Swimmers told to avoid popular Gold Coast spot after sewage spill

Swimmers have been told to stay out of the water and fishermen not to fish on a popular stretch of the Gold Coast after a sewage leak.

The city said a sewer main broke on Harbour Quays Drive at Biggera Waters on Monday night, and while it was caught quickly, nearby canals could be contaminated.

The canals flow into the Broadwater, an area of the coast protected by South Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), popular with swimmers and recreational fishers.

Sewage may have leaked into the broadwater from canals in Biggera Waters.

Council installed signs at Quota Park at the mouth of Biggera Creek on Tuesday night that advised people not to swim.

Water testing results are expected on Wednesday afternoon, a council spokesperson said, adding people should not eat fish or crabs from the area for the next three days.

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Gold Coast City Council was put on notice by the Department of Environment earlier this year for various issues with its ageing sewage system.

The department described three major leaks around the council’s system, one of which killed eels and left fish gasping for oxygen.

The issues raised by the department related to pressurised pipes that pump water uphill, known as rising mains.

The Environmental Enforcement Order followed an incident where 450 million litres of sewage spilled into the Albert River between January and April 2024.

That spill, caused by corrosion of a pipe that went unnoticed, was considered the worst in Queensland history.

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