Blue Mountains City Council has been fined $30,000 after landfill leachate from the Blaxland Waste Management Facility polluted Cripple Creek earlier this year.
Council notified the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) on 21 January 2026 that an estimated 160,000 to 260,000 litres of leachate had overflowed from a pipe and entered Cripple Creek.
NSW EPA Director of Operations David Gatherole said officers inspected the landfill site over several days and confirmed the pollution was caused by an isolation valve that had been incorrectly closed and not reopened.
“This was a preventable incident. Our investigation found council staff weren’t trained to correctly operate the valves, and that failure led to toxic leachate entering Cripple Creek,” Mr Gathercole said.
“Our sampling identified elevated levels of ammonia, nitrogen, phosphorus and other contaminants at the discharge point, though levels decreased downstream as the water became more diluted.
“The risk to the surrounding environment was significant, particularly as Cripple Creek flows into the Blue Mountains National Park.
“All licence holders have a responsibility to operate their facilities safely and maintain systems that prevent pollution and protect the environment.
“We acknowledge Blue Mountains City Council cooperated with our investigation and has since strengthened its safe operating procedures, improved staff training and record-keeping, and installed clearer valve signage.”
Domestic kerbside waste is disposed of at the Blaxland Waste Management Facility. Leachate is the liquid generated as landfill waste decomposes, and when it enters a waterway, it carries pollutants that can reduce oxygen levels and harm aquatic life.
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