A Western Sydney waste company has been ordered to pay nearly $300,000 after being prosecuted by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for 18 waste offences.
The charges relate to Cobra Group Pty Ltd’s operation of a resource recovery facility in St Marys, including failing to record vehicles in the weighbridge software system and providing false and misleading information about the amount of waste entering and leaving the site through its Waste Contribution Monthly Report. A weighbridge is a large-scale vehicle weighing device that is used to accurately record waste movements.
In June 2023, the EPA used covert security cameras to capture more than 100 truck movements in and out of the premises over the course of a week, many of which were carrying waste. None of these trips were recorded in the weighbridge system nor were the quantities of waste reported to the EPA.
NSW EPA Executive Director Regulatory Practice & Services, Steve Beaman, said the accuracy of weighbridge records are a vital part of ensuring the integrity of the Waste Levy Framework is upheld.
“Failing to record that data and therefore providing misleading information to the EPA can put the environment at risk and result in waste levy avoidance,” Mr Beaman said.
“If we don’t have accurate and transparent records, a facility could be understating their waste levy liability and operating beyond its limits.
“This also increases the chance that appropriate environmental controls aren’t in place for the volume of waste being handled, which creates a pollution risk.
“This judgment is a great result and a reminder to everyone in the waste industry that it pays to follow the rules.
“Maintaining the integrity of the Waste Levy Framework is key to ensuring there is a level playing field and the waste industry remains sustainable and environmentally safe.”
The Waste Levy Framework requires scheduled waste facilities to record the quantity of waste received and transported at their facility and report those quantities to the EPA each month.
The Cobra Group was fined $258,400 in Parramatta Local Court for 18 waste breaches and must also pay $30,000 towards the EPA’s legal costs.
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