A court has heard how a Renmark fruit grower dumped 200 tonnes of soil into a creek for an unapproved shed development.
As reported by The Advertiser In the Environment, Resource and Development Court this week 51-year-old Renmark man John Belerhis was fined $18,000 for the semi constructed shed on the Ral Ral creek.
The local man pled guilty this week prior to trial, after he was charged with two counts of breaching the Landscape South Australia Act by the Department of Environment and Water.
A concrete base and shed frame was established at the site on crown land early last year, which came after the council sought an injunction to prevent further works being undertaken in late 2021.
The court heard that while approval was sought for the development, it still needed further government approvals.
A ‘concerning lack of insight’ on Mr Beherhis behalf was noted by Judge Thomas.
The site itself was largely washed away during summer flooding which has prevented remediation works from starting.
