A bakery worker has been fired after he was filmed pouring cooking oil into a stormwater drain just metres from Coogee Beach in Sydney.
A short video clip of the incident filmed outside The Grumpy Baker on Beach Street on Sunday shows the man, who is of Indian subcontinental appearance, standing over a large container as oil spills out.
The person filming says: “Why do you do that?”
Bakery worker pours oil down a stormwater drain just metres from Coogee Beach, Sydney.
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Bakery owner Michael Cthurmer later confirmed to 9News that the man was an employee, and he had been dismissed as a result.
“We were devastated to see this and have never encountered something like this before in our 24 years of running The Grumpy Baker,” he said.
“We have been in constant contact with all of our stores and staff since the weekend, to reiterate and retrain on our standards and procedures.”
The Grumpy Baker is now working with Randwick City Council on an investigation into the incident, and a council spokesperson said water pollution offences were punishable with fines of up to $30,000.
“This is a serious water pollution incident, and our Senior Environmental Officers are currently investigating the matter,” a council spokesperson said.
“We would like to thank the people who quickly reported this incident, and remind the community and local businesses of their environmental obligations and that incidents like this are unacceptable.”
The incident comes after debris balls partly made up of oils and fats washed up on Sydney beaches, prompting a new campaign by Sydney Water on safe oil disposal.
“Fats, oils, and grease (commonly known as FOG) are a major cause of blockages, overflows, and environmental harm when improperly disposed of,” a Sydney Water spokesperson said.
“Pouring used cooking oil down sinks, wastewater drains, stormwater drains, or directly into grease traps can lead to serious plumbing issues, costly repairs, and pollution in our waterways.”
Header image: Left, right, the man pouring the oil down the drain (Facebook).
