Environmental monitoring

The Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act) requires holders of environment protection licences to make their pollution monitoring data publicly available in a timely manner. The aim is to improve public access to information on the environmental performance of Council’s licensed facilities.

Annual summaries are downloadable below and cover the twelve-month period immediately prior to publication.  The summary is updated monthly as required by the Act. 

The Pollution Incident Response Management plans (PIRMP) have been developed to document the processes required to prepare for and respond to pollution incidents for the sites below and ensure that hazards to the environment, human health and safety are reduced, if not eliminated. They have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 and Protection of the Environment Operations (General) Regulation 2009.

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EPL 199 - Alstonville Sewage Treatment Works

Johnston Road, Alstonville - Sewage treatment processing by small plants

• Data Summary Report 2023/24
• Data Summary Report 2022/23
• Data Summary Report 2021/22 
• Data Summary Report 2020/21
• Pollution Incident Response Management Plan (10mb pdf)

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EPL 588 - Ballina Sewage Treatment Works

Fishery Creek Road, Ballina - Sewage treatment processing by small plants

• Data Summary Report 2023/24
• Data Summary Report 2022/23
• Data Summary Report 2021/22 
• Data Summary Report 2020/21
• Pollution Incident Response Management Plan (2.7mb pdf)

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EPL 590 - Lennox Head Sewage Treatment Works

North Creek Road, Lennox Head - sewage treatment processing by small plants

• Data Summary Report 2023/24
• Data Summary Report 2022/23
• Data Summary Report 2021/22
• Data Summary Report 2020/21
• Pollution Incident Response Management Plan (14mb pdf)

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EPL 5785 - Wardell Sewage Treatment Works

Kays Road, Coolgardie - Sewage treatment processing by small plants

• Data Summary Report 2023/24
• Data Summary Report 2022/23
• Data Summary Report 2021/22
• Data Summary Report 2020/21
• Pollution Incident Response Management Plan (3.9mb pdf)

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EPL 6350 - Ballina Waste Management Centre

167 Southern Cross Drive, Ballina - Non-thermal treatment of general waste and waste disposal by application to land

• Download Data Summary Report 
• Pollution Incident Response Management Plan (PIRMP) (1.7mb pdf)

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EPL 5948 - Ballina Shire Council Airport Sandpit 

The Airport Sandpit is located on Southern Cross Drive, Ballina. Sand extraction from this site occurred between 1991 and 2002. This was via dewatering and dry excavation under an EPA Environmental Protection Licence. The Sandpit has not operated since 2001 and no pumped discharge has occurred on the site since dewatering ceased.

Council is currently looking into future opportunities to access this valuable resource via wet dredging methods.

• No monitoring is required because no activities are currently taking place
• Ballina Byron Gateway Airport - Pollution Incident Response Management Plan (PIRMP) (0.8mb pdf)

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EPL 3856 - Tuckombil Quarry

The Tuckombil Quarry is located at 436 Gap Road, Alstonville. The site is a low intensity campaign operation comprising of extraction and screening of basalt to produce typical quarry products.

Council is currently looking into future opportunities to access the valuable resource that exist on site.

• No monitoring is required because no activities are currently taking place
• Tuckombil Quarry - Pollution Incident Response Management Plan (PIRMP) (0.3mb pdf)

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Resources

• Annual Summary of Monitoring Data - Interpretive Document (0.4mb pdf)
• POEO Act - Requirements for publishing environmental monitoring data
• POEO public register - access to environment protection licences