Ironman Bin Hire Pty Ltd and its director Randi Yousha have been charged $50,000 in fines and related costs after a Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court hearing.
The court referred to properties in Blackwells Lane, Bulla and Merri Course, Campbellfield, where Yousha and Ironman Bin Hire illegally accepted industrial waste, buried or burnt it, and then failed to comply with the Environment Protection Authority Victoria’s (EPA) notices to report back on the issues they had created.
Yousha pleaded guilty and was convicted and fined $25,000, with additional costs of $5000 for illegally accepting and disposing of the waste.
Ironman Bin Hire was fined $20,000 for failing to comply with the EPA’s notices.
The court heard Yousha was not remorseful, despite pleading guilty early, did not attempt to find out what his environmental obligations were, repeated the crimes several times between March 2022 and September 2023, and did not cooperate with supplying the EPA with required information.
EPA north metropolitan acting regional manager Chloe Bernett said that she condemns the environmental damage Yousha and his company caused.
“The motivation for this kind of behaviour, to wilfully ignore the potential environmental damage by illegally taking in demolition and construction waste and disposing of it recklessly, is driven by pure profit making,” said Ms Bernett.
The court also ordered that all of the industrial waste must be removed from the properties by December 17.