A Miners Rest man has been convicted, fined $6,000 and ordered to pay $3,000 in costs for dumping skip bin loads of waste on properties at Lara and Werribee.
EPA Victoria told the Magistrates’ Court Joshua Luke Kostecki (also known as Josh Norris) was running a skip bin hire business when he dumped loads of industrial waste on the two properties.
The waste included timber, household waste, tyres, furniture, mattresses, plastics, piping, carpet, plaster board and concrete.
EPA issued the man with a remedial notice after an inspection in 2019 revealed dumped waste on the Lara property. The notice required him to stop accepting waste at the site, and remove all of it for lawful disposal by 17 January 2020.
The court was told a follow up inspection showed the waste had not been removed and more had been stockpiled at the Lara site.
In April 2020, EPA officers responded to a report of illegal dumping at another site in Werribee and found evidence of trucks dumping skip loads of waste during the night. The skips had been collected from customers around Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula through March and April 2020, all using the accused man’s business.
EPA charged the man with two counts of dumping industrial waste at unlicensed sites, and one of failing to comply with an EPA remedial notice.
EPA Acting Regional Manager for South West Victoria, Alison Muscroft, says it is important to note that there was no profit to be made in committing the offence.
“This kind of offending is all about avoiding the cost of taking waste to a properly licensed facility for recycling or disposal. Dumping industrial waste on the environment means trying to dump the cost on the community or the landlord,” Ms Muscroft said.
“Individuals have paid money to Mr Kostecki in the belief that their waste is being handled in a legitimate manner. This court outcome sends a clear message that illegal dumping will not be tolerated, and offenders will have fines added on to the costs of cleaning up.”
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Illegal waste disposal can mean unfair competition for legitimate waste disposal firms as well as damage to the environment.
Anyone hiring a skip bin should take steps to make sure they are doing business with a reputable firm, so they can know their waste will not wind up dumped in the bush or on vacant land. There’s useful consumer advice on the EPA website: epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/how-to/hire-skip-bin
EPA is Environment Protection Authority Victoria, an independent government authority.
EPA Victoria told the Magistrates’ Court Joshua Luke Kostecki (also known as Josh Norris) was running a skip bin hire business when he dumped loads of industrial waste on the two properties.
The waste included timber, household waste, tyres, furniture, mattresses, plastics, piping, carpet, plaster board and concrete.
EPA issued the man with a remedial notice after an inspection in 2019 revealed dumped waste on the Lara property. The notice required him to stop accepting waste at the site, and remove all of it for lawful disposal by 17 January 2020.
The court was told a follow up inspection showed the waste had not been removed and more had been stockpiled at the Lara site.
In April 2020, EPA officers responded to a report of illegal dumping at another site in Werribee and found evidence of trucks dumping skip loads of waste during the night. The skips had been collected from customers around Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula through March and April 2020, all using the accused man’s business.
EPA charged the man with two counts of dumping industrial waste at unlicensed sites, and one of failing to comply with an EPA remedial notice.
EPA Acting Regional Manager for South West Victoria, Alison Muscroft, says it is important to note that there was no profit to be made in committing the offence.
“This kind of offending is all about avoiding the cost of taking waste to a properly licensed facility for recycling or disposal. Dumping industrial waste on the environment means trying to dump the cost on the community or the landlord,” Ms Muscroft said.
“Individuals have paid money to Mr Kostecki in the belief that their waste is being handled in a legitimate manner. This court outcome sends a clear message that illegal dumping will not be tolerated, and offenders will have fines added on to the costs of cleaning up.”
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Illegal waste disposal can mean unfair competition for legitimate waste disposal firms as well as damage to the environment.
Anyone hiring a skip bin should take steps to make sure they are doing business with a reputable firm, so they can know their waste will not wind up dumped in the bush or on vacant land. There’s useful consumer advice on the EPA website: epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/how-to/hire-skip-bin
EPA is Environment Protection Authority Victoria, an independent government authority.
Reviewed 25 March 2022
