Blueberry growers fined $100,000 after constructing unauthorized dam in Bucca

Two blueberry farmers and their contractor were penalised for building a dam without approval on land near Coffs Harbour, though the structure has now been authorised.

The NSW Land and Environment Court sentenced blueberry growers Harpreet Pannu and Satvinder Pannu to a $100,000 penalty after they built a dam on their Bucca farm without the required consent, following an investigation triggered by a hotline report. Contractor Murray John Gray also pleaded guilty and was fined $30,000 for participating in the unauthorised works. Justice Richard Beasley noted the defendants were hardworking people and characterised the incident as a single lapse in proper judgement, adding that Gray acted carelessly but was unlikely to repeat the offence.

The dam, which cleared roughly 1.8 hectares of native waterfront vegetation, has now been granted approval by the Natural Resources Access Regulator, so no demolition order was issued. Environmental advocates, including Catherine Jones of the Bellingen Environment Centre, urged tighter dam regulations, while NRAR’s Tim O'Connell emphasized the need for landholders to verify approval requirements.