RECENT fuel spills on the water at Lemon Tree Passage have raised concern among residents and business operators.
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The spills in the foreshore area and near Bulls Island are within a marine park and are also close to oyster leases.
Marina management wants boaters to exercise more responsibility and would even like to see Roads and Maritime Services conduct compliance checks on vessels.
Resident Stephen Garz has counted four occurrences in the past two years, two of which required Fire and Rescue's hazardous materials (Hazmat) unit to respond.
The biggest of these incidents was when a boat sunk at the marina in March.
"Environmental practices around the area need to be more stringent if this area is going to be [effectively] managed as a marine park," Mr Garz said.
Mr Garz wrote a letter to the Minister for Environment following the latest incident on August 1.
"The smell of fuel in the foreshore area was very strong and one local business person complained to me that the stench had given him a headache," Mr Garz said.
"I observed an extensive slick running north to south with the tide although two boating gentlemen I spoke to noted the slick had been running south to north for a good while prior but had changed direction with the change of the tide."
Mr Garz reported this to the NSW Environmental Protection authority and Port Stephens Council which sent a ranger to the scene.
The EPA responded on behalf of the Minister Mark Speakman, when the Examiner approached his office for comment.
Being a smaller marina the EPA advised that it was a Port Stephens Council issue.
The spokesman said the EPA was aware of the latest incident and had alerted the Marine Parks Authority and the NSW Food Authority as a precaution.
Many boaters frequent Port Stephens waterways and use its various marinas, boatsheds and slipways. The EPA said these activities present a degree of risk.
"The EPA has been requiring EPA licensed marinas to update their facilities to better protect the environment and is encouraging councils to do the same for facilities they regulate," the spokesman said.
The Albatross Marina, previously known at Lemon Tree Passage Marina, is part-way into a $200,000 upgrade to its facilities.
"We do everything in our power to prevent contaminants entering the water," Marina manager Mike Colecliffe said.
"We would [even] welcome an inspection by RMS on the automatic bilges to find out which boats are leaking diesel.”
The council said it wasn't aware of any marina compliance issues.
"Council works cooperatively with all non-EPA licensed premises to ensure they are operating in an environmentally satisfactory manner," the spokesman said.
