Maitland-based company ROBBOR Pty Ltd (ROBBOR) has been fined $30,000 for unlawfully operating a waste facility on a rural property it owns near Woodberry.
An investigation by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) found ROBBOR was using the property to receive, store and sort a range of mixed waste materials, including demolition timber and scrap metals, despite not having the required environmental approvals.
NSW EPA Director Field Operations Greg Sheehy said ROBBOR's actions demonstrate a clear disregard for environmental law, especially as its director has previously been convicted of the same offence.
"This is not a case of an operator being unaware of their responsibilities. The director has a prior conviction for unlawfully operating a waste facility through a different company and knew, or should have known, that activities at the site required proper approval.
"Instead, waste materials were brought to the property, stored and sorted without approval from either the local council or the EPA.
"This is particularly concerning because EPA officers identified stockpiles of hazardous materials on site, including fragments of asbestos and end-of-life electronics, which can pose significant risks to human health and the environment if not managed properly.
"Companies and individuals cannot simply ignore the rules and bypass the planning and environmental safeguards designed to ensure waste is handled safely and lawfully.
"Repeated non-compliance will not be tolerated, and those who choose to operate outside their legal obligations can expect the EPA to take strong enforcement action."
Under NSW environmental laws, a waste facility is any site used to receive, store, sort, process, recycle or dispose of waste. It is an offence to operate a waste facility without the necessary land-use planning or environmental approvals.
