Using strong language, Cr Bradbery has signalled he will call on Wollongong City Council to take rigorous action over the slag heap, which is at the Russell Vale colliery, partly covering ratepayer-owned land.

The council has been aware of the reject coal pile for many years but when questioned on the matter, says it is “working with” the miner to get the stockpile moved. It has not moved.

Residents and environmentalists are concerned that a storm would wash part of the stockpile down Bellambi Creek and into the suburbs and waterways below.

The regulatory agency, the Department of Planning and Environment, has recently ordered Wollongong Coal to remove the stockpile – but gave the miner 12 months to compete the task.

A department spokesman told the Mercury the long timeframe was given in order to increase the chances of the job being done.

Enough is enough for Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery, who will use a Mayoral Minute at Monday’s council meeting to call his own council to do more to get the problem fixed.

He is calling on council to “apply, within the scope of its legal and administrative responsibilities, as much rigour and scrutiny as possible to the Wollongong Coal’s operations at Russell Vale mine to finalise the removal of unauthorised stockpiled material and remediation of the site”.

Cr Bradbery made the same demands of DPE and the Environment Protection Authority.