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WA environmental watchdog failed to track contaminated sites, audit finds

More than 1,200 sites await assessment for over five years, with hundreds of files assigned to former staff

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Western Australia's environmental regulator failed to adequately track or manage thousands of contamination cases, leaving more than 1,200 possibly contaminated sites awaiting assessment for over five years and hundreds of files assigned to staff who no longer worked there, a scathing audit has found.

The audit by the WA Auditor General into the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) found the department did not adequately track or manage cases, with 771 sites assigned to staff who had left at the time of the audit. Of those, 110 possibly contaminated sites were deemed high priority, while the department also manages more than 1,500 cases of known contamination.

More than 1,200 of 1,633 possibly contaminated sites had been awaiting additional assessment information for more than five years with limited follow-up, according to the report.

Acting Auditor General Aloha Morrissey said DWER was not doing enough to obtain this information and progress sites needing further assessment. “For many sites, it is taking DWER years to assess contamination levels as DWER is not maintaining contact with responsible parties,” she said.

The audit highlighted a formal report from 2013 on public land close to homes, recreational areas and the Swan River. The pollution watch hotline had also received a call about an oil spill at the same location. The site was assigned a high-priority rating, with heavy metals, hydrocarbons and hazardous chemicals from poor industrial and waste practices suspected.

“DWER has not contacted the private operator that leases the land nor any other responsible parties and has never received any updates,” the audit reads. “The staff member currently assigned to this case is no longer employed by DWER. As a result, the level of risk for this site remains uncertain.”

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The findings raise questions about whether contaminated land near homes, recreational areas and the Swan River is being assessed quickly enough to protect public health and the environment.
  • Hundreds of cases sitting with departed staff point to systemic failures in case management and accountability at a regulator responsible for enforcing environmental rules.
  • Without timely assessments, the level of risk at many sites, including one flagged in 2013, remains unknown.

Background

DWER is responsible for assessing and managing contaminated sites across Western Australia. The audit examined cases where contamination was reported but additional information was still needed to determine risk. In one case, a site along the Swan River reported as contaminated in 2013 had still not been investigated, and no contact had been made with the private operator leasing the land.

Key Perspectives

Acting Auditor General Aloha Morrissey: The audit found DWER was not maintaining contact with responsible parties, and that years were being lost to assess contamination levels at many sites. The department: The report notes DWER had not followed up on the 2013 Swan River case, and the staff member assigned to it was no longer employed there, leaving the level of risk uncertain. Responsible parties and the public: With little progress on assessment, uncertainty about contamination risks persists for communities near affected sites.

What to Watch

  • How DWER responds to the audit and whether it outlines a plan to clear the backlog of sites awaiting assessment.
  • Whether high-priority sites, including the 2013 Swan River location, are reassigned and investigated promptly.
  • Any changes to case management systems to prevent files from being stranded with staff who have left the department.

Sources

Zotpaper

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