IT WAS like a reverse burglary, where someone cut padlocks to get in and left something behind; in this case 100 cubic metres of industrial waste dumped on a property at Beveridge.
Officers from EPA Victoria received a tip-off in December that skip loads of waste were being dumped on rural land on Old Sydney Road. When they investigated, they found the waste was full of clues that pointed to Ravenhall skip bin contractor, Victoria Skip Bins Pty Ltd.
The company has been fined $10,176 for the unlawful deposit of more than 1000 litres of waste and issued with a regulatory notice requiring it to clean up the waste and send it for proper disposal.
The dumped waste included boxes from electrical appliances with serial numbers that led to the installers, personal documents with names and addresses, contractors’ receipts that led back to a building site and documents from a commerical premises renovation.
The clues led to people and companies who had hired the same skip bin business to remove waste. They included contractors, builders, materials suppliers and private citizens.
EPA officers observed that between December 20, 2025 and January 5, 2026, 13 more loads of waste arrived on the property, each one corresponding with the capacity of an eight cubic metre skip bin. They estimated the total volume of waste at 104 cubic meters.
The waste included construction and demolition waste, plastics, and household waste.
EPA Northeast Regional Manager Ben Kneebone says EPA doesn’t hesitate to investigate and hold the culprits to account.
“EPA acts on multiple sources of intelligence including reports from the community. There are many eyes and ears watching illegal dumpers; if you choose to do the wrong thing and dump waste illegally, you face fines or prosecution in court,” Mr Kneebone said.
“Anyone hiring a skip bin can take simple steps to make sure their waste doesn’t wind up dumped in the bush or on someone’s farm,” he said.
“Choose a respectable firm, make sure they’re using EPA Waste Tracker, ask to see the receipts that show they take waste to a licensed landfill or recycling facility, and beware of suspiciously low prices.”
“By taking that bit of extra care you can make sure your waste goes to the right place and help to stop illegal operators from undercutting legitimate local businesses,” Mr Kneebone said.