The former owner and director of a skip bin company has been convicted and fined $50,000 in Parramatta Local Court after it was found he illegally transported and stored almost 1200 tonnes of waste on a property near Blacktown.
Nima Tajik was the director of Skipcorp Pty Ltd, which provided skip bin hire and waste disposal services across Sydney.
An EPA investigation in 2022 found that Mr Tajik was not disposing of waste collected by Skipcorp lawfully, rather he was transporting and storing the waste in skip bins at a Grantham Farm property.
Director of Field Operations David Gathercole said the fine sends a clear message to waste operators throughout NSW that failing to transport, store and dispose of waste lawfully will lead to regulatory action from the EPA.
“Over a period of nine months, the waste from hundreds of skip bins was stored by Mr Tajik at a property that was not licenced to accept this type of waste,” Mr Gathercole said.
“Among almost 130 skip bins full of building and demolition waste, EPA officers found tiles, bricks, soil, concrete and timber, and most concerningly, around 29 tonnes of asbestos waste.
“Many of the skip bins were uncovered and there were minimal controls in place to ensure waste did not impact the surrounding area.
“These actions were undertaken purely for financial reasons, despite there being a clear risk to the environment and the community.
“The EPA will continue to pursue individuals and companies that put profit before their environmental responsibilities.”
Mr Tajik pleaded guilty to two offences of unlawfully transporting waste and unlawfully using a place as a waste facility. He has been ordered to pay a fine of $50,000, half of which will be payable to the EPA as a moiety, and an additional $2,353 to cover the EPA’s investigations costs.
