Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes' efforts to mitigate flooding on his farm in Kangaloon, New South Wales, Australia, have dramatically veered off track.
Cannon-Brookes made a name for himself as a billionaire who cares about climate issues. His neighbors were shocked that a plan to redirect excess rainwater turned into a hazard for the community.
Pollution from the construction work contaminated the Stony Gully, a protected tributary within Nepean Dam that feeds Greater Sydney's major supply dams.
The six-week job to create a small lake and wildlife sanctuary on Cannon-Brookes' farm is now a nearly two-year problem.
Construction runoff can contaminate critical waterways, putting clean water access at risk and killing important local wildlife. Local residents are concerned about their access to clean water supplies after the snafu.
The billionaire's former landmoving contractor, John Rodwell, told The Age that the lake was a mitigation effort. Rodwell said record rainfalls in the area have damaged local dams and left their walls slipping.
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"That area around Sugarloaf Mountain is basically sitting on an extinct volcano, and the land is all slipping," Rodwell told The Age. "In my experience, you need to talk to the landowners about these things."
While the intentions may have come from a good place, this story is a reminder of billionaires' impacts on the environment. One study found that this small class of people release a million times more carbon pollution than the average person.
Even so-called "climate conscious" billionaires like Cannon-Brookes contribute to this issue. Beyond putting locals at risk with his lake project, the tech CEO received criticism earlier this year for purchasing a private jet.
Private jets disproportionately contribute to heat-trapping air pollution that is warming the planet and causing extreme weather events. Carbon pollution from private jets has increased by 46% in the last five years.
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The billionaire's farm is under investigation by the Wingecarribee Shire Council and was put on notice by WaterNSW. Cannon-Brookes is engaging in remediation efforts to make things right with neighbors, reported The Age. Those efforts should be completed by the end of the year.
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