The Gold Coast City Council faces public scrutiny and possible legal action after a significant sewage spill into a local river. 

Approximately 350 million litres of raw sewage has been released into the Albert River at Yatala, raising significant public health and environmental concerns.

The spill, attributed to a ruptured pipe that had been leaking for months, was only recently identified and remediated. 

Brad Wirth, the executive director of the state’s Department of Environment, has expressed his shock at the magnitude of the spill, saying “We haven't seen a spill of this magnitude in Queensland to my knowledge”. 

He said investigations could lead to severe legal repercussions for the Gold Coast council, given the scale of the pollution. 

Community groups and environmental advocates have labelled the spill as one of the worst ecological disasters the area has ever seen. 

Wildlife Queensland Gold Coast and Hinterland has called for a comprehensive review and upgrade of the city's ageing infrastructure to prevent future incidents.

Michael Kahler, Gold Coast City Council's executive general manager of infrastructure, has announced that an engineering firm will conduct an independent review to uncover the causes of the pipeline failure, its duration, and the adequacy of the council's response to the crisis.

Health experts say that the likely ongoing effects on public health will require monitoring, due to the potential bioaccumulation of pathogens and chemicals in local wildlife and sediment.

Gold Coast councillor Mark Hammel called for accountability and highlighted the need for better monitoring technologies. 

“We're a city that has the ability to tell residents that their water usage is up through smart metering, yet somehow millions of litres of raw sewage has entered a river system, and we were not aware of it for several months,” Hammel said.

The community is awaiting further testing on the water and aquatic life, and the council has advised the public against consuming seafood from the Albert or Logan River until it can ensure safety.