Illegal waste dumping
Illegal dumping is the unlawful deposit of waste larger than litter onto land. It includes waste materials that have been dumped, tipped or otherwise deposited onto private or public land where no licence or approval exists to accept such waste. Illegal dumping varies from small bags of rubbish in an urban environment to larger scale dumping of waste materials in isolated areas, such as bushland.
Illegal dumping includes illegal land filling, which is waste used as fill material with the consent of the owner or occupier of the land but without the necessary council or DECC approvals.
Legislation
The Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act) provides a tiered range of illegal dumping offence provisions/fines. They are:
Tier 3 - on the spot fines
- $750 on the spot fine for individuals for illegal dumping with a maximum on the spot fine of $1500
- $1500 on the spot fines for corporations for illegal dumping with a maximum on the spot fine of $5000
Tier 2 - use of land as waste facility without lawful authority
- Maximum penalty in the case of an individual: $250,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, a further penalty of $60,000 for each day the offence continues
- Maximum penalty in the case of a corporation: $1 000,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, a further penalty of $120,000
Tier 1 - disposal of waste - harm to the environment
- Maximum penalty in the case of an individual: $1 000,000 and/or 7 years' imprisonment
- Maximum penalty in the case of a corporation: $5 000,000
Knowing your responsibilities
The Department of Environment and Climate Change has produced a range of resources for waste generators, whether they be waste generators within the home or within various types of industry to assist in the correct handling, removal, resource recovery and disposal options of waste material. These resources can be viewed and downloaded from the links provided below.
- Important information for waste transporters and the waste industry
- Know your responsibilities: managing waste from construction sites
- Safely disposing of asbestos waste from your home
- Avoiding the dangers of accepting fill on your land
- Questions/ answers for the landowner/occupier
Further resources
The Department of Environment and Climate Change has also produced a number of resources for local government and community action groups that seek to provide a foundation for the minimisation and prevention of illegal dumping.
- Regional illegal dumping squads
- Social research about illegal dumping
- Multi unit dwelling illegal dumping prevention campaign
- Crackdown on illegal dumping: handbook for local government
- Frequently asked questions