Department of Planning and Environment compliance officers issued five penalties worth $75,000 to quarry, timber and waste management facility operators in Southern NSW for breaching approval conditions.
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During October, the department inspected 57 sites throughout NSW and 12 in the southern region. In the southern region five $15,000 fines were given – the highest possible fine the department can issue.
Oliver Holm, Executive Director of Resource Assessments and Compliance, said the Department actively inspected sites, did spot checks and undertook unannounced visits to ensure companies were complying with their conditions.
“We take breaches seriously and the community has an expectation that any breach will result in the appropriate action,” Mr Holm said.
“We also conduct regular meetings with councils and meet with the community to listen to their concerns.
“We have made it clear to companies that they need to adhere to the conditions of their project or fines could be issued.”
The Department issued the following fines across Southern NSW:
Penalty Notice $15,000 issued to Dongwha Timbers’ Dongwha Sawmill in Bombala for tracking mud and dirt onto public roads after failing to seal an internal road.
Penalty Notice $15,000 issued to Veolia Environmental Services’ Woodlawn Waste Facility in Tarago for failing to maintain shipping containers at the Crisps Creek Intermodal facility leading to waste leakage from the containers. The company will replace any broken or worn down rubber seals on shipping containers at the site within the next four months.
Penalty Notice $15,000 issued to Veolia Environmental Services’ Woodlawn Waste Facility in Tarago for failing to maintain a facility for cleaning truck tyres leading to transporting mud and dirt onto public roads. The company has since repaired the wash bay and no further incidents have been reported.
Penalty Notice $15,000 issued to Holcim’s Cooma Road Quarry in Queanbeyan for failing to undertake required quarterly noise monitoring for two years between 2014 and 2016. The company began noise monitoring in June 2016 and the Department will continue to monitor this activity.
Penalty Notice $15,000 issued to CEAL’s Ardmore Park Quarry in Bungonia for breaching its limit of five laden (or full) truck movements per day between 2 August and 13 September this year. During this period, there was an average of 12 truck movements a day, with the highest exceedance being 58 truck movements in one day.
“Compliance enforcement can include warning letters and orders, Department fines of up to $15,000, and prosecutions for the most serious offences with penalties of up to $5 million in the Land and Environment Court,” Dr Holm said.
“Community members are encouraged to contact the compliance team with concerns about major projects in their neighbourhood.”
