A Ballarat man has been convicted and fined after dumping rubbish on properties in Werribee and Lara.
Josh Kostecki, who is also known as Josh Norris, was charged by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria after waste was dumped on two properties in 2020.
He was charged with two counts of dumping industrial waste at unlicensed sites and one of failing to comply with an EPA remedial notice.
An EPA statement said the Magistrates’ Court was told that Kostecki was running a skip hire business when he dumped loads of industrial waste on the properties.
The statement said Kostecki was initially issued a remedial notice after an inspection in 2019 revealed dumped waste on a property in Lara.
The notice required him to stop accepting waste and remove all of it for lawful disposal by January 2020.
A follow up inspection showed the waste had not been removed and more had been added to the Lara site.
In April 2020, EPA officers responded to a report of illegal dumping at a different site, in Werribee, and found evidence of trucks dumping skip loads of waste.
Household waste, tyres, furniture, mattresses, plastics, piping, carpet, plasterboard and concrete were amongst the waste found.
Kostecki was fined $6000 and ordered to pay $3000 in costs by the court.
EPA South West Victoria acting regional manager Alison Muscroft said dumping the waste on the environment means trying to dump the cost on the community.
“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,” Ms Muscroft said.
