EPA Victoria has fined Benalla Rural City Council more than $7,500 for failing to comply with its landfill licence.
During an inspection at the council’s Benalla Resource and Recovery Centre in December, officers found waste was being placed outside proper containment areas. The council was therefore censured for failing to ensure waste accepted was placed in designated areas as required by its EPA licence.
Following this, EPA VIC issued the council with a Pollution Abatement Notice stating that waste only be accepted and disposed of at the premises in accordance with its EPA licence. Otherwise, waste stream would need to be diverted to an alternative landfill with available space.
“EPA considers any breach of a licence it administers very seriously and as a result, it has also fined the council $7584 for breaching its licence,” said EPA VIC’s North East Manager, Clare Kiely. “The landfill’s licence says council must ensure waste is placed in designated areas and not just anywhere on the property.”
“EPA licences certain activities that are known to cause or have the potential to cause pollution, such as depositing waste material, and are in place to reduce any impact on the environment and protect the community,” she concluded.
