• About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Events
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Newsletter
SUBSCRIBE
  • News
    • Contracts awarded
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Events
  • Features
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Gas
  • Electricity
  • Civil Construction
  • Events
No Results
View All Results
  • News
    • Contracts awarded
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Events
  • Features
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Gas
  • Electricity
  • Civil Construction
  • Events
No Results
View All Results
Home News

Cherry Creek chemical spill clean-up to last weeks

by Utility Journalist
March 18, 2022
in News, Spotlight, Water
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Melbourne Water and Hobsons Bay City Council, supported by Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPAV) officers, have been working to remove dead fish from Cherry Lake, as the clean-up continues following a chemical spill.

The spill has left hundreds of fish dead, spurring the Council to call for tougher penalties for the business responsible. 

On 6 March 2022, a small fire at a nearby business resulted in a large quantity of detergent being released into Cherry Creek and Lake.

The EPAV is investigating the exact circumstances and any breaches of the law but is confident the source has been identified and contained.

However, authorities continue to warn people to avoid contact with the water and any fish or eels caught in the region.

Mayor of Hobsons Bay, Councillor Peter Hemphill, said the severity of the spill was unlike anything Hobsons Bay had experienced in recent times; with hundreds, if not thousands, of fish killed and future effects on local biodiversity still to be determined.

“When all of the details of this incident are known, and if laws have been breached, we hope that any conviction or punishment matches the severity of what has occurred within our environment,” Mayor Hemphill said. 

“The message needs to be very loud and very clear.” 

The incident is severe and significant, with EPAV indicating it could take several weeks to remediate waterways affected by a spill of about 12,000 to 13,000L of surfactant – a chemical found in detergent.

Melbourne Water and Hobsons Bay City Council, supported by EPAV officers, have been working to remove dead fish. 

EPAV is monitoring the contamination as Melbourne Water continues to clean up Cherry Creek and Cherry Lake, with Council support.

Signage is in place around the popular recreation space of Cherry Lake as crews work continuously to remove dead fish from the water and remediate the waterway.

Mayor Hemphill warned people to avoid the water and ensure pets do not eat dead fish or eels.

“Since learning of this awful event, we have been out warning people to avoid the water entirely and to not eat any fish or eels caught in the Cherry Lake area,” Mayor Hemphill said.

“Cherry Lake is a popular destination for families to play, people to exercise and for anyone to fish and picnic. Over the long weekend, the warm weather drew many people to the reserve and the environmental disaster was obvious to everyone.

“We share the community’s concern. We know there is an enormous impact to the fish stock within the lake but the area is also popular for birdlife and the effects on the wider biodiversity is still unknown but obviously something we are deeply worried about.”

Warning signs have been put in place around the creek and lake, while updates are posted on the EPAV website and through the Council’s social media channels.

For more information, visit the EPAV website here.

If the community sees dead fish or other signs of the effects of pollution in the area, call 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842) or contact@epa.vic.gov.au

Related Posts

Image: Rädlinger 

Saving water and emissions

by Katie Livingston
July 16, 2025

Water is a valuable resource, and this is especially true in times of increasing weather extremes, such as floods or...

Image: Programmed

Bringing culture and connection to remote sites

by Katie Livingston
July 16, 2025

Beyond service delivery, Programmed helps build environments that foster connection, and support workforce morale in remote operations.  At 29Metals’ Golden...

Image: Schneider Electric 

Future-proofing water operations

by Katie Livingston
July 16, 2025

Faced with unprecedented challenges, water authorities are rethinking their operations, and they need digital tools that can keep pace.  The...

Please login to join discussion

Read our magazine

Join our newsletter

View our privacy policy, collection notice and terms and conditions to understand how we use your personal information.
Utility is the title of choice for decision makers at all levels of water and energy utilities, as well as other major players like consulting engineers and first-tier contractors. Utility is integrated across print and online, and explores the biggest news and issues across the utility industry. It is Australia’s only dedicated utility magazine, and covers all areas of the utility sector, including water and sewer, gas, electricity, communications and the NBN.

Subscribe to our newsletter

View our privacy policy, collection notice and terms and conditions to understand how we use your personal information.

About Utility

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Digital magazine
  • Events
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Collection Notice
  • Privacy Policy

Popular Topics

  • News
  • Water
  • Electricity
  • Projects
  • Water and Wastewater Treatment
  • Spotlight
  • Civil Construction
  • Renewable Energy

© 2025 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited

No Results
View All Results
NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE
  • News
    • Contracts awarded
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Events
  • Features
  • Water
  • Wastewater
  • Gas
  • Electricity
  • Civil Construction
  • Events
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

© 2025 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited