Transurban acting too slowly on blue-green algae bloom

2 May 2024

Media release
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne

Multi-billion-dollar tollway company Transurban are moving too slowly to treat the outbreak of blue-green algae in their water filtration system at Rozelle Parklands.

Following last week’s revelations that blue-green algae had been discovered in the wetlands at Rozelle Parklands, Council has now issued a legal letter to Transurban warning that they must take responsibility for the problem or face legal action from Inner West Council.

Please find attached  (PDF 206.4KB) the letter of Wednesday, 1 May 2024, from Inner West Council to Transurban.

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said, “Transurban has yet to provide any evidence that they had yet been properly monitoring and testing the water in the wetlands as they are legally required to do.

“These ‘wetlands’ are in fact the filtration system for the wastewater coming from the tunnels of the Rozelle Interchange.

“Transurban are making billions of dollars from the Rozelle Interchange, surely they can afford to properly process the water from the tunnels they are profiting from. The cost is loose change for them.

“We are concerned that Transurban haven’t been upholding the basic requirement to monitor and test the water in the wetlands.

“Using the closure of the Parklands during the asbestos clean-up as an excuse for not continuing to treat water from the filtration facility is absurd. They could have gone in there any time to test and monitor the state of the wetlands.

“Transurban needs to start taking their responsibilities seriously and stop making excuses.”

Ends

For media enquiries please contact Jonny Browne, Jonny.Browne@innerwest.nsw.gov.au