Man fined $10k for illegal dump that left $3m clean-up bill

In a Melbourne suburb, a man was slapped with a $10,000 fine for illegally dumping 11,000 tonnes of waste on leased land, a sum far less than the $3 million it cost the City of Whittlesea to clean up the mess. Mohamad Yassin Yousef Sadek, who was convicted of environmental offenses in August, was ordered to pay an additional $5,000 to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its cleanup expenses.

The EPA had been tipped off in September 2021 about the illegal dumping of industrial waste, which included contaminated soil and various materials like textiles, brick fragments, metal, timber, and fibrous cement. The EPA's inspectors found asbestos at seven locations on the property during their visit. Despite issuing environmental notices over nearly two years, Sadek failed to comply.

The council was eventually ordered to remove the contaminated waste, a task that took three years and involved clearing over 300 truck and trailer loads. The case against Sadek was finalized in July 2023. Whittlesea City Council, which had to undertake remediation works after the head tenant and subtenants failed to do so, acknowledged the significant environmental damage caused.

Environmental law expert Brad Jessup expressed concern over the fines being lower than the costs of legally disposing of the waste, suggesting a financial incentive for polluters. He pointed out that recent reforms in environmental laws aimed at increasing fines and recouping profits from offenders were not being utilized, leading to minor penalties and unaddressed financial burdens for victims.