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A BRISBANE development company has been slapped with a $10,000 fine, after clearing more than double the approved amount of mangroves at a site in Pinkenba.
The company must also perform restoration works after it cleared 752sqm of mangroves and marine plants - with approval to clear only 260sqm.
Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol district manager Brett Depper says the company breached four conditions of its development approval.
"The company had been approved to clear 260sqm of marine plants as part of its development approval process provided a number of strict terms and conditions were met," Depper says.
"A couple of months after works commenced on the site, a member of the public called the Fishwatch hotline concerned about the works being carried out on the site.
"Subsequent investigations found the company had cleared a 752sqm area of marine habitat and four breaches of the conditions of their development approval were detected."
Depper says it sends a message to developers to ensure they understand environmental obligations, as 75 per cent of Queensland's fish species are dependent on estuaries and habitat areas.
"The future sustainability of Queensland's recreational, commercial and indigenous fisheries is at stake if fish habitats are not protected," he says.
"It is important developers strictly comply with the terms and conditions of their development approvals so that the environmental impacts of their works can be mitigated."
The marine habitat site requires "substantial restoration" which is a significant cost to the developer in itself, says Depper.
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