A man with an extensive history of environmental offences has pleaded guilty to the illegal storage and processing of approximately 1,000 tonnes of used tyres in Wacol.
Following a thorough investigation, the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) commenced a prosecution against Wayne Simmons in April 2025.
The investigation revealed Mr Simmons failed to remove end-of-life tyres he was storing illegally, after being ordered to, later starting to shred them without an environmental authority (EA).
On Tuesday, 26 August 2025, Mr Simmons was sentenced in Richlands Magistrates Court and fined $50,000 after pleading guilty to two offences against the Environmental Protection Act 1994:
- one offence of carrying out an environmentally relevant activity without holding, or acting under, an EA for the activity,
- one offence of contravening an environmental protection order.
A critical factor in sentencing Mr Simmons was his extensive history of non-compliance with environmental and related laws, both personally and through various companies.
In January 2025, Mr Simmons was issued an environmental enforcement order to remove the tyres, which he has been complying with.
Jackie Mckeay, Executive Director, Waste and Enforcement Services, DETSI said she is pleased with the Court's decision.
"We take this type of unlawful conduct seriously and hope this sentence serves as a clear warning to people who think they can ignore their environmental obligations.
"Tyres that are not properly managed and stored can pollute our soil and waterways, threaten native animals, damage fragile ecosystems, and can pose a significant fire risk.
"Unlicensed waste activities not only present significant environmental risks, but also unfairly undercut lawful operators who meet their environmental obligations to protect the environment."
Everyone can play a part in mitigating unlicensed waste activities by reporting any suspicious behaviour to our 24/7 Pollution Hotline on 1300 130 372 and in mitigating illegal dumping by reporting suspicious activity: Litter and Illegal Dumping Online Reporting System.
