Illegal tyre dump sparks statewide EPA Victoria operation

The discovery of an illegal dump full of old tyres at Lockwood South, near Bendigo, has put Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria’s investigators on the trail to a network of other properties.

EPA officers have been conducting inspections and examining records at businesses around the state as part of the investigation.

Investigations have resulted in almost $30,000 in fines, nine official warnings, 70 businesses required to apply for official permissions for tyre stockpiles of their own, and 18 follow-up investigations.

Dan Hunt, Director Regional Operations for EPA Victoria, said the authority used its advanced databases and intelligence to trace waste from the illegal stockpile back to the transporters and tyre retailers who were the waste generators.

“Businesses that thought illegal dumping was the cheap option for disposing of old tyres discovered it wasn’t going to be cheap at all,” he said.

“Break the law and your waste tyres will be out there somewhere, waiting to be discovered and we will be able to trace them back to your business.”

Hunt said that under Victoria’s environmental law, all parties have legal responsibilities to ensure Reportable Priority Waste is sent for lawful disposal.

“This includes those businesses that generate or produce the waste,” he said.

The Lockwood South stockpile contained about 10,000 waste tyres and was exposed after a tipoff from a member of the public.

EPA officers used the organisation’s data and intelligence systems to trace that waste back to 114 companies and individuals. Some investigations are ongoing.

Hunt said there are two basics to storing and disposing of waste tyres.

“If you have more than five cubic metres, you’ll need a license or registration, and when waste tyres leave the site, they must be registered online with EPA Waste Tracker,” he said.

“The moment there’s a break in the chain of possession in Waste Tracker, or waste has found its way to an unlawful place, EPA will come looking for those tyres and whoever is responsible.”

Waste Tracker is part of the Environment Protection Act in 2021. Anyone who generates, transports or receives Reportable Priority Waste such as old tyres must use it to comply with tracking requirements. It is backed by advanced waste data analytics and intelligence tools to detect non-compliance.

“Producers of waste tyres such as mechanics, tyre fitters or other automotive retailers must understand their obligations as waste generators and that if their waste ends up dumped, they will also be held liable,” Hunt said.

For more information, visit: www.epa.vic.gov.au/