General News
4 February, 2025
Fines issued for missing tyre waste
A Horsham tyre recycling business faces penalties totalling almost $20,000 for failing to keep tabs on its waste material shipments.
Envionment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria announced on Wednesday that it had issued two fines of $9880 each to Affordable Scrap Tyre Solutions Pty Ltd.
EPA northwest regional manager Paul Ratajczyk said the privately owned firm collected used tyres from as far away as Inglewood, Charlton and St Arnaud.
"The fines are for failing to account for truckloads of waste tyres on EPA’s online Waste Tracker system in October 2024," Mr Ratajczyk said.
He said the incidents were "not just a failure of paperwork".
“In Victoria, waste tyres are classified as a ‘reportable priority waste’ and must be tracked by the EPA Waste Tracker online system when transported from one site to another,” Mr Ratajczyk said.
“Waste Tracker traces waste through every step from the place that created it to the transport business to the end-user or disposal facility.
"If there’s a gap in the trail, EPA will know where."
Mr Ratajczyk said the system was "designed to prevent waste just vanishing into thin air".
"EPA will know exactly who had it last,” he said.
Mr Ratajczyk said waste tyres could damage the environment if they were illegally dumped or burnt.
"Degrading tyres can contaminate the soil or become havens for weeds and pests (and) tyre fires generate toxic smoke and are difficult to extinguish," he said.
Under the Environment Protection Act 2017 and the Infringements Act 2006, Affordable Scrap Tyre Solutions has the right to have the infringement notice reviewed or to have it considered by a court.