The last king tides at Newport Quays (25 & 26 April 2009) exposed a disturbing disconnect between corporate spin and the reality viewed by the rest of the world.

Local residents saw and photographed soil from contaminated soil stockpiles being carried away on the tide but the South Australian government's Land Management Corporation (LMC) is denying any soil was lost.

Penrice Soda Products announced on 22 Feb 2008 that it was at last going to remove its waste from the Port River. The waste has been restricting the use of the shipping channel for the last decade.

Under pressure from the port operator, the EPA and local community groups in 2001, Penrice introduced a sedimentation scheme to reduce the waste entering the river. It has taken a further seven years for the company to agree to start clearing the mess it created in the channel.