It appears that the State government has started to implement some tools of the information age to catch alleged waterway and restricted area violators. As originally reported by ABC online news.

Online news article reproduced:

Nearly 40 people and two business have been caught polluting waterways in the Sydney catchment area.

A year ago, the State Government installed camouflaged cameras right across Sydney’s catchment area, from Wollongong in the south to the Blue Mountains in the west.

The targeted areas are protected zones within 3 kilometres of the main water storages.

It’s illegal to even enter.

The Water Minister Phil Costa says the majority of fines have been issued for people coming in on trail bikes, horses, or bushwalking.

“It’s an area that is pristine. And what we need to do is ensure we don’t have access into there,” he said.

In the past year, the New South Wales Government’s camouflaged cameras have caught 38 people and two corporations polluting waterways in the catchment.

The tourist company was fined for polluting of waters after they installed illegal toilet facilities and they allowed the sewerage to drain into an open pit near a waterway.

Mr Costa says there could be legal action.

“So we have fined them and of course and if there’s requirement for any other legal action we will follow that as well.”

A construction business was also found dumping sediment into streams.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/26/2963932.htm (26th July 2010).