Record Fine for Illegal Dumping With Courts Backing Council Crackdown

Published 28 February 2023

A 67-year-old Banksia Beach man has been fined a record $35,000 and convicted of illegally dumping building waste in Narangba, thanks to eyewitness tip-offs from locals.

The $35,000 fine is the highest ever in Queensland for prosecutions under s104 of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act.

Mayor Peter Flannery thanked locals for alerting the authorities and said he was pleased to have the court’s backing Council’s crackdown on illegal dumping.

“Let it serve as a warning to those people thinking of doing the wrong thing, that we have mobile CCTV units and staff dedicated to ensuring criminals are held responsible for their actions,” he said.

“Over time this particular offender had illegally dumped the equivalent of 20-30 tonnes, which is completely unacceptable on any measure.

“The successful prosecution is a major win for Council’s investigative and legal teams, and I want to publicly applaud their professionalism in gathering all the necessary evidence in difficult circumstances to prove the culprit’s guilt.

“But it we wouldn’t have achieved this outcome without eyewitness accounts and the evidence they provided.

“So I want to encourage anyone who sees illegal dumping activity or rubbish to contact Council, because this is an issue we take very seriously.

“We also act on complaints about damage to public property and will take all action necessary to help police apprehend offenders.

“Illegal dumping isn’t just unsightly, it’s environmentally damaging, presents a serious public safety risk and can even be a biohazard or bushfire risk.

“There’s no excuse and it won’t be tolerated”

In addition to the $35 000 fine, the Court also ordered the defendant to pay $1929 for the cost of Council’s prosecution and investigation, and a conviction was recorded.