A Moama landholder and a company they contracted to build unlawful structures on the Murray River have been fined a total of $38,000 after pleading guilty in the Deniliquin Local Court in a case brought by the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR).
The landholder was investigated for depositing material to form an earthen terrace and an overbank access ramp, constructing an unauthorised retaining wall and for failing to remove the works from the site.
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In sentencing, Magistrate Michael Love found the offending to be in "clear defiance of the approval process".
"The court's message is that those wishing to develop natural resources, such as the Murray River, must obtain the appropriate approvals and comply with directions. If they do not, substantial penalties will apply, and rectification will be an order of the court to return the natural resource to its natural possession," Magistrate Love said.
The property owner was fined $27,000 and ordered to pay legal costs in the sum of $11,000.
The contractor was fined $11,000 and ordered to pay legal costs in the sum of $9,000.
Both defendants received a 25 per cent discount on the fines for pleading guilty.
Both parties have agreed to remove the unauthorised works, an overbank access ramp and concrete pad, and to revegetate the site.
NRAR's Director Water Enforcement Taskforce Kirsty Ruddock said all property owners, contractors and water users should be aware of the serious consequences of committing offences against the state's water laws.
"We have ongoing auditing and investigations to ensure activities affecting rivers and streams, as well as ensuring the extraction of water, are authorised," she said.
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