Australian council charged after weed harvester capsizes

One of the largest councils of the Northern Territory has been charged with a near-drowning incident after a weed harvester capsized in a lake, trapping a worker underneath.

The city of Palmerston - east of Darwin - has been charged with nine counts of breaching the Northern Territory's workplace health and safety laws and regulations in relation to the February 2020 incident, including four counts of failing to comply with its duty of care.

If found guilty of all charges, the council could be fined up to $7 million.

NT WorkSafe said that the council worker and a colleague had been taking it in turns using the amphibious weed harvester to clear and remove weeds from a lake in Durack, when the craft had tipped over and capsized.

The worker was trapped underneath the harvester for a moment before escaping, but sustained injuries.

NT WorkSafe claims that the city of Palmerston failed to follow all of the manufacturer's safety recommendations, which were provided during the purchase of the craft, according to WorkSafe NT.

One of the recommendations that was not followed was when the City of Palmerston modified the craft by installing a crocodile cage without consulting with the manufacturer about how this modification would affect the craft's stability and safety during operation. The case is due to come to Darwin Local Court on August 29.

The city of Palmerston didn't want to say anything.