Asbestos dump brings $20,000 fines for North East firm, director

Environment Protection Authority Victoria charged Hunt Environmental Pty Ltd and Robert Shaw Hunt after the waste was discovered at Everton Upper, in winery country east of Wangaratta.

The company and the director both pleaded guilty in Wangaratta Magistrates Court and were convicted.

EPA manager, major investigations, Dallas Clowes said the investigation began when a member of the public spotted the industrial waste in a pine plantation.

"The company had obtained the waste during demolition work, and the director admitted to transporting it there for storage and sorting to save money," Mr Clowes said.

IN OTHER NEWS:

When EPA officers inspected the site, they found asbestos in black plastic bags, a metal drum labelled "creosote" and building materials such as sheet iron, plasterboard, carpet, underlay and timber.

"EPA issued the company with a clean-up notice, giving it the opportunity to clean up the mess and avoid a fine, but the deadline passed and the waste had not been removed," Mr Clowes said.

"EPA takes a zero tolerance attitude to the illegal disposal of construction and demolition materials at sites that are not licensed to receive them."

The dumping was first reported to the authority in September 2018. The waste has since been removed from the property.