lies and deception instituted from the top by the Mayor.

We've had a month long of rain and two major flooding events of the Coffs Creek bringing without it major pollution overflows. Sewage and toxic chemicals all continuously flowing out to sea over this period. The pollution is ongoing and doesn't all come out at once.  It can still be smelt along the foreshore up the jetty areas where this BCU Triathlon event was to take place. A dividing rock wall wouldn't stop pollution. An event before the health and safety of participants and were they even informed? No one in town has been informed of the sewage and toxic chemical overflows to date. Then there is the issue of ongoing debris still in the water seen in the photos below.

                                                                              Photos taken Saturday 3-03-2013
                       Copies of letters I sent to the council can be found on the council index link above.

Its obvious why they didn't post any warning pollution signs right near the Jetty event location and surf club while people were still swimming there. You can clearly see the pollution below. They just didn't want people to know so the event would go ahead no matter what.
Many more dead fish. Early on photos and there was also a dead sea snake on the Friday. These are sometimes the first to die when a major pollution outbreak occurs. Its never just a one day event as it happens over time. Our Mayor and council covered up these issues just so they wouldn't have to cancel the BCU Triathlon event. Its a criminal intent on their part and they should be closed down for it. These dead fish filmed on the 16-02-2013.
Storm debris still washing ashore everyday. 
The high end shoreline could remain contaminated for long periods and accurate long term deeper testing needs to take place. If it still smells bad reasoning would say its just not right? Would you want your kids digging in that?
Sunday 3-03-2013           The Great Cover Up Just To Keep An Event Going.

Waters heavily polluted but the BCU Triathlon and beaches still full of people not knowing anything about it. I spoke with a senior lifeguard named Scott at the Coffs Harbour Life Saving Club near the Coffs Creek on Sunday morning and he said he never heard anything about the sewage overflow from the council. No warnings were issued at all over this from council. I also expect none of the 550 BCU Triathlon competitors were informed either. Hundreds of swimmers in the water with no health warnings.

Look at the long line of pollution scum floating near the BCU Triathlon Swimmers. It stretches all the way out to sea from where they were swimming. It doesn't just stay in one location and that's only the visible side of the pollution. They were swimming in the rest.

Children were also swimming as usual non the wiser at the Coffs Harbour Life Savers Club area just near the output from the Coffs Creek being the ongoing source of the sewage and toxic chemical pollution. You'll see by the photos the level of brown scum all over areas of water where people are in it with the following photos. I spoke with a senior lifeguard on Sunday and he knew nothing of the sewage / chemical overflows in that area.

Do you think those waters are clean and safe enough to be declared open?

If its safe to swim there then why are the signs still posted saying its not Mayor?

Everything has been kept from the public only so this one event could still proceed.
There must have even been a hundred kids and others swimming there too and no one knew anything.
Do You Think That's Right Mayor? This is a criminal act and you shouldn't be in office.

Its Time To Resign Mayor! You did the wrong thing placing many at risk!
Here you can see the level of pollution scum on the top of the water. But the 550 swimmers also have to swim through what you can't see as well. No one was kept informed and no one knew of the pollution risks.
Here you can see just some of the pollution flow line and brown scum on the shore where the 550 swimmers were swimming in.
Brown Pollution Scum Everywhere.
Kids in the water at the life saving club and they weren't informed of the toxic pollution either.
How could the Mayor cover this up just to save an event? Even risking our own kids health? What sort of Mayor and nurse is she you may ask?
More nasties on our polluted beaches.
People still allowed to fish in the polluted waters everyday look at the color of the water in the first photo close up on the Sunday. Its totally brown and should be clear. People were allowed to swim in that both at the BCU Triathlon and the kids at the Life Saving Club just nearby. Under normal conditions without the pollution this creek has clear water not brown like that. You can tell by looking at the water bacteria levels must have been at their maximun on the Sunday.
Would you swim in this if you knew it was so polluted and no health warnings were released even though the beach was supposed to be closed. It was covered up just to stage this event. Even kids were subject to the lies by council swimming in the highly polluted waters. The evidence and photos are there for all to see. It rained all that Saturday and even more pollution flowed out of the Coffs Creek. Do you think it would be healthy to ingest any of that water in that condition? People should never be exposed to such a high possible risk as this but the council and Mayor approved it just so they could keep this BCU Triathlon event going. It was indeed a very criminal act and they should be arrested for it.
These signs were posted at the Coffs Creek entrance area where the pollution has been steadily flowing out every day. The same water the 550 athletes swam in and the same water your kids at the Coffs Life Saving Club were swimming in. It was kept quiet from everyone just so this BCU Triathlon event could proceed. The Mayor should be sacked and the council closed down for these serious health and safety breaches. It was raw sewage and toxic chemicals that was leaving the Coffs Creek over this period. Council released no details to the public at all and it was kept quiet until I got the EPA involved. This isn't the first time and its been ongoing. The council even lied to the EPA making false statements. Any testing that took place from a council covering up such a matter could never be trusted. Do you think that water would have tested as being safe?
Its A Criminal Act

Is it a criminal act not to report a major pollution spill? Yes.

Is it a criminal act to try cover up such a pollution spill? Yes.

Is it a criminal act to risk the health and safety of thousands of people? Yes.

Is raw sewage and toxic chemicals a risk to community health? Yes.

Is it a conspiracy to cover up major pollution breaches by council workers? Yes.

Should the Mayor be arrested for her part in this crime? Yes.

Should the council be investigated for this? Yes.

Will the EPA take action?

The evidence is there for all to see.

No Actions Were Ever Taken!
Huge Council Conspiracy To Cover Up Pollution By Mayor & Council
Sunday 3-03-2013. The lighter colored water is the highly visible part of the pollution. Note the brown scum on the beach. This pollution area was also the swim zone for the 550 BCU Triathlon Athletes. It rained all that previous Saturday leaving the Coffs Creek pouring out more pollution into the sea areas of the Surf Life Saving Club and the Jetty Swim area. No pollution warning signs were ever posted there by the council even though these were the most popular swimming areas. Its was covered up so they wouldn't have to cancel the BCU Triathlon swimming event to make money. Money before the health and safety of people. Do you think that water was safe to swim in?

The Mayor and Council was totally behind this cover up. All those concerned should be sacked and prosecuted for this crime. Starting with the Mayor and any other councillors and council workers that withheld or kept quiet about this information. There will no doubt be many people involved in this massive health cover up. We need an honest system looking after our town and not criminals. The area near the Surf Life Saving Club was also the same where a hundred or so kids were swimming with others.  No one was ever warned about the sewage and toxic chemical overflows during that time frame. I was filming dead fish from the 16-02-2013 already. Check page 12.

I went out of my way to warn many people and I contacted the EPA and council but as you can see when you're dealing with corrupt people you can't stop that on your own. A corrupt Mayor and her lackeys that control this town to the stage where they even lie to the EPA makes it hard for others to believe you. They just label people like me as an extremist to cover up their own criminal acts. Lets just wait and see if the EPA takes criminal actions against these people or if they too because its government just chose to cover it up further?  The ICAC will most likely never act either they'll state its not their department. Lets wait and see what happens.
Don't Forget To Refresh Your Page As I Make Changes Regularly.
You can always reply at my Coffs Harbour Forum above.
After Around 5 Weeks Of Rain And Two Creek Floods The Coffs Creek Water Is Clear Again But Never Free Of Pollution.
The aftermath of the floods can still be clearly seen and it will be need to be seen if our council eventually organizes a clean up. The council withheld vital major pollution details from the public during the major rains and flood periods regarding the over flow of sewerage and toxic chemicals into the Coffs Creek and then into the nearby sea where people swam and held a BCU Triathlon event. The council and mayor clearly covered this information up just so they could keep this event going. No one was informed and the matter is a huge scandal and all the people involved should be sacked and prosecuted under the law for their actions.

Our council did not adhere to any of its own policy listed here: http://www.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/places-for-living/sewerage-reclaimed-water/Pages/community-notification-of-sewerage-incident.aspx

And they blatantly covered it all up to make sure this event could go ahead. This was a very serious crime and those responsible should be fully prosecuted under the law for their actions to do with this matter.
Dead fish, sea snake and dead birds are but a few that suffered from this major pollution overflow and yet no one will own up to it, discuss it or say why the public were never clearly informed. All covered up for profit reasons to save an event at the expense of risking other peoples health. It was the lowest criminal act a council and mayor could ever do to a whole town. They new the facts full well and there was no disputing that they didn't know what was going on. They just kept the lies and cover up going just to keep an event going.
RSS Feed
                                  Our Council Has  A Lot To Cover Up

I received this today 26-03-2013 from Coffs Harbour City Council trying to cover their tracks over this major pollution incident that happened in Coffs Harbour. How much longer will they continue with this lie and cover up of what really happened so they could stage a swimming event? Just click on the letter to enlarge it.
            Letter Back From The EPA Today

The EPA are not doing there job regarding this major scandal so I replied to them today
26-03-2013 regarding taking further action. My letter is below.
Ref No C03831-2013

To The EPA - 26-03-2013


Hi Linda,
                Can you tell me what action the EPA is going to take against the Coff Harbour City Council for not taking the proper actions regarding the health and safety of Coffs Harbour Residents by:

* Not reporting the initial known Pollution Overflows.
* Not informing the public at any time as per their own charter of operations:
http://www.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/places-for-living/sewerage-reclaimed-water/Pages/community-notification-of-sewerage-incident.aspx

* The Mayor lied to the public in the paper on that Saturday before the BCU Triathlon where 550 athletes took part swimming in the polluted waters as per our photo evidence shown here: http://www.coffsonline.com/Stories_13.html
* And there were around 100 children from the Coffs Harbour surf life saving club swimming in sewage and chemical outfall just around the corner very close to the Coffs Creek Outlet.

* They stated the lifesavers were kept informed about the pollution when in fact I interviewed a senior Life Guard on that Sunday and he stated he heard nothing at all about any pollution at any time. Even though the council stated they kept them informed?

* The Mayor stated in the local Advocate Newspaper there was no problems with sewage directly lying to the public. I informed the council long beforehand already. A blatant cover up to save the swimming event.

* People were not informed at any time that there was a sewage and toxic chemical threat. Not by newspaper nor the TV.

* The council never reported the sewage overflow to you I did. 

* They never placed signs out until I said I contacted the EPA.
They knew days beforehand already.

The fact that the council kept all this information from the public only so they could continue with a planned BCU Triathlon Event planned for that Sunday.
It rained all that previous Saturday and the Coffs Creek was brown from stinking pollution flowing out on the Sunday to where the children and 550 Triathlon Athletes were swimming as per the photos. There was heavy outfall pollution on that Sunday and it was more than obvious but no one was notified.
The photos show the outfall. http://www.coffsonline.com/Stories_13.html

At no time whatsoever did the Coffs Harbour City Council place any pollution signs near where the Athletes and children were actually swimming nor anywhere else along the swimming beach areas where the fallout was washing ashore.
So bad in fact there were dead fish, sea snake and dead birds.
They clearly did not place signs near the popular swimming areas so they wouldn't have to cancel the BCU Triathlon event. They left the beach closed down sign in the Coffs Creek but placed none where the fallout was.

The 2 small visible pollution signs I found never stated anything about the actual fallout type and were still displayed there on the day of the Triathlon event and when children swimming effectively closing the beaches down.
But the event and children swimming there still proceeded.

The council lied to the EPA about when the power went off as that happened several days well before they stated in their letter back to you. Again that was also printed clearly in the Advocate Newspaper.

If you continue to pursue with this obvious cover up I will then take it to the Television programs and other sources citing corruption within your EPA department siding with this corrupt Coffs Harbour City Council over these matters.

* I ask you again what action will you be taking?
* What investigations have you undertaken regarding this serious breach of pollution laws?

* Do you want me to expose both your EPA department for not taking action regarding the protection of the community at large within your means?

* Or should I pursue both yourselves and Coffs Harbour City Council regarding these serious breaches of public health and their clear cover up of events concerning the facts. I may be a retired Private Investigator but I do still know every facet of my job.

How could you trust a council so corrupt as to cover up this pollution to even take accurate believable tests? Did they take tests on the Saturday before the event? The water was totally polluted then and on the Sunday. They know and I'm sure you also know it.

Coffs Harbour City Council covered up this incident and kept it from the public to run an event for profit before community health concerns. That's not acceptable and all those concerned in this cover up from the Mayor to the council employees are liable under the law to be prosecuted.

If I don't hear back from you by this coming Friday I'll take it up with the Television stations and other corruption watchdogs etc. I won't be going away over these issues. Our council has been too corrupt for far too long with our town. I hope you won't be part of this cover up as well.

Even to this day the council has not mentioned one time an issue over this major fallout and the event that took place. Doesn't that sound even a little strange to you? I wait to hear back from you before Friday thanks.

Photo evidence can be found on my Coffs Online - 
http://www.coffsonline.com/Stories_13.html
and the reply council letters - http://www.coffsonline.com/council.html
               Its Time For The Council To Own Up To These Crimes

As you can see Coffs Harbour residents our corrupt council is using every angle it can to get out of being found out about this major pollution cover up and staged triathlon event scandal where no doubt many people's jobs are on the line including that of the Mayor and those also being liable facing major criminal proceedings under the law for their actions. These are major crimes and the people involved full well know it. The EPA is trying to smooth things over so it will go away while the corrupt council will do whatever it takes to get away with it all. I won't let it go away so I think its time they all owned up to these crimes and paid the price for them. Many legal factors have been breached under the law and all these people must face those allegations. All those concerned that took part in this cover up from the Mayor to the concerned employees and possibly other councillors should all be sacked immediately. They intentionally covered this up. Even the EPA took part by not acting.
Pollution Cover-Up Summary
Look at the color of this water on the Sunday at the time of the Triathlon event and when kids were swimming at the surf club. This water contains sewage and toxic chemical overflow. Yes they're fishing in it and people were swimming in it because no one in the town were notified of any pollution overflow problems at any time. It was all covered up so a triathlon swimming event could continue with 550 athletes. Its this same polluted water that washed into their swimming area and along the surf beach area where around 100 kids and other people were swimming too.  The photos above show the polluted water clearly and the Mayor and council staff covered it all up. Bad enough to kill fish and other wildlife but not extreme enough in the view of council to notify the public and thousands of people using the water during that 5 week period.
This is the normal cleaner view after the pollution period which took place over a 5 week period and two Coffs Creek floodings. This far reaching cover-up also extends to people not being informed like that of local fishermen regarding the contamination of local catches that could have taken place from sewage and toxic chemical outfall into their fishing areas as well at that time. No one was informed of this pollution outfall. No one was told about major sewage and toxic chemical outfall at anytime.
It was totally covered up to save an event from being cancelled. No statements were ever made as to the level of outfall either. How many tons went out to sea, over what periods etc. No information was ever released to the public at all and it was all covered up.
                       Will The EPA And ICAC Act On This Criminal Matter?

The list of crimes covered up here is extensive but more importantly the Mayor and Coffs Harbour City Council and those concerned placed the health and safety of the whole community last before the profit of an event. These issues took place over a 5 week period and not just one day. So people were placed at high risk during that period. The Council and their employees committed criminal acts as well as dereliction of their duties. Lets be clear here they were not mistakes they were knowingly and purposely covered this up. All those concerned and there will be many need to be sacked immediately for their crimes. They also need to face those crimes in court under the criminal act. These are not minor infringements. They are a disgrace to their community and their position in office. No council could stoop any lower than this. They are not people of good standing that do this.

I'm sure you'll agree that the health of local people, tourists and those athletes concerned should always be of top priority before any other considerations. The beaches should have been closed over that period. There is no doubt about it. It was no mistake on councils part to act in this manner. It was a predetermined criminal act. If anyone was sick over the 5 week flood period relating to swimming in that water area please contact me as this will act as evidence toward this case and you may be entitled to compensation for that result.

If you suffered any gastrointestinal disorders, infections to cuts or abrasions let us know your details please. Sick dogs from being in the water in that area? Sick from eating fish or shellfish from that fallout area along the Coffs Coast and Coffs Creek area. Viral complaints after being there. Any diseases from that area over that period of time? Anything you think may be related from being in the water or eating seafood from that general area.         Contact: coffs@search-the-world.com
Overflows must have been ongoing and well before the specified dates and the EPA was not notified as required as I was already filming dead fish and pollution effects well beforehand. The power outages may have increased the pollution output which would explain the stench along the beaches. It would take a lot of outfall to produce that level of smell. I was already investigating areas once I filmed dead fish on the 16-02-2013 because I knew there was something major up then already. Check the photos on page 12. I'm a retired trained private investigator. Healthy fish just don't die for no reason.

RE: The power outage dated given to the EPA - Overflows were earlier in the week and before that and they never reported the sewage and toxic chemical overflows then as they should have. So they gave them just that date to cover their lie. I reported Coffs Harbour City Council to the EPA at the same time as notifying the council that I found them out. So then they claim they self reported the incident to the EPA. All a big lie and they didn't report it on time. What did the fish die of on the 16-02-2013? Sewage and chemical overflow and pollution occured over a 5 week period not just the date they gave. They just never took any action beforehand until I contacted them and the EPA.

About the signs - a total cover up. Understand that the fallout from the sewage and toxic chemicals didn't stay in the Coffs Creek only it washed out to sea over a long period of time over many days and weeks washing on shore right up to The Jetty beach area where the Triathlon event was held. And also just around the corner where the Surf Life Saving Club is near the mouth of the Coffs Creek. No signs were ever placed in those fallout areas. The known areas most used.

The Coffs Harbour City Council tried to make out that the only popular swimming area was the Coffs Creek and all the other people were placed in a health risk because they never used a duty of care to warn the people at all at any time about the sewage and toxic chemical overflows.

And this was all done so they wouldn't have to cancel the BCU Triathlon event for the 550 athletes. This is a huge cover up and liability on the council as they broke so many laws it would take a page to fill them all out. Foremost is they are criminal acts and were a total deception.

As previously stated I interviewed a senior Lifeguard on that Sunday and he stated to me that he was not informed of any sewage and toxic chemical overflows at "any time" and he had no knowledge of that at any time. He was looking over around hundred kids and others swimming in that area at the time on that Sunday.  There are many people involved in this major cover up from the Mayor to council staff and perhaps other councillors. This can only be determined through the court system while those guilty in these crimes are brought to justice.

The Mayor straight our lied in her statements in the Saturdays newspaper about the Sewerage System not breaking down when it did so nearly a week before for long periods. Tons of sewage and toxic chemical overflow must have escaped for the beaches to have wreaked from the smell of it all. And to have killed fish and other wildlife. This letter is a total lie. The water was totally polluted on the day of the event on that Sunday and the photos clearly show this.
At no time did the Coffs Harbour City Council report incidents of sewage and toxic chemical overflows to the general public at large as per their own operating charter. No one new what was in the water or the risks. No one knew at all. It was all totally covered up and kept quiet to ensure the Triathlon event of 550 athletes could continue. This is also why they never posted signs in that popular jetty swimming area. The fallout in the photos is very clear. Look at the color of the creek water on the Sunday and the fallout areas near the Surf Club and Jetty areas.

The photos on this site prove the swimmers were swimming in highly polluted water at the time of the event and also where the children from the surf club were at. Everyone was placed at risk just to make money from this event. Any tests the council undertook could never be trusted from these same people that tried to cover it all up.

The Council undertook to only post some general small signs in a few areas but not where they were actuually required too where the main fallout was occurring like along the swimming beaches and the area where the BCU Swimming Event took place. They didn't put signs there otherwise the event would have been cancelled. No one was notified in Coffs Harbour at all about what was flowing out of the Coffs Creek.

The Council lied to the EPA about everything and they totally covered all this over. The proof is clear as day in the photos from the event day, my statements, my daily photos and reports as to what was going on well beforehand, and the total inaction and covering up by the Coffs Harbour City Council. Why weren't the public notified at any time?
The Mayor stated there was no problem with the sewerage on the Saturday before the event. Why would she do that knowing that there was? 

These criminals need to be brought to justice for these many criminal acts and immediately sacked from their positions.  These are the same people making day to day decisions for our town and they can't be trusted with such criminal intent behind them. The list of crimes committed here are very long and they were intentional.

How could they of posted signs at popular swimming areas as stated and still run that triathlon event with 550 athletes? "No Signs" were posted there at all to start with and they lied. No signs were posted at the Jetty or the Surf Club area and they are both around the corners of the main fallout. Both areas should have been closed.
                
No signs were ever posted at the main fallout swimming areas!
                               Council Questions That Need To Be Asked

Why didn't the council report the sewage and toxic chemical overflows to the public and EPA straight away as per their own charter of operations?

Why did it take the council so long to place the signs out?

Why didn't the council place signs near the known outfall areas along our most popular swimming areas like the surf club and jetty swimming areas?

The signs are not warning sufficient to let people know of what exactly the dangers are like warning about: Sewage and Toxic Chemical Overflows. People would take more notice of specific known dangers and not just broad warnings which people would tend to ignore. If people new it was sewage and toxic chemicals I'm sure they would have behaved very differently.

Why didn't the council warn people about the large quantity of debris floating in the surf waters?

How could the Coffs Creek remain closed from pollution and yet the fallout areas like nearby the surf club and the Jetty still remain open even though there was a large visible presence of pollution outfall in those areas?

Why didn't the council let the public know how much sewage and toxic chemical fallout occurred and exactly over what period during that 5 weeks?

Why did the Mayor lie in the Advocate Newspaper on that Saturday a day before the BCU Triathlon Event about the sewage and toxic chemical overflows to the public?

Why wasn't the BCU Triathlon Event cancelled seeing there was so much visible pollution? It was impossible to miss it.

Why wasn't the pollution levels monitored over the 5 week and after two Coffs Creek flood periods and people kept informed of pollution overflow and outfall dangers?

Why would you let people swim in waters where known fish and wildlife had died after it was reported to them?

Why hasn't the Council checked to see what health ramifications may have occurred since that time?

Why would the council risk the health and safety of all concerned just to save an event in these circumstances?

Why were so many known laws broken just to save an event?

Why didn't they follow their own operating guidelines?

Why weren't fisherman notified of the nature of the pollution and were any fish caught and tested for safety?

They only took action after I notified them and the EPA but they claimed to know about the overflows well before that so why didn't they act then?

Why didn't they physically go to these locations and warn people away after I reported them using those waters as normal? Its clear the needed areas didn't have signs and they weren't the right types of signs so why didn't they act?

Why did they state all the Life Guards were informed of the pollution when this wasn't the case at all?

Why did they place our children at risk at the surf club just next to the outflow area? Who would do that?

Its all very clear they kept the information from the public at all costs to save the BCU Triathlon Event. And they did this knowingly and planned to do it that way. In the course of those actions they placed the community at large at great risk to their health and safety.  These are very serious crimes and many laws were broken in that process of operations.

This was no accident or error of judgment. Those involved showed no duty of care and meticulously misinformed the people of Coffs Harbour and others on to further their own selfish gains and reasoning. This was a major cover-up.

The sewage overflow dumped into the Coffs Creek system after time in our warmer waters had time to toxify in bacteria growth making it even more dangerous during the period of the BCU Triathlon Event and is most likely the reason the water was so brown on the Sunday. That coupled with rain all that previous Saturday the creek was outpouring nothing but pollution all that weekend to areas along our coastline.

Bacteria levels must have been at their maximum by then coupled with a mix of other highly toxic chemicals which are part and parcel of the sewer system. This is why the Coffs Creek was the brown tea like color it was. The Surf Club area just next to the Coffs Creek outlet and the Jetty area were the closest outfall areas over that period and would have been the most contaminated areas of all. Allowing people to be in the water or fish in those areas during that time was just a criminal act knowing this. It was highly visible in all areas there but the public were never informed. 
  

           I have many more pollution photos of what took place as well which can later be used as evidence.
Pollution Conspiracy Video Evidence - Coffs Harbour
Some photos showing the nature of the pollution and areas that should have been closed down but instead were left open to the public placing them at high risk. No one was informed in our town about the sewage and toxic chemicals only so the BCU Triathlon event could still be staged. It was huge cover-up from the public in Coffs Harbour and those responsible in Coffs Harbour City Council need to be brought to justice to pay for these extensive crimes.
30-03-2013 

    Did The Easter Bunny Cause The Pollution?

Our Mayor wished us all a safe Easter and hoped the Easter Bunny would be kind to all. Then naturally another fairytale story about the outstanding effort performed by Coffs Harbour Water who kept the sewer pump stations going?

Well if that was the case Mayor where did those tons of sewage and toxic chemicals come from during that storm period? Even Easter Bunnies can't produce that much crap.

The same tons of pollution crap that killed fish and wildlife during that period?
The same tons of pollution crap that you let 550 Triathlon swimmers knowingly compete in?
The same tons of pollution crap you let our kids, tourists and others swim in as well?

Well if you can believe in fairy tales to that extent I'd say you must have a wild imagination.
What about the criminal acts perpetrated on our town by the Coffs Harbour City Council being derelict in their community duties? 

No one was informed of the sewage and toxic chemical pollution that took place that was covered up just so you could keep the BCU Triathlon Event going? Yes that was a criminal act as well as the page full of laws that were broken. All those concerned need to face those charges in a court of law and be sacked for being part of such a conspiracy. Where was the Mayors concern for public safety by not informing the public about all of this pollution beforehand then?

          
Socializing may be fun but telling the truth is much better.
                                             EPA Wont Take Any Action?

2-04-2013

The EPA NSW which is supposed to be the protecting authority for our area stated today to me over the phone that they would not be taking any action whatsoever against Coffs Harbour City Council and they feel the council acted as they should have done.

So here we have one government organization applying one set of laws for some and none for others that blatantly put the health and well being of the general public at risk by never following their own charter of operations notifying the public over the pollution incidents.  

This would have to set some legal precedents for companies too in future too no doubt. As long as they report what they did it seems they can get away with it. Its okay not to inform the public no matter what dangers are present in the water going by this determination from the EPA. I don't think that would stand up in any court in Australia some how so the EPA may now have some questions to ask themselves as to what they are trying to cover up. As you can all see there's a lot going on here. If the EPA commit to action then they uncover their own inaction too. Its a very tangled web they've all weaved for themselves but I'll keep pursuing it.

The Coffs Harbour Council at no time informed the public of the dangers of  this pollution at any time. Now the EPA is also covering their backsides over this matter too.

· They are taking the council at their word without question.
· They are clearly taking a side without looking at any of the evidence or facts.
· They have made a decision not to take action based on what? Their own inaction perhaps?
· So are local councils now above the law?

If it were a private company that didn't notify people of major pollution what would happen then you would ask the EPA?
Its very clear to me its not just our local council that has been negligent here its also the EPA that hasn't even bothered to look at the evidence and they've just taken the word of a clearly corrupt council. It can't be anymore obvious and one is just protecting the other. The EPA tried to tell me I should contact the Department Of Health over this pollution issue because they can't be bothered with it. Its all too controversial to investigate a corrupt council. No one wants to step on anyones toes.

So now we have a local Coffs Harbour Council that didn't follow their own charter of operations and acted illegally.
And the EPA that won't even follow its own charter of operations against a council. Laws for some and no laws for others. Well we'll just have to pursue other avenues until more people get to know how these corrupt avenues of the system really work. No doubt I'm wasting my time trying to expose this crooked system but we'll see how far I can take it to expose them all. Perhaps there's one section out there that can see through this corrupt process and hold them accountable for their actions.

Lets just take one more step in a similar area: What if there were a pollution issue and it ended up in the drinking water supply and people started dying or got really sick? Do you think they would take action then?
Okay this wasn't drinking water but still hundreds of people used these areas for water sports and no doubt consumed and were subject to sewage and toxic chemical water from those areas and the council kept that knowledge away from the whole town just to save an event.

                                                               Do you think that's right?

                                                            That's what happened here.

I have made contact with the following regarding this case due to it being a council and no one will take action:

The EPA - Ref No C03831-2013
Department Of Health
Prime Minister
Andrew Fraser . MP
Luke Hartsuyker.MP
Coffs Harbour City Council
Minister For Local Government
ICAC - REF: E13/0416
Marine Police
Advocate Newspaper
Ombudsman NSW
Police NSW
NSW Office Of Water
Minister For Health
A Current Affair

Many are government sources and expecting an honest judgment from any against their own may be an impossible task. Lets wait and see if any reply and actually investigate the matter as they should.
Nearly all have turned their backs on us.
The following is a Letter Of Complaint I emailed to the EPA regarding their total disregard for the real issues in this case.

Sent: 2-04-2013

EPA Complaints Department

To Whom It My Concern

I would like to lodge an official complaint for a case I lodged with you being:

Ref No C03831-2013

I was at no time taken seriously within your operating charter because the complaint was against our Local Coffs Harbour City Council being a government department in its own right.

The case was handed over to the Grafton Office which did not look at the evidence of that actual case or the laws broken regarding these serious crimes as listed within your own charter of operations.

I further believe they never took responsible action against Coffs Harbour City Council because this would also implicate their own ability for not taking action sooner as they should have done when the seriousness of these crimes information were provided to them.

Its seems everyone is trying to cover this over as some sort of small event without the implications involved being considered.

The EPA stated to me that the council self reported the pollution incident.
But the Mayor stated in the newspaper twice there were no pollution incidents. Doesn't that sound strange to you?

This was all done so the council wouldn't have to cancel an event but it seems no one is prepared to look at how corrupt that decision has been. The council put the health of hundreds of people at risk just for that. They never notified the people at any time whatsoever of the risk of the sewage and toxic chemical outfall. The EPA new it beforehand because I kept everyone informed but still no one took any action. They never placed signs in the areas where the main fallout took place along the beach. That would have stopped them from staging the BCU Triathlon Event.

If this makes the EPA a responsible community protection service then it makes them just as bad as the Coffs Harbour City Council.
All the people involved in covering up these events should be sacked and prosecuted under the law as they are not above the law. The issue of the pollution is one thing but to not inform the public and then place them all at risk on purpose just to save an event is not acceptable at all.

Your Grafton person in charge stated I wouldn't be satisfied with any result making out that somehow that I should feel guilty for their crimes. You really need to get your people in line and sack those that were accomplice in this case and then re-investigate it to the full extent of the law.
Everything is clearly provided for your case on this whole page:
http://www.coffsonline.com/Stories_13.html
The pollution and breaches in law are very clear.
                                            A Quest For Honesty

Because no one in this town was informed about what occurred this is almost a silent quest on my part to expose a high level of dishonesty within our Coffs Harbour City Council. The only people that know are the people that follow this Coffs Online website.

Call me an extremist or whatever you like but to me its about what this council did to this whole town and dereliction of their public duties from the Mayor down to the employees. They broke a huge series of laws and didn't follow their own charter of operations. To put the health of hundreds of people at risk just to save an event is an extreme injustice toward the people of this town. 

Its not even so much about the fact that the pollution occurred its about not informing the people of the health hazards and letting them continue the use those facilities knowingly to cover it all over for an event for some small profit.
That's corruption at its highest level and those responsible should be sacked and prosecuted under the law for the crimes committed.
Updates About The Cover Up As It Unfolded Day After Day
Everyone liked Ned Kelly too but that doesn't make it right to commit crimes against others.

This was not a mistake or accident it was deliberately planned to mislead people so an event could go ahead for profits at the risk of everyone's health.

Procedures were not followed and the public were never informed properly about the risks.
These are their procedures:  CLICK HERE!

The beaches should have been closed but they still held an event in highly polluted unsafe waters.

Signs were not posted in the popular main fallout swimming areas to warn people of the health risks.

Many laws and basic rights have been broken here. The Mayor and council kept the deception going to the public and even to the EPA.  No one wanted to take action or listen because its a council. No one wants to think the council acted improperly but they did.

                                                          
Are they above the law?

If Council and the Mayor aren't guilty of these crimes then why haven't they released a statement to refute and deny all these claims? These people have been getting away with corrupt behaviour for so long its just second nature to them it seems. They have no conscience about what they did to this town. They're just waiting for it to blow over but there's no set time limit on crime.
Again an article by the Mayor printed in the paper on Saturday, March 30 2013, stating that colleagues kept the sewer pumps going and no mention of any major pollution at all. People were never notified at all about any pollution during that 5 week period. The Mayor went out of her way to cover this all over. And public safety was never considered. It was a deception with true intent.
Water Quality Comparrison Views
Normal clear and realtively cleaner water as it should normally be.
Water after a normal rain and dirt washes into the creeks with a muddy appearance. 
Water with a stagnent like view containing high levels of pollution. Taken event day.
These are all Coffs Creek photos and I've provided them to show that its not hard to see the difference when a major pollution problem occurs.
Naturally no water is expected to be pure in a water system such as this but their are extreme times when creek and property flooding occurs and power failures etc that can effect the output of sewage and chemical outputs at different times. A responsible council would and should keep people informed of such major occurrences with not only proper signs advising what the outfall is but also the dangers but letting people know through the normal aspects of the media as per their own operating charter. Coffs Harbour City Council chose not to do this and chose to cover it all over instead just so they could run a swimming event for profit reasons. No proper signs were ever posted in the main popular swimming areas where the main fallout resulted. Being the Surf Club and Jetty areas.   

The Council did this knowingly as a deceptive act and in the process committed many actual crimes and those responsible should be held accountable for it. These people are in a position of trust and they've let our town down.

So far it seems our criminal justice system only applies to people outside the Council system and these people are allowed to operate above the law.
How could this cover up be possible you may ask?
These are the same crooks running your town!
These people are out of control.
They are being controlled by avenues of our corrupt government system otherwise action would be taking place right now. And people wonder why our town is broke.
These issues won't just go away so stay tuned for more updates as I get them.
As I predicted the council has still left tons of tree material that washed backed onto the shoreline along our beaches. The same branches and trees that they let the people of this town swim in between at the time it was washing up upon our shores as no beach closure and danger warning signs in those areas were ever displayed as they should have done. 

That coupled with tons of sewage and toxic chemical fallout the council covered over and kept quiet from the public only so they could keep the BCU Triathlon event going for a profit at the risk of the athletes and town's people's health because they never informed the people of the risks at any time. They ran the event even though extreme high levels of pollution were present. The beaches were supposed to be closed. Predetermined and criminal acts against our town committed by council workers. Its clear corruption is riff at Coffs Harbour City Council. The Mayor also played a big part in this and its a huge scandal.
9-04-2013 - Photos Of Tree Branches And Trees From Flood Period
Copy of a letter sent to Coffs Harbour Council - 2 Departments

27-02-2013

To Coffs Harbour City Council / Environmental Department
I'm seeking a comment from Coffs Harbour City Council as to why our beaches weren't and aren't closed down for safety reasons due to raw sewerage and floating debris along our beaches.
Also why no reasonable signage has been posted to alert people to these dangers.
Will Coffs Harbour City Council be undertaking regular bacterial and toxic chemical testing of beach areas including popular areas where children dig and play in the sand?
And will those findings be made public?
The story to date can be followed here:
http://www.coffsonline.com/Stories_13.html

For Coffs Online - www.coffsonline.com

(Footnote: The EPA were also contacted over this town scandal.).


REPLY FROM THE EPA

Thank you for your recent emails advising the EPA of your concerns in relation to the recent sewer overflows in the Coffs Harbour City Council local government area. The EPA has been liaising with Tyron Cook, Manager Distribution - Coffs Harbour Water, Ph (02) 6648 4410 or Mobile 0418 409 071 who advised the following in an email yesterday:

Following the power outages Friday 22/3/13, Coffs Harbour Water erected 6 signs in the popular swimming and recreation areas around Coffs Creek on Saturday morning 23/3/13. A further 14 signs have been erected to notify the public that that water may be polluted. These signs are located at popular recreation areas on the banks of Middle Creek, Boambee Creek, Fiddamans Creek, Hearnes Lake, Woolgoolga Lake, Darkum Creek and Arrawarra Creek. The signs state “Waters Polluted - No Drinking, No Swimming, No Fishing”.
Water samples have been taken and tested for faecal coliforms at Coffs Creek, Middle Creek, Boambee Creek, Fiddamans Creek, Hearnes Lake, Woolgoolga Lake, Darkum Creek and Arrawarra Creek, Sawtell Beach, Park Beach. The sample results will be known later today. The Jetty Beach will be sampled Thursday and results known on Friday.
Coffs Harbour Water has been regular contact with Council’s Lifeguard in regard to the water quality of the beaches.

If there are further areas of concern other than those listed above, you should contact Mr Cook directly to ensure appropriate signage is erected.
Kind regards,

Nicole Power
Operations Officer l North Coast Region
NSW Environment Protection Authority
The Cover up And Lies Continue From Our Council, Mayor And The EPA

This is my reply I recently sent to the EPA

2-06-2013

Your Reference Doc13/16223
Ref No C03831-2013

To Gary Davey - Director - North Branch

Dear Sir,
I only just returned from a two months assignment filming towns around Australia for my Australian Pictorials site and only just read your mail today so sorry for the late reply.

Let me firstly point out where your investigations failed to recognise the councils responsibility and that of the EPA and honesty to protect the public during the period of pollution overflows.

Firstly they never informed the public at any time as per their operating charter.
The signs they erected were not near the main swimming areas where the main fallout was present.
Just because they erected signage doesn't mean people will see them if they're in obscure locations away from where the public actually normally swim. This was the case. Did you investigate where the actual signs were placed and where the people swim the most in Coffs Harbour?
Your investigation would have revealed not only that the Coffs Harbour City Council were negligent in these and other matters but so were your Grafton EPA Branch department in this matter.

They failed miserably and criminal acts were committed by the council and even a basic investigator could determine that from the evidence I submitted to you which will stay published permanently on Coffs Online implicating your department and that of the Coffs Harbour City Council due to the seriousness of this matter. It wasn't that the overflows occurred it was that they total covered it up only to save an event even though the beaches were supposed to be closed by your own admission from the mystery signs the council was supposed to have erected.

Blatant lies, misinformation and cover ups wont make this issue go away for you. You may be assuming that the people you interviewed if you even did that were telling you the truth but the evidence proves otherwise. A council that covers up the truth with these matters could not be trusted to give you the truthful facts because that would show they lied to you. But I'm sure you already know that. They're not going to admit they lied and stuffed up are they? Not many criminals do that do they? Look at the evidence.

I even had a reply from The Secretary Of Regional Health stating that they undertook numerous radio, television and newspaper interviews stating that the floodwaters could contain sewage and other contaminants. All lies and not correct. Coffs Harbour did not receive that information.

Even the Mayor directly lied twice in the local paper at varied dates stating there were no sewage overflows. I published the information daily as it occurred with photo evidence.
Dead fish, birds and information about a sea snake all killed from the pollution.
If these people lied to you to keep their jobs this is what criminals do isn't it? So you should look at the evidence submitted to you. This was never done because if you even tried to examine the statements and things said to you by council you'd know they were covering something up big time. But your own Grafton office is also implicated in this cover up trying to protect the council once the lies started.

What were the water sample tests results taken on the Saturday and Sunday taken before and on the event day please?

Look at the water conditions, the colour and the fact that the water was indeed totally polluted on the day of the event. The photos show this very clearly and you know this.
I even provided before and after photos to show the difference for you. Is the council trying to deny there was no pollution at any time? And if there was why didn't they notify the public as per their own operating charter and follow the laws? They never notified the public at any time. It was totally covered up to keep the triathlon event going.

How could the beaches be deemed as being closed by their own signs as you state and yet they let people swim in all the water areas during the three week period?
Including the event day and the kids swimming right next to the main pollution fallout areas? The people never knew because they were never informed at any time. The council lied to you and your Grafton department has lied to you.

Criminals lie to keep their standing and jobs and you're protecting criminals by not taking the appropriate actions of a responsible authority supposedly independent over these matters. You know the evidence proves the council and Mayor lied over these matters and your protecting your own department and those of criminals that did the wrong thing by Coffs Harbour.

The councils own paperwork and statements prove they lied and nothing makes any sense of what was stated in them as you full well know. Everything they stated to you was fabricated to cover up their intention of lies and of the factual events that took place.

I will act as a witness in court if need be to bring these criminals to justice. What they did to the people of Coffs Harbour is not right. How would you like your kids swimming in sewerage and toxic chemical overflows then finding out the council never told anyone?

There is more than enough evidence there for even a basic investigation to bring these people to court for their actions. There own lies and past statements will reveal the truth of what happened. You are the responsible authority to bring these people to justice and yet you've done nothing except show that your own Grafton department is also implicated.

If any private company acted in the way this council did they would at least be prosecuted but because its a corrupt town council your hesitant to expose the truth of what really happened. And it seems all other government departments are protecting them in the same manner. With lies and fabrication that the council is telling them the truth. Look at the evidence provided. This council most likely never tested the water on the Saturday and Sunday being the heaviest days of pollution fallout even causing death to wildlife. They fabricated a host of cover ups to keep an event going and once your own department got caught up in the lies it just never stopped.

I again urge you to open a proper investigation into this matter and bring these people concerned to justice to protect the people of Coffs Harbour against the same ever happening again. The truth will eventually come out and do you also want to be implicated in this matter with all your departments?

More notes:

I'll help you out a little as it was my former job being a Private Investigator.

Cr Knight did without doubt lie reporting the major Sewage and Chemical overflows and I'll show you why.

If you check the EPA letter on that page it will state to you that the council supposedly self reported the pollution dated on the 22 Feb 2013 as per the letter copy provided. Just click on the letter.
So the council and Mayor should have full well known about the major sewage pollution already a week beforehand.

At no time whatsoever since that date did they ever report that to the general public at anytime to warn them of those dangers as per their own operating charter as listed here:
<http://www.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/places-for-living/sewerage-reclaimed-water/Pages/community-notification-of-sewerage-incident.aspx%20>



Cr Knights made her statement in the Advocate Newspaper on Saturday 2nd of March 2013 backs up this claim that she lied and didn't inform the town about this sewage contamination at any time. In fact if I didn't report it to the EPA when I did they still wouldn't have taken any action over the matter. They only placed the signs out after I contacted the EPA and Council. Even then events were being planned for a triathlon and people were still swimming every day over three weeks in dangerous waters containing a mixture of toxic chemicals and sewage from the fallout. Plus the water was carrying large quantities of floating debris, sewage and chemicals from the storm period.

I quote the Mayor: "The Coffs Water staff were also kept incredibly busy making sure our water and sewerage systems weren't affected by the power cuts".

Council supposedly self reported the pollution dated on the 22 Feb 2013 as per the EPA report. The sewerage systems were affected a lot because tons of sewage and chemical fallout occurred. The whole beach wreaked of it and it killed fish and wildlife.

That was her first newspaper lie statement.

This was her second:

Again an article by the Mayor printed in the paper on Saturday, March 30th 2013, stating that: colleagues kept the sewer pumps going and no mention of any major pollution at all. A scan copy of that newspaper article is also provided on that page as further evidence she lied and kept that information from the public. Lie number two. I don't think she would be silly enough to make the same error twice do you? Just click on the scan copy.


The council also misled the EPA because they stated they placed signs in "popular swimming areas" while this pollution was taking place.
This was also written on the letter provided on the page here:
http://www.coffsonline.com/Stories_13.html

Again a lie because they never placed the signs near the Surf Life Saving Club and none near the Jettty end of the beach.
Both these beaches adjoin the outflow area of the Coffs Creek. They were the main sewage and chemical outfall areas. No signs were placed there otherwise that would have alerted the swimmers in the planned BCU Triathlon event. They didn't want them to see those signs for that reason. So none were placed there.


No one was informed of the pollution while this event took place as it was all kept quiet on purpose. Look at the evidence of the swimmers swimming in the highly polluted waters. No one was advised at any time. They weren't told it was sewage and chemical fallout.


I did at no time use suspicion regarding this case but I used the physical evidence presented to you which is in the form of their own letters and statements made. And letters and emails from the EPA. Its physical evidence and photographic evidence which would stand up in any court in Australia. Except the Kangaroo courts being used by many government departments trying to cover these issues over because its a corrupt council.

You tell me: How could they put those beach closure signs up and still run that event even though the waters were extremely visibly polluted? Look at the photos. Look at the signs placed.

How could they let the people and children swim at the Surf Life Saving Club just around the corner from the Coffs Creek which it adjoins without warning or stopping them. The Mayor and Council claimed in writing they kept in contact with the lifeguards about water quality but I interviewed one senior lifeguard on that Sunday and he claimed no knowledge whatsoever at any time knowing about the sewage and chemical fallout. Another lie by council and the Mayor. These are not mistakes they were in print stated by them. Look at the letters a email repy from council that they sent back to the EPA. Yes they even lied to the EPA. Its in writing and clear evidence.

If they knew of the pollution and reported it to the EPA why didn't they notify the public at anytime whatsoever and keep it secret just so they could keep the 550 athlete event going not notifying any of them?

The beaches were supposed to be closed as per their own signage but they were kept open for the event even with the high levels of pollution.
No details were released to the public at any time as they were supposed to do under their own operating charter.

We both know they broke many laws here from day one for not reporting it to the EPA as I did all that. The EPA is also covering up for them now because they too never did their job either. It seems every government department that I can find from every place wants no part in this cover up of lies and deceit.

You can see the pollution that the people are swimming in with the photos provided and no one was ever notified of it at anytime. No signs were ever placed in the main swimming and fallout areas. Placing hundreds of people at risk and the 550 athletes.

By not placing the signs in the known event sewage and chemical fallout area where the beach should have been closed is clearly a major misconduct and corrupt action because they knew the event was being staged there. The council set most of this up. Keeping that information from the public that they full well knew in advance was a corrupt action because they did that to make money from the triathlon event.

The beaches were supposed to be closed during the event period and before but the council never signed or informed the people to a satisfactory level to even warn them of the sewage and chemical overflows. They in fact lied about them instead. The Mayor had the chance to inform the people too and also covered it up knowing a large event was going to take place in advance.
They even let our local kids swim in the sewerage right near the fallout area and never informed them of the risk at any time. It was all kept quiet so an even could proceed.

The Council and Mayor clearly knew about it because they stated that in their own letters and statements. Are these people above the law or will you take the required action that needs to be taken. The clear evidence being their own letters, and photos are on this page: http://www.coffsonline.com/Stories_13.html

The photos clearly show very high levels of pollution on that Sunday of that event. And yet the main fallout areas of this pollution being the Coffs Harbour Surf Club and Jetty event areas were never closed and nor was anybody ever informed about it.

The council lied, covered it over, never operated within their own operating charter of operations just to stage an event to make money. Placing hundreds of people at risk. If that doesn't seem dishonest, deliberate and corrupt then I'd say all our Australian laws will need to be re-written.

The Mayor never informed the people even though she stated the same lie twice in the paper trying to cover it over. They knew because they claim they self reported the pollution. But just so you know the EPA in Grafton is also part of this cover up as they too never did their job as I kept all parties informed as things occurred.

If the pollution was bad enough to kill fish and wildlife do you think the public had a right to at least know or make a choice of wether to swim in those highly polluted waters? The council never informed the public at anytime over the three week period and they knowingly chose to cover it up by their own admission. They need to be investigated and those involved dealt with under the law. Many laws have been breached here as well as the public trust.

The Real Facts

The Council never posted any signs at the most popular swimming areas being the main pollution fallout areas at the Jetty Beach and Surf Lifesaving Beach areas adjoining the Coffs Creek Fallout area.

The Council never informed the general public as to the gravity of the overflows containing sewage and other toxic chemical overflows.

The Council and Mayor deliberately covered up the fact that sewage overflows occurred in the local newspaper.

The Council never used the media as per their own operating charter to warn people of exactly what actual pollution took place.

The waters at the Jetty and Surf Club beaches were highly polluted on the Saturday and Sunday when it rained all that Saturday making the pollution levels even higher as per the photos supplied.

No testing was done or then revealed to the public from those days as the Council, Mayor and the EPA kept all the facts from the public to keep an event going for profit. Placing the health of residents, young children and competitors at risk.

The proof of lies and cover ups is supplied by their own admission in their letters and statements to the EPA. The EPA never acted at any time to protect the public either.

The issue is not over uncontrollable sewage and other toxic chemical overflows due to storms its the fact the people were never properly informed under the law and per the councils own charter of operations. And the fact it was covered up to make sure a planned triathlon event could continue.

Look at the facts and photos here: www.coffsonline.com/Stories_13.html
And it clearly shows what has been going on. The public were never informed at any time in the correct manner and a clear cover up ensued by the Council, Mayor and the EPA for never informing the public of the nature of this pollution and the dangers associated with it. Any court in Australia would determine this.

But the EPA like the Council are indeed the guilty parties for never doing their jobs by the book to ensure public safety. When profits are put before public safety one knows the system has let us all down. Then when the Authorities in charge wont take responsibility for these actions you know its straight out corruption. The people at the top of these corrupt actions act chose to lie and cover up these facts.

Why weren't the public informed at any time about the sewage and other toxic chemical overflows? The Council, the Mayor and the EPA are at fault here breaking many pollution and civil right laws. Criminal actions took place here to cover up major pollution so an event could go ahead as planned. 
The EPA's Grafton office stuffed up this case from day one and believed the lies the Council told them and never acted on the actual evidence I presented to them so they too became implicated in this ongoing cover up. The EPA was committed to the lies once they realised what really went on and now they can't even independently regulate an honest investigation because of their own bad handling of this situation. Now both the EPA and Coffs Harbour City Council have major questions to answer regarding all facets of this case.

Laws broken, corruption for profit, neglect of duties, lies to the general public and to the EPA, health laws broken, cover ups and more. There's a host of people involved and its starts from the top of the Mayors office down to the various departments involved. Lots of jobs on the line and legal ramifications that should be investigated by the ICAC. As the council and EPA are both involved up to their necks in this cover up of lies and deceit. 

Nothing was done correctly from day one by the council and they grossly mislead the people of Coffs Harbour and the 550 athletes that competed in the triathlon event at the time.
Do you think if those fishermen knew they were fishing in high levels of sewerage and chemicals they would still be there?
Do you think if the Triathlon athletes knew they were swimming in high levels of sewerage and chemicals they would still want to compete?
Would you let your kids swim at the surf club just around the corner from this high level of sewerage and chemical fallout if you knew that was in the water?

Well no one was never told and they all were lied to by our council. The EPA also took no action. I kept them all informed daily and no one took any action at all just so they could keep things quiet to run the BCU Triathlon Event for profit.


It was a calculated decision on the part of the Coffs Harbour City Council and there were no mistakes about it. They knew sewage and toxic chemicals where released in major over flows and never informed the public or followed the correct procedures for corrupt reasons to run a planned event. The ICAC should also be taking serious action of this breach in public trust and the coruption that took place. Both the council and EPA are now both invloved in this gross cover up.

Pollution so bad it killed sea life and wildlife in the area but the council and EPA didn't take any notice or the correct actions to warn people. All of this to make a profit from an event. What do you have to say Mayor?

Disgrace Meter
The water contained high levels of pollution and you can clearly see that by these photos. If they knew they were swiming in sewage and chemical overflows do you think they would still compete? Its no wonder the council kept it all quiet. All of this just to make money?
EPA Letter reply confirms the EPA and Coffs Harbour City Council are both involved in the cover up.
·         Our Coffs Harbour City Council operated in a criminal and negligent way just so it could run an event for profit.

·         Not notifying the public at large over a 5 week period.

·        Not placing signs in the most popular swimming areas in Coffs Harbour being the Surf Life Saving Club and Jetty area being the main overflow pollution fallout areas.

·        Not taking samples of water on the Saturday and Sunday concerned when pollution was at its highest levels.

·        Not notifying the children swimming directly in the sewerage and toxic chemical overflow areas on the Sunday at the Surf Club right next to the fallout area.  Or letting their parents know.

·        Not notifying other lifesaving staff and telling them.

·        Not telling any of the 550 Athletes competing in the BCU Triathlon Event on the Sunday even though the pollution was highly visible. Enough to kill fish and wildlife.

·        Not telling anybody at anytime in the town of Coffs Harbour using any of their stated sources like through the newspaper, or TV media. If fact making false statements on two occasions by the Mayor saying there was no sewerage problem in the paper both before and after the said events.

·        Kept all things quiet to make profits from an event risking the health and well being of the whole town, tourists and 550 athletes.

·     At no time whatsoever were the public informed of the sewerage and toxic chemical overflows. It was kept quiet so the BCU swimming event could proceed.

The EPA are coving this up because they also didn't perform their duties protecting the people after I notified them. So they are also covering their tracks with lies. The paperwork clearly proves this. The Mayors statements in the paper on two occasions proves the council never notified the public at any time of the sewerage overflows. Nor did they make any statements to warn people of the risks over the 3 week flood period. That means the council and the EPA are lying over this issue as printed on this reply. 
Coffs Online
                                        Government Verses Councils

How this State Government, their departments and affiliations are operating in this state of NSW is familiar to the inherent conflict of interest between representing the interests of government and councils. They know the corruption is there but they still protect councils and their operators from prosecution when the laws have been broken. They operate above the law and all avenues of government departments protect them.

So they only choose to act when there’s enough public pressure to do so. What a corrupt system our State Government has become. And yes I’m sure it’s always been that way. Naturally the average sheep in the street wouldn’t know any better because they assume the regulatory bodies have a level of honesty about them. How wrong that can be. Conflicting levels of corruption are administering this state and the visible proof is out there. 

When you start testing the system you find the brick walls of lies, injustice and cover-ups all being used by government departments. They play with words and choose what they say like politicians always trying not to implicate them, which has already been done by their own admission by not recognising the facts of each case. The more they state the deeper the cover-up continues.

They leave out the facts they choose and work around them with what they want. Justifying corrupt actions by exclusion of the facts is their answer to undertaking investigations. So the truth and deception continues with one protecting the other for fear of being found out.

No one will take the interest to pursue the injustice done to the people of Coffs Harbour. It seems some of these people involved "the criminals"  are being let off free to continue with their actions. They are accountable to no one and act above the law which shows how deep the level of corruption can go in this state. I'm not sure what level of conscience they operate under to justify their actions but they certainly shouldn't be representing the people in this way or in any other way. Some should be in jail right now for these corrupt actions. And no doubt others were working under instruction from those higher above them.

The list of supposed public representatives.

The EPA - Ref No C03831-2013
Department Of Health
Prime Minister
Andrew Fraser . MP
Luke Hartsuyker.MP
Coffs Harbour City Council
Minister For Local Government
ICAC - REF: E13/0416
Marine Police
Advocate Newspaper
Ombudsman NSW
Police NSW
NSW Office Of Water
Minister For Health


If there are people interested in coming forth as whistle blowers on this or any other currupt council activities you can contact me anytime by email. I will do my best to expose them to the public as best I can to hold them accountable. 
Coffs Harbour has its own water and pollution testing facility but the public are rarely kept informed when major pollution outbreaks occur. Especially when its from a council source.
Council Let People Swim In Raw Sewerage And Toxic Chemical Overflow For Weeks
Water so polluted it killed fish and wildlife but not polluted enough to warn people?
Corrupt council and EPA walk away free! Bogus corrupt investigations by EPA & ICAC!
This page is just one of the many pollution events that took place in Coffs Harbour over the years and I used it to expose the operations of this corrupt Council and their activities and to show that there isn't one Australian authority that will act or hold them accountable for their actions. Information used in investigations was incomplete and they only used the information they chose too from corrupt sources.

The investigation bodies concerned were also investigating themselves for their own part in this corruption so they'd hardly deliver the truth then would they? If it were a private company they would have been dragged kicking and screaming through the media. Our country has one set of laws for some and another set of laws for others. Testing the system like this is the only way to find the truth in this country. Its very clear that not only is the council system corrupt but also the system of laws governing them.

You can all clearly see the breaches in trust this Coffs Harbour City Council took over this issue. The photo evidence and their own letters of lies condemn them but due to corruption both from the Council and the EPA both being involved in this cover up no further action was taken. It also shows there is no honesty in our legal system within Australia as I tested this case as far as I could with my limited resources. 

Just keep in mind the corrupt actions by the people involved in this case are still running YOUR town. Some should be in jail and out of a job.