Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has successfully prosecuted a Campbellfield man over the dumping of skip bin loads of waste on a rural property at Diggers Rest.
The Magistrate’s Court fined Alex Anasis $82,610 without conviction and ordered him to pay $1,000 in costs to EPA over the dumping of significant volumes of waste at a Diggers Rest property.
The waste included waste tyres, concrete, bricks, soil, metal, timber, plastic, plaster sheet, mattresses, household rubbish and green waste, in piles measuring up to an estimated 90 cubic metres.
The case had begun with EPA following up a report from a member of the public. EPA officers conducted surveillance on the ground and observed trucks unloading waste at the Diggers Rest property. They also used aerial drones to photograph the stockpiles of waste and conducted formal inspections of the premises.
During the investigation, EPA officers followed trucks bringing waste to the Diggers Rest property from a location in Heidelberg.
The Diggers Rest land was not licensed to accept industrial waste and had been leased as a residential property.
Before resorting to prosecution in court, EPA had issued regulatory notices requiring Mr Anasis to immediately cease depositing industrial waste at the property and then to remove the waste to facilities that were properly licensed to accept each type of waste.
In sentencing Mr Anasis, Magistrate McCarthy placed high value on general deterrence and denunciation, noting that, ‘people should be sent a strong message that this type of conduct is unacceptable’.
Mr Anasis is also the subject of an enforcement order under the Planning and Environment Act to reinstate the property to its original condition.
A co-accused, Gavin Lee of Altona, was sentenced in November 2019 by Magistrate McCarthy to a fine of $1500, without conviction, for his role in Mr Anasis’ operation.
As noted by an EPA spokesperson
“This case is a clear demonstration that Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) will follow up on reports from the public and prosecute offenders.”
“Companies and individuals must understand their responsibilities to the community and the environment, and should be warned that the law provides for the offender to pay for the clean up as well as any fine.”
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Mr Anasis pleaded guilty to:
• Charge 1 – s 27A(2)(a) dump or deposit industrial waste on 16 August 2016,
• Charge 2 – s 27A(2)(a) permit the dump or deposit of industrial waste between 16 August and 20 October 2016.
• Charge 3 – s 62A(3) fail to comply with a Clean Up Notice
