By Esther Lauaki
A surveillance sting has cost a Werribee lawn mowing contractor a $1934 fine for dumping a truckload of garden waste in a suburban street.
Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) and Wyndham council officers teamed up to investigate an incident in November when a tip truck was captured on a council camera dumping a load of mostly green waste at Tariff Court.
Wyndham city operations director Stephen Thorpe said the industrial estate was a hotspot for illegal dumping.
“We escalated the case to EPA because repeated waste dumping at the site has been creating a nuisance to the community and a hazard to the local environment,” Mr Thorpe said.
He said dumped green waste can flood nearby stormwater drains and creeks with nutrients, leading to toxic algae blooms that can kill the waterway’s natural wildlife.
EPA regional metropolitan manager Daniel Hunt said Wyndham was one of 13 Victorian councils that had an in-house EPA-appointed local environment protection officer.
“That gives the councils faster, easier access to the EPA’s investigation capabilities and capacity to impose larger fines,” Mr Hunt said.
Report illegal dumping to EPA’s 24 hour hotline on 1300 372 842.
