A car park operator in Tullamarine has been fined $4500 and ordered to pay $58,000 in court costs for illegally permitting the deposit of industrial waste following an investigation by Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA).
Patchwood Holdings Pty Ltd (Patchwood) and its Director John Fairweather were found guilty yesterday in the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court for permitting the deposit of about 2800 cubic metres of industrial waste at the Jetaway Airport parking site between November 2013 and October 2014.
The court ordered Patchwood, the third company fined in relation to illegal dumping at the site, to conduct a clean-up of the premise by 21 February 2018. The three companies involved in the illegal dumping are now collectively $104,000 out of pocket following earlier court decisions this year in August and last year in October.
Patchwood will also be required to pay for the entire clean up as well.
EPA launched an investigation in October 2014 following concerns from Brimbank City Council that waste was being deposited at the car parking site.
Patchwood and Mr Fairweather were also found guilty of one charge under the Environment Protection Act 1970 of failing to comply with an EPA notice to clean up issued in January 2015.
EPA Director of Regional Operations Dan Hunt, said EPA’s action was a result of work undertaken by its Illegal Dumping Strikeforce Program which aims to reduce large scale dumping of industrial waste.
“Illegal dumping is an environmental crime and costs Victorians over $30 million annually to clean up,” Mr Hunt said.
“EPA is committed to working with local councils to detect and prosecute not only those who dump industrial waste, but those who allow waste to be deposited on their land without an appropriate licence or permit.”
In October 2016, Express Demolition & Excavation Pty Ltd and its directors were fined $1500 and ordered to pay $13,000 in court costs after pleading guilty to depositing industrial waste at the car park site.
A third company, Monark Industries Pty Ltd trading as “Hughes Demolition” out of Keilor East, was fined $5,000 and ordered to pay $23,000 in costs on 9 August 2017 for depositing industrial waste at the car park site too and for failing to comply with EPA requests for information.
Patchwood and Mr Fairweather were also given a section 67AC Order under the Environment Protection Act 1970, which requires publication of the court outcome for the company and director in the Australian Financial Review, The Age, Herald Sun and Hume Leader within 30 days of the court order.
EPA urges members of the public to continue reporting suspected illegal dumping to the EPA on 1300 372 842 (1300 EPA VIC) or at www.epa.vic.gov.au