WA contamination watchdog left 771 pollution sites in hands of departed staff
A WA audit found 771 contaminated sites assigned to staff who had left, with 110 deemed high-priority.
Reported by The Sydney Morning HeraldAlso reported by theage.com.au, watoday.com.au.Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish, 46 days ago.
ShareWhy it matters
Contaminated sites pose genuine risks to public health and the environment. Delayed assessment means exposures stay unaddressed and land cannot be safely used for other purposes.
In Australia. All Western Australians share risk from unmonitored contamination near homes, waterways, and playgrounds. The system failures apply across the state.
Key facts
- 771 of 1,633
- Sites assigned to departed staff
- 110
- High-priority unattended sites
- Over 1,200
- Sites awaiting assessment over 5 years
- 1,500
- Known contamination cases managed
- An audit by the WA Auditor General uncovered major failures in how the state tracks polluted land.
- Of 1,633 possibly contaminated sites, 771 were assigned to departed staff at the time of the audit.
- Of those, 110 were high-priority.
- Over 1,200 sites had waited more than five years for assessment with little follow-up.
- One case from 2013 involved heavy metals and hazardous chemicals on public land near homes and the Swan River.
- The assigned staff member had left and little progress was made.
- The department also manages 1,500 known contamination cases.
- The audit found DWER often took years to contact responsible parties and rarely maintained contact without external pressure.
